ROCKINGHAM —This year has been a smooth ride for the former Richmond Senior High baseball standout once known by grade school friends as “E-Train.”
On Monday, Ethan Baucom took home Male Athlete of the Year honors during The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s “Golden Braves” banquet that celebrates the schools’ top athletes each year.
The accolade serves as the latest testament to a breakout junior season in which he led the Braves in home runs (20), RBIs (71) and slugging percentage (.658) en route to being named player of the year in the Peach Belt Conference.
After the season ended, Baucom carried his big bat with him to the Coastal Plains League, a summer organization for collegiate athletes, and was a key hitter for the Savannah Bananas.
“It was awesome. It was one of the best summers of my life, if not the best summer,” Baucom said of his first stint with the Bananas.
“The fans were amazing, he added. They supported us every day, no matter if we were winning or losing. I’m very thankful for the summer I had out there.”
The right-handed slugger quickly became a crowd favorite because of his power at the plate. Baucom got even more notoriety when he took first place in the home run derby during the league’s All-Star Showdown in July.
He helped the Bananas to a 35-16 record and fittingly smacked a homer in the season finale against Macon.
Though he sports a new nickname, “Rhino” because of his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame, Baucom still hasn’t lost touch with what’s happening in his hometown.
A two-time all-conference player for the Richmond baseball team, Baucom thanked and sent best wishes to former coach Ricky Young who recently resigned his post as Raiders manager.
“He was a great coach and a great guy,” he said Young. “He was always there for me whenever I needed, and really a person I look up to.”
Now gearing up for his senior season at UNCP, Baucom says he will use the recognition and accolades to solidify his role as team captain.
He added that his latest award shows younger players joining the program what standard is to be expected. Most importantly, Baucom mentioned how vital it was to keep a level head while continuing his tireless routine on and off the field.
“I’m just trying to stay really humble and not even worry about my results this year,” he said.
“I’m just really not trying to think about numbers and stats, so it doesn’t get in my head. I just want to take it like I did last year…work really hard and let everything fall into place.”
