LUMBERTON — Lumberton senior Dylan Bruce went into this final season of high school baseball assuming that it was the end of the road for him.
The sport that Bruce loved for more than 13 years playing from t-ball all the way to four year with the Pirates gave him a gift recently when Bruce was approached by the Fayetteville Technical Community College coaching staff about furthering his career.
“I thought I was just going to play four years of high school baseball and stop,” Bruce said. “It took a lot of time on my own. They say that if you love the game, good things happen, and that’s what happened.
“It’s just another chance for me to play the game that I love.”
On Thursday in front of family, friends and teammates, Bruce signed to play baseball next season with the Trojans that are coming off their first season on the diamond.
The senior was a consistent piece for Lumberton this season, batting .270 with eight RBIs, with a team-high 11 stolen bases. Bruce fielded at a .922 percentage this season.
On defense however, Bruce was asked to move from his normal position of second base to the outfield midway through the year to help bring more firepower into the Pirates order.
“It kind of caught me off guard because I thought I was going to play second base as a senior, we talked it out and he told me we needed more bats in the lineup,” Bruce said. “He had to put somebody younger there, and you’ve just got to do what you got to do sometimes.”
Lumberton coach Jeff McLamb said that selflessness was one of several desirable characteristics that Bruce showcased during his four years with the program.
“They are going to get a player that is 100% dedicated to everything that he does,” McLamb said. “On the field and off the field they are getting a great kid and player.”
Like Bruce’s love for the game, McLamb said that his willingness to work hard and play the game the right way paid off with his chance to play at the next level.
“He just will put in a bunch of work. It’s good to see it pay off,” McLamb said. “Like he said, he didn’t think he would get a chance to play college baseball and then the coach asked me and we got the ball rolling.”
Fayetteville Tech went 5-25 in its inaugural season, and its roster is loaded with talent from the region, including former St. Pauls all-county performer Aaron Revels. Having some familiarity is a positive point for Bruce as he enters the program.
“It will help me get started. When you go somewhere new, you don’t know if you are going to have a friend or if it’s going to be awkward,” Bruce said. ”They’re getting another guy that knows how to play the game as hard as he can.”
