ROCKINGHAM — Brett Young, a senior on the Richmond Senior High School baseball team, has been named the Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week.
During the last three games for the Raiders, Young has been on a tear at the plate and in the field at second base. Fresh off a first-round walk-off win in NCHSAA state playoffs over R.J. Reynolds High school, Young and his teammates are looking to make a run at 4A state title.
Young’s two-way play during the Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament, along with a clutch performance in the playoff opener Tuesday, helped him earn his first career recognition.
Athletic Profile
Age: 18
Birthday: Sept. 8, 2000
Year: Senior
Spring Sport: Baseball
Position: Second Base
Height & Weight: 5-9, 160 pounds
Years on Varsity: 2 Years
Experience: 13 Years
“UP THE MIDDLE” WITH BRETT YOUNG
RSHS Academics: Young is one of 12 Raider baseball players who are now less than a month away from walking across the graduation stage. He’s taking four classes at Richmond, beginning with English IV Honors with Mr. Craig Jones.
He’s also taking American History II Honors with Coach Greg Williams, Weight Training Honors with Coach Brad Denson and rounds out his day with fourth block intern with head baseball coach Ricky Young. There, he helps his dad maintain the Raider baseball facilities.
“I’m excited to graduate,” Young explained. “But I also enjoy Weight Training because I’m in there with my (baseball) buddies. We get to work out and go outside so we’re not stuck in a classroom all day.”
Young is an Honors student who also makes the A Honor Roll. He currently has a 3.8 GPA, and was a member of the Raider bowling team this winter. Another activity at school he enjoys is being part of the Bleacher Creatures.
“The Bleacher Creatures are great because we get to raise cain at games and be a really big distraction to the opposing teams,” Young said of the student cheering section. “We just try to go out and help the football and basketball teams win.”
Future Plans: The soon-to-be college freshman has big plans for his future, but he’s staying close to home to get started. Young plans to attend Richmond Community College for two years and earn his associate’s degree in engineering. From there, he hopes to transfer to North Carolina State University for his bachelor’s degree.
“I don’t want to go to a four-year school at first in case I don’t like what I study,” Young explained. “RichmondCC has a great program, and with my engineering associate’s, it can lead to different options.
“I’d like to become a civil engineer because I like architecture and I’ ve always been interested in it and building stuff,” he added. “Eventually, I’d like to be an architect.”
Athlete of the Week Stats: A defensive staple at second base the past two seasons, Young has been riding a hot streak at the plate the last three games for the Raiders. During two games in the Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament, along with Tuesday’s playoff win, Young is batting .333 (4-for-12) with seven RBIs and two runs scored.
In a 14-4 win over Lumberton High School in the SAC tournament opener last Tuesday, Young went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Despite falling to Hoke County High School in the SAC semis, Young added another hit and two more RBIs.
His most clutch performance in the last three games was his 12th inning walk-off sacrifice fly in the playoff opener. Young would plate Garret Richardson on a fly ball to right, advancing the Raiders, while also recording an RBI single up the middle in the third inning.
Defensively, Young made a heads-up play at second against Reynolds, firing the ball home on a grounder to help catch a Demon trying to score. Through 27 games this season, Young is batting .274 with 23 hits and 13 RBIs.
Brett Young (right) speaks to his dad and head coach Ricky Young on third base.
RAPID FIRE – FAST RESPONSES
1) What has your experience been like playing for the Raiders and your dad as head coach?
“Playing baseball here and for my dad is something I’ll always look back on,” Young said. “There were a lot of things I did well and times I executed in big situations. But I’ve really enjoyed playing with all my buddies for four years — I couldn’t ask for more than that.
“I’ve always had it in my mind I need to play well for my dad because he’s my dad and he’s my coach,” he added. “I’ve absolutely enjoyed having my dad as my coach the last couple of years.”
2) You’re a quiet guy — what aspect of your play speaks for you the most? And why?
“My defense defines me on the baseball field,” Young noted. “I’m hit or miss at the plate, but my defense is my solid point. I think we have a lot of people on this team who are leaders on the field, and we all share one mind.
“I’ve been playing with Tyler Bass since sixth grade, and I still get a special feeling when we know we’re about to turn a double play,” he added of his shortstop. “Executing it is hype.”
3) Name an interesting fact that many people may not know about you.
“I enjoy all types of hunting, whether it’s deer, turkeys or ducks,” Young shared. “I’m a better duck hunter than (teammate) Blake Hall. I grew up doing it and I have my own dog, Drake, and we have a really close bond.
“I just really like being out in the woods by myself and I enjoy it,” he closed. “My most memorable hunt was Drake’s first retrieve, which was a banded duck.”
Coach’s Corner: Ricky Young has been his son’s varsity coach the last two seasons, and noted how he and Brett share a special kind of relationship.
“Being a coach’s son brings a lot of unique challenges,” Ricky Young said of Brett. “I’m proud of how he’s carried himself, worked hard, played really hard and gotten some big hits and scored some runs for us. I’m really happy for him.
“It’s a unique situation,” he closed. “It’s fun being able to coach him and be with him at practice every day. We leave the father-son relationship off the field. I’m going to miss him when he plays his last inning. It’ll be emotional.”
No. 10 Richmond will play the second round of the NCHSAA playoffs at No. 7 Hough High School on Friday at 6 p.m.
