ROCKINGHAM — Tyler Bass, a senior on the Richmond Senior High School baseball team, has been named the Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week.
As the Raider baseball team extended its current winning streak to six straight games, Bass was an integral part by picking up three wins on the mound last week. He also played a role at the plate, helping the Raiders sweep Hoke County High School and hand Terry Sanford High School its first loss of the season. This is Bass’ first career Athlete of the Week recognition.
Athletic Profile
Age: 18
Birthday: Jan. 31, 2001
Year: Senior
Spring Sport: Baseball
Position: Pitcher/Shortstop
Years on Varsity: 2.5 Years
Height & Weight: 5-11, 165 pounds
Experience: 12 Years
ON THE BUMP WITH TYLER BASS
RSHS Academics: Bass is set to graduate from Richmond in just under nine weeks, and is rounding out his high school career with a couple of important classes. He’s taking Physical Science, Business and Finance, Math IV and American History II Honors.
“Mr. McMillen’s American History class is pretty cool because it’s something I like to learn about,” Bass explained. “It’s fun to learn about stuff that happened before I was alive.”
Bass is enrolled in the business cluster, a track he “always thought” he’d enjoy. He’s taken several classes with Bill Ramsey and Christy Moss, noting the teachers in the cluster have made his experience more enjoyable.
An A/B Honor Roll student with a 3.4 GPA, Bass is also a proud Bleacher Creature. As being a part of the student cheering section, he said “it’s something to do to support other sports, and it brings students together.”
Bass has also been a member of the Richmond bowling team the past two years, helping the team make the regional tournament this past winter.
Future Plans: In January, Bass became the fourth Raider senior on the baseball team to commit to play college baseball. He’ll head toward the coast and play for the Brunswick Community College Dolphins the next two years. He hopes to earn an associate’s degree in sports medicine.
“The winning background and positive environment is what really drew me to the program,” Bass said of the Dolphins. “The school has a smaller campus but everything there is amazing.
“Staying close to home was important to me, and Coach Allen is one of the cooler coaches I’ve ever met,” he added. “I’m excited to be a part of a winning program and play at the next level.”
Athlete of the Week Stats: It’s been over two weeks since the Raider baseball team has dropped a game, and in that span, Bass has earned all three of his wins. Two of them came in the past two games, as he earned a win in relief at Terry Sanford Wednesday before pitching a complete game against Hoke County on Friday.
He also tossed four innings of no-hit baseball to earn his first win of the season on Saturday, March 23, over Northwest Guilford High School. During that span, Bass has thrown 12.1 innings, and allowed just three earned runs on eight hits. He’s recorded 11 strikeouts, eight coming against the Bucks.
At the plate over the last week, Bass combined to go 5-for-9 with a double and an RBI, and drew four walks in the leadoff spot. He helped his cause against Hoke County, slapping an RBI single in the top of the third inning. He’s now 3-0 on the spring with a 1.79 ERA and 16 strikeouts in five appearances.
Tyler Bass throws a pitch during his complete game win over Hoke County on Friday.
RAPID FIRE – FAST RESPONSES
1) What’s been the key to your success on the mound this spring? What are some personal goals for you this season?
“I’ve been focused on throwing strikes, pitching to contact and letting my defense make plays behind me,” Bass said. “I trust my infield and outfield, and that makes me feel dominant.
“On the mound, I’m trying to go undefeated and limit my walks,” he noted. “I’d like to hit above .300 and limit my strikeouts at the plate.”
2) The Raiders have won six straight games. How has the team brought everything together to win?
“We all focused on one goal, which is a game at a time,” Bass explained. “If we win this game, we put ourselves in a better spot for the next game. We want to win the conference.
“I’m really enjoying this year because we’ve all played with each other for so long,” he continued. “It’s a good group of guys with a lot of chemistry.”
3) Name an interesting fact about yourself that many people may not know.
“When I’m at home, I like to watch crime documentaries and try to solve them as the show goes on,” Bass said. “It usually doesn’t work out, but I like ‘Criminal Minds’ and ‘The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann’ on Netflix.”
Coach’s Corner: Head coach Ricky Young spoke of Bass’ competitiveness in every game, as well as his ability to fit into the “pitch by committee” philosophy this season has operated under.
“Tyler is a competitor, so I like to have him on the mound,” Young said. “We are better defensively when some other guys are pitching, but we don’t take a step back. He’s got a good arm, we’ve used him a little more than I thought, but I have confidence in him.
“He’s thrown well when he’s had the opportunity, and has earned more starts,” he closed. “Tyler is like all those guys, they feed off of each other, and he wants to do well. He’s a good kid and a joy to coach.”
