By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
Bradley Davis loved baseball from an early age.
Growing up and playing catcher, one of the most challenging positions on the diamond, Davis excelled through little league in Woodruff and eventually starred for the Wolverines as a stellar defensive and hitting backstop.
Davis earned a scholarship to Appalachian State thanks to his outstanding play as a Wolverine, but his road back home was detoured by one year in Boone.
After just two seasons playing for the Mountaineers, Davis transferred to Lander University in Greenwood. A change of scenery and playing closer to his friends and family in Woodruff helped his collegiate career blossom.
“The largest improvements over my college career would have to be how I played the game as a whole,” Davis said. “When I was a freshman at (Appalachian State), I thought that the only way to be successful was to be a power hitter. I soon realized that my personal game was the exact opposite, and when I started focusing on being a solid defensive catcher who could consistently put the baseball in play, then my game took off.”
That approach, and Davis’ commitment to it, paid off with a monster senior season. Bradley was among the most consistent hitters in the Bearcats’ lineup, and at catcher, he was as close to infallible as a fielder can be.
Davis batted .316 over 114 plate appearances and 30 games in 2022. He clubbed two doubles and drove in 17 runs while sporting a .319 on-base percentage.
Defensively, Bradley was even better.
Davis committed only two errors over 30 games behind the dish, including 27 starts in Landers’ 51 games. His .991 fielding percentage was third on the Bearcats’ team among players with at least 100 defensive attempts.
“I credit my senior season and the success I had to my coaches and teammates,” said Davis. “If I had not had the support that this team gave me, then I would not have had such a great season. One of the major focuses of my at-bats would be, ‘It doesn’t matter if I mess up because the guys behind me will have my back and will do damage.’ And the pressure and stress of having to perform for my team went away, and I was able to play free and loose, which helped me have the career that I had.”
Also, helping Davis during his final two seasons at Lander was a friend and familiar face. Davis’ former Woodruff teammate, Logan Melton, was a constant presence for Bradley. Melton, a sophomore, is two years younger than Davis, but both players arrived at Lander at the same time.
Author: Tracy Sanders
