With his family by his side, Rosewood baseball standout Will Harris finally turned his dream into a reality.

Harris signed his name on the dotted line, and as the ink dried, it signaled the end of one chapter and ushered in a new chapter in Harris’ playing career.

The senior will take his talents to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in the fall.

“It feels good, and it’s taken a long time to get here. I’d like to thank my coaches and parents for helping me out along the way,” Harris said. “It’s been a great time with all of my teammates and coaches.

“It’s been a lot of fun.”

During his high school career, Harris posted a 1.99 earned run average with 76 strikeouts. Harris also has a .328 batting average, .426 on-base percentage, 28 RBIs and eight doubles.

As a sophomore, Harris helped the Eagles reach their first state championship series in school history.

“He wants to do well at everything he does. He pays attention to detail, which for a baseball player is a big deal,” Rosewood head coach Jason King said. “As a coach, you want 20 guys just like him. He’s going to do well no matter where he goes.

“He’s a great athlete for Rosewood High School.”

After missing most of his junior season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris and his teammates are ready to win a state title this season.

“Hopefully, we can have a good season, make it deep in the playoffs and go all the way,” Harris said. “That’s always the goal.”

On the football field, Harris is the Eagles’ starting quarterback, and over the past two seasons, Harris built up a 20-5 record. During his junior season, he threw for 1,667 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Harris also spent the past few summers playing baseball for Wayne County Post 11.

“Those were the best summers of my life,” Harris said about playing for Post 11. “It’s really fun out there, and we all have a good time.”

UNC Pembroke’s campus was one of the top reasons that Harris chose Pembroke. Getting to meet some of his new teammates also helped seal the deal.

Harris knows there will be some challenges he will need to overcome to succeed at the next level, but he is ready to put on that Braves uniform and overcome any challenge that faces him.