It was a busy Friday morning for the Wayne Country Day baseball program as two seniors committed to playing baseball at the college level.

Garrett Moffett signed a national letter of intent with North Carolina State University, while Rowan Watt officially signed with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Those are impressive signings considering Watt and Moffett loss their junior seasons to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both were disappointed to lose last season, but they continued to work toward their goals of signing with Division I baseball programs.

“It’s just reliving, and it’s one more thing that you don’t have to worry about, and it lets me focus on getting better and stronger,” Moffett said.

“It’s a pretty good feeling to know that all of the hard work paid off,” Watt added. “I’m looking forward to this high school season, and then it’s on to college.”

A versatile player, Watt steered toward playing for the Wayne County Post 11 last summer to improve his skills, so he can get ready for baseball at the college level.

Wayne Country Day head coach Adam Pate described Watt, who wants to major in kinesiology, as an all-around player who can play at various positions if necessary.

The son of the University of Mount Olive head baseball coach Rob Watt, Rowan Watt was practically born with a bat in his hand.

Spending so much time around a college baseball program has Watt the confidence he needs to fit in with the Spartan’s program,

However, Watt knows as a freshman. He will have to earn playing time.

“I’ve always loved baseball, and it’s always what I wanted to do with my life,” Watt said. “When I was little and spending time around all of those guys, it really made a mark on me.

“It’s what I grew up in, so it’s always been a part of my life.”

A left-handed hurler, Moffett courted offers from a few other schools. But conversations with Pate piqued Moffett’s interest in playing DI baseball.

Eventually, the opportunity to play for a DI baseball program and remain close to home seemed like a dream come true when Moffett talked about his college choice.

Moffett’s also spent part of the summer playing for Wayne County Post 11, so he could continue honing his craft until baseball season starts. Moffett said it would take a little time to acclimate himself to the rigors of balancing a college course load and playing DI college baseball, but he is willing to accept that challenge.

“My recruiting process was weird. I reclassed and committed to UPenn, but two months later, I started throwing a bit harder, and coach Pate actually set me up with NC State. I went to a camp and committed a few days later,” Moffett said. “But I still want to throw harder and stronger.”

The Chargers were 4-0 before the season was shut down last spring, and heading into this season, Watt and Moffett have one big goal in mind – winning a state title.

And Pate has big expectations for Moffett and Watt as they prepare for their senior seasons.

“I’m really happy that they could have a good signing day and give them that opportunity. I’m excited for both of them because they both have a lot of potential, but they know there’s still work to do,” Pate said. “Both of them are very talented, and they get it from a work perspective. And this year, I’ve challenged them to be leaders.

“It’s really cool to see them be successful because that’s all you want as a coach.”