Brett Forbis understands the difficulty in juggling academics and athletics at the high school level.

After all, time management is a daunting task for any incoming college freshman, but Forbis will not have trouble hurdling that obstacle at the college level next season.

The confident C.B. Aycock senior knows he can get the job done at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla.

And he is eager to prove it after signing a national letter of intent to play baseball for the Saints on Friday afternoon.

“All the hard work finally paid off,” Forbis said. “It was a lot harder with COVID this year, but I prayed about it, and it’s all part of God’s plan.

“I played a lot at Perfect Game tournaments, and Flagler happened to be at the right place at the right time. They saw me playing, and I did well at key tournaments.”

Forbis, who plans to major in marine biology, helped lead C.B. Aycock to a 3-1 record during his junior season before the season was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, in those four games, Forbis batted .600, recorded a .765 on-base percentage and stole eight bases.

Those numbers are impressive considering it Forbis’ first year on the varsity roster. He spent his freshman and sophomore seasons honing his craft on the Golden Falcon’s junior varsity team.

“My whole family went to school at C.B. Aycock, and my sister was a really good golfer, so I had a lot to live up to. I’ll definitely come back after I graduate.” Forbis said. “On the JV team, I learned that you have to work your tail off to become a better player, and it’s all about being a team player.”

C.B. Aycock head coach Allen Thomas lauded Forbis’ talent and skills, and he noted Forbis’ improvement as a baseball player every season.

“I’m really happy for him. He’s a kid that’s worked really hard,” Thomas said. “On the field, he’s a speed guy and drives the ball into the gap. Defensively, he can play in the middle of the infield or the outfield. He’s going to be a guy that we count on this year.

“I’m excited to see what he’s got in store for the future.”

Forbis also spent time working with Johnny Narron to refine his hitting. Forbis started working with Narron during his freshman season, and Forbis credited Narron for helping him reach the next level in his baseball career.

“I couldn’t have done it without him (Narron),” Forbis said.

He is joining a Saints program that has gained respect nationally and consistently wins 30 games a season. The Saints have won at least 30 games every season since 2014. A Divison II college, Flagler is a member of the Peach Belt Conference.

However, before Forbis heads off to college, he has one last season in Golden Falcons’ jersey, and he wants to make it a special one.

“I’d like to win a state title. We’ve got a good squad, and if everyone does their part, I don’t see why it couldn’t be possible.”