Over the past few seasons, Braeden Collins has blossomed into a standout baseball player.

As a freshman at Eastern Wayne, Collins helped lead the Warriors back to playoffs for the first time in three years.

Collins, who now attends Wayne Country Day, is now one of the critical pieces on a Chargers team with state championship aspirations.

He was a catcher as a freshman, but after trying out for Wayne County Post 11, Collins become a pitcher.

“I’ve always been a pitcher with showcase ball, but really I go into pitching after freshman year, and ever since this since, it’s been my thing,” Collins said.

While his natural talent is evident right away, his drive and determination also help set him apart. Collins has worked diligently and has evolved from an eager yet inexperienced freshman to a leader and standout.

Before he was a standout baseball player, Collins was simply an athletic kid hoping to find their niche. He tried other sports, but something drew him to baseball.

He quickly improved throughout middle school, and once he transitioned into high school, Collins made the varsity roster as a freshman, and his athletic career took off from there.

“I started playing baseball when I was three, and I’ve been playing ever since. It’s just something I do,” Collins said. “I had a lot of buddies play baseball, and it’s good spending time with them on the field just doing what we all love.”

Collins, who plays for Wayne County Post 11 in the summer, is glad his hard work has turned into concrete results, but he is always looking to improve and get stronger.

He credits his coaches had for molding them into the baseball player he is now. In an 11-1 win against The Burlington School earlier this season, Collins was simply unstoppable.

He pitched five innings, gave up zero earned run, and struck out 10 batters.

“I was feeling really good. I knew The Burlington School was pretty good, but my stuff was pretty solid,” Collins said. “I was finding spots and throwing well.”

After last season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Collins and his teammates are ready to maximize this season.

The Chargers are 8-1 this season and have their eyes set on winning Wayne Country Day’s first state title since 2007.

“It’s been a good time playing with all these boys. Hopefully, we can win a state title this year,” Collins said.

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