Baseball: #1 Bradley Strong

With the postponement, It's 2 days until the 2014 season's first pitch and the first three game home series against the Ohio Bobcats.

#1 Bradley Strong

Class: Junior
Hometown: Richlands, Va.
High School: Richlands HS
Height / Weight: 5-8 / 170
Position: INF
B/T: L/R



2013 (Sophomore): Saw action in all 59 games making 58 starts, all at second base ... Finished with a .295 batting average (61-of-207) including a .312 average (34-of-109) in Southern Conference play ... Recorded 18 extra base hits including 11 doubles, four triples and three home runs ... Recorded 19 multiple hit games including 18 two-hit outings while driving in multiple runs in nine games including seven in SoCon play ... 11 of his 28 seasonal RBI came with two outs ... Tied for the team-high with four hits with the bases loaded (4-for-8, .500) ... Matched a career-best with three RBI at Furman (April 7) and against Samford (April 13) while also scoring a career-high three runs in the latter ... Enjoyed a career-long 10 game hitting streak from April 6 through April 21 and reached base safely in 12-consecutive games on the year ... Drew a career-high two walks three times; at Davidson (March 8), at Kennesaw State (May 1) and versus Wofford (May 10) ... Doubled a career-high twice against Appalachian State (May 16) ... Collected a season-high three hits in five at bats in a road win at Appalachian State (May 17) ... Led the team with 17 stolen bases on the year in 23 attempts ... Named to the 2013 Southern Conference Spring Academic All-Conference team and to the 2012-13 Southern Conference Honor Roll; Summer League: Started the summer with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League ... Played in five games to start the summer, batted just .111 (1-for-9) with a couple of strikeouts in limited at bats ... Drew three walks to add to his .333 on-base percentage and stole two bases in his time on the diamond ... Joined the St. Cloud (Minn.) Rox in the Northwoods League on June 25 ... Finished with a .309 (25-for-81) batting average to rank third on the team ... Recorded two doubles and a triple with nine runs driven in ... Finished 7-for-8 in stolen bases.

2012 (Freshman): Played in 55 of WCU's 56 games, making 46 starts at third base ... Finished with a .303 batting average with 12 of his 54 hits going for extra base hits ... Led the team with three triples ... Recorded 16 multiple hit games and five multiple RBI outings ... Drove in 24 runs on the season including a team-high tying 21 in Southern Conference play ... Batted .333 (34-for-102) in league play and hit .336 against right-handed pitching ... Was 4-for-8 (.500) with the bases loaded ... Added eight stolen bases (8-of-11) ... Named to the SoCon's All-Freshman team ... Tripled to right center field in his first collegiate at bat, driving in the season's first run in the home-opener against Fordham (February 17) ... Posted a perfect 4-for-4 outing with a double and three RBI at home against UNC Greensboro (March 24) ... Had a nine-game hitting streak from April 7 through April 25, posting a 12-for-37 (.324) ... Hit his first career home run to straight-away centerfield at Samford (April 21); Summer League: Played for the league-champion West Virginia Miners in the Prospect League during the summer of 2012 ... Ranked third on the team - and fifth in the league - with a .359 batting average (78-of-217) with 17 extra base hits including 10 doubles, six triples and a home run ... Drove in 37 runs and scored 57 runs ... Stole a Prospect League-leading 29 bases in 35 attempts ... Named a starter for the East Division in the Prospect League All-Star game.

Prior to Western Carolina: Played for his father, Brad, as the head coach of Richlands HS baseball team where he earned three All-Southwest District honors and was the Virginia Player of the Year in 2011 when hit a career-best .524 with a career-best 11 home runs ... Was a two-time All-State player and earned All-Region three times ... Set school career records for hits (134) - including a single-season best 48; batting average (.525); triples (24); home runs (19) and stolen bases (40) ... Is the first student-athlete from his high school to sign a scholarship to play NCAA Division I baseball ... Received a scholarship from the Allstate Foundation at teh VHSL Achievement Award Luncheon ... Was also a three-year starter on his high school football team, twice earning All-State honors at defensive back, wide receiver and return specialist ... Set the school record for career interceptions while also becoming the program's first-ever, two-year captain.

Personal: Full name is Bradley Stuart Strong ... Is the son of Brad and Mary Ann Strong ... Has a younger brother, Reece.

Profile Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations