No Stars, No Scholarship, No Problem: The Rise of Braden Burress

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The 2025 ECU baseball season isn’t over—but it nearly was. And if it weren’t for a freshman walk-on from Snow Hill, it might already be.

That freshman is Braden Burress, and his rise from overlooked to undeniable has become the heartbeat of this year’s Pirate squad. A player without a scholarship, without stars next to his name, and without much buzz heading into the season, Burress didn’t just break into the lineup—he broke through as one of the most impactful freshmen in all of college baseball.

He led ECU in batting average (.392), hits (74), runs scored (51), on-base percentage (.491), and stolen bases (16). He didn’t just lead his team—he led the entire American Athletic Conference in batting average. And when ECU’s back was against the wall, needing to win the AAC Tournament to secure a postseason berth, it was Burress who delivered the knockout punch—a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning against South Florida.

After the comeback win, Burress said the moment reflected the team’s mentality: there’s no quit in the locker room. He added that the coaching staff challenged the Pirates earlier in the year to prove they could come from behind. “We got down, and coaches told us to be able to win a championship, we’re gonna have to be able to get down and come from behind—and that’s what we did. We got down, didn’t quit, and kept clawing back.”

Relentless with the Bat—and the Glove

Burress’s hitting numbers alone would turn heads. He had 21 multi-hit games, reached safely in 12 straight at one point, and posted four different 4-hit performances. But what separated him wasn’t just average—it was attitude.

The 5-foot-9 grinder turned singles into doubles with pure hustle. He dug for extra bases. He beat out routine ground balls. He tracked down fly balls in left field, made diving grabs to rob doubles, and even pulled back a home run at the wall. Then he shifted into the infield late in the year, where he earned the second base job and started making sliding stops well beyond his range.

He played every inning like it could be his last—because for some of his teammates, it was. Burress said that perspective fueled his drive each night. “I play hard because I got guys like Riley Johnson, Jake Hunter, Big John… guys who won’t be back next year,” he said. “You never know when their last game is. I’m just playing hard for them.”

Senior Ryley Johnson praised the freshman’s mentality and performance after the championship game. “The way he showed up, they talk about a walk-on—he’s a dog,” Johnson told an AAC reporter. “He knows how to play baseball, he plays baseball the right way, he plays hard, he puts his body on the line.”

Not Just a Freshman. Not Just a Story. A Star.

Despite pacing the conference in batting average, Burress was named only to the All-AAC Second Team, a move that raised eyebrows throughout the league. It’s exceedingly rare for a conference’s batting champ to miss the First Team—and only once in recent history has it happened: Ethan Groff in 2022, when the Tulane outfielder hit .404 and was left off in favor of others.

Now, in 2025, it’s Burress.

“He’s earned every single thing he’s gotten,” said ECU head coach Cliff Godwin, who also hails from Snow Hill. “Just a super competitive dude. Snow Hill is on the map now, I guess.”

Burress also shined when it mattered most—batting .450 in the AAC Tournament, slugging two home runs, scoring six runs, driving in five, and being named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

No Portal. No Excuses. Just a Shot—and a Scholarship

Burress’s path to this moment didn’t come with fanfare. It came with sweat. He was overlooked out of high school because of his size. But Godwin saw something—and gave him a chance.

“I just thank Coach Godwin for giving me a shot when no one else would,” Burress said. “It means a lot—him giving me this opportunity and putting me into these positions. It means the world to me.”

After the tournament, Godwin made it plain: Burress isn’t going anywhere.

“He will be on scholarship next year. He will not be in the portal,” Godwin said. “And if I have to go get him some cash, I will do it.”

A Dangerous 4-Seed with a Spark Plug in the Leadoff Spot

As ECU heads into NCAA Tournament play, they do so as a projected No. 4 seed—technically underdogs, but no one who watched this past weekend would call them that.

Burress believes this team has the potential to shock people.

“If we just play like we did this weekend, I believe we can beat anybody in the country,” he said. “We’re just going in with a lot of confidence and playing our brand of baseball.”

That brand? Grit. Fight. Pressure. And it all starts with No. 26.

When asked how he stays locked in, Burress kept it simple: “Just one game, one AB, one pitch at a time,” he said. “You can’t take anything for granted.”

A Walk-On No More

Braden Burress came to ECU as an afterthought. He’ll leave this season as a foundational piece.

He’s not a feel-good story—he’s a force. He’s not a one-week wonder—he’s the real deal. And he’s not chasing a scholarship anymore.

He’s earned it.