Colts Star Outfielder Ready to Play Division I Ball at Dayton
Braden Ramirez, the Middlesex College standout outfielder, signed his letter of intent to continue his baseball career at the University of Dayton last month.
It was the realization of a dream come true for the 19-year-old Middlesex County native.
“The opportunity to play Division I baseball is something I really wanted and I was able to attain it,” Ramirez said. “If I didn’t go to Middlesex College, that might not have happened. Middlesex gave me the chance to open up more opportunities for myself.”
Ramirez grew up a New York Yankees fan and a baseball player, playing shortstop and pitching. By the time he got to Union Catholic High School, he was locked in on the outfield with a big bat and good swing. He was First-Team All-Conference as a senior.
“Coming out of high school I didn’t have the opportunity or offers that I wanted and instead of just settling for schools that were interested, I wanted to take a chance on myself and see if playing at Middlesex College would get me the looks that I wanted,” explained Ramirez.
With the Colts last spring, Ramirez had nine homers and 72 RBI as the team won a school record 37 games.
Those numbers drew notice, but Ramirez was also proactive, reaching out to a bunch of schools and sending them his information. Immediately, Dayton was interested and when Ramirez found out the type of player they wanted, he was hooked too.
“When I was talking to the coaches at Dayton, he said that the type of players they want are dogs, the people who play with passion,” said Ramirez. “I said that’s the type of program I want to play for.”
The Flyers compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference and finished 23-27 last year. Ramirez will have two years of eligibility remaining after he graduates from the College in May.
Before he leaves for Dayton, Ramirez is focused on having another big year for the Colts. “I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates who have pushed me every day to be better,” said Ramirez. “I am definitely very excited for the upcoming season. My teammates have been working hard in the classroom and in the weight room. This year we want to make some noise and make a run at the Region championship.”
