Family bond: Camaraderie important for Braves senior

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Carl Ruddick said the main thing he enjoyed about playing baseball at Brownstown Central High School the past two years is being on the field with his friends.

“We were all really close, it’s a small school and it’s like we’re all a family,” he said.

The recent Brownstown grad decided to come out for baseball prior to his junior season because a lot of his friends were on the team.

Ruddick, who is left-handed, played left field for the Braves.

He said when we went up to bat, he looked for a pitch he could hit into the gaps, and he always tried to hit behind runners so they could advance.

At the plate, Ruddick tried to find a balance of being aggressive and patient.

“It’s really important to swing at the first pitch if it’s a strike,” he said. “If it was a bad pitch, I tried not to swing. Sometimes, I guess I got a little nervous and shaky. It was really important to stay patient.”

Ruddick said he worked hard in practices.

“Practice is important,” he said. “Everything you do is important, and the mental part of sports is a key thing.”

He said he liked the improvements that were made to the field prior to the season, and he liked playing at home.

“I enjoyed the home games,” Ruddick said. “My favorite away field is Silver Creek. I enjoyed the away games and the bus rides if we won. If we lost, it was a long bus ride home.”

The Braves played a Mid-Southern Conference game at Silver Creek on May 15, and they played the sectional there, beating North Harrison in the first round before losing to Corydon Central in the second round.

Ruddick felt like the schedule the Braves played, especially the nonconference games against teams like Providence, Trinity Lutheran and the Hoosier Hills Conference teams, prepared them for the sectional.

He also played basketball for two years at Brownstown, but baseball has always been his favorite.

“I’ve always loved the sport of baseball,” Ruddick said. “I moved here from Seymour in third grade, and I’ve played ever since. I enjoyed playing with all my friends.”

The past four years, Ruddick enjoyed attending Brownstown.

“I like the small school,” Ruddick said. “The teachers are nice, and I’ve made a lot of friends here. I had a lot of fun as a student and playing baseball.”

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Name: Carl Ruddick

School: Brownstown Central

Parents: Carla and Jason Hehman, the late Butchie Ruddick

Siblings: Brycelyn, Peyton, Reece

Sports: Baseball, two years; basketball, two years

Organization: Booster Club

Plans after high school: Attend Western Kentucky University and study sports management

Favorite food: Chicken

Favorite TV show: “Modern Family”

Favorite movie: “The Fault in Our Stars”

Favorite athlete and team: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

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