Reece Woody finished his sophomore season of Trojan baseball this past May making a name for himself at FTCC and in the baseball community. Not only did Reece break four school records, he received Region 10 Division II honors on All-Defensive Team and All-East Second Team as an outfielder.
All of his recognition and hard work helped him achieve the biggest accomplishment in FTCC Baseball school history, a division one scholarship to play baseball. Woody will be attending George Mason University in the Fall of 2022 to continue his athletic and academic career on scholarship for The Patriots.
A native of St. Augustine, Florida, Woody decided to attend FTCC two years ago. “Fayetteville Tech seemed like a good opportunity for me to continue my baseball career, I took a leap of faith and ended up in Fayetteville. My biggest goal coming here was to get better at baseball and leave a legacy. I wanted to be known for more than just my athletic skill on the field but someone who works hard and is a leader to my team,” said Woody about his goals at FTCC.
In the 2021 season, Reece lead the team in runs (23), hits (30), triples (2) and tied doubles (7). This past season he broke his previous records by almost double, leading the team in hits (67), doubles (15), runs batted in (36) and stolen bases (23).
“The difference between my first year at Fayetteville Tech and my second is the coaching staff. Coach Reggie stuck around and kept the program moving until Coach Love and Coach Teem came to Fayetteville. The energy and coaching style were unmatched and it has been my best year under a coaching staff. They care a lot more about you than just baseball and I knew that any of them were just a phone call away at any time,” said Woody about the different results between his two seasons.
“Reece is a coach’s dream. As a first-year head coach, his leadership helped bridge a gap for us to take a step forward in this program. He, along with others, set the tone for the culture and the structure we tried to bring in. As a person and a player, he is a true leader in everything that he does. What makes him even better is his ability to accept coaching and feedback to make himself better and to elevate himself and those around him,” said Coach Love, head baseball coach at FTCC.
Woody played two years of junior college baseball to prepare himself for his ultimate goal of playing division one baseball. “This past season I faced some adversity coming back from an injury through the fall and felt the pressure of some shoes I thought I had to fill. When the spring season rolled around, I felt prepared and confident on the field because I knew my teammates and coaches had my back. I chose George Mason because of the coaching staff. They are stand up guys and it felt like home to me and an environment I can thrive in,” said Woody.
Woody will go into George Mason with three years of eligibility, due to his covid year and will use them all. He will study kinesiology and after receiving his bachelor’s degree plans to attend physical therapy school with the hopes of becoming a physical therapist in the future.
FTCC Trojan athletics has four other athletes committed to continue their academic and athletic careers next year at 4-year universities.
Will Austin will be attending Bluefield State College in Bluefield, West Virginia to play DII baseball. Will was a pitcher for FTCC baseball the past two seasons from Mebane, North Carolina. He helped the baseball team to a 21-33 finish this past season throwing 33.2 innings for the Trojans. Will finished his career at FTCC with 39.4 innings and 40 strikeouts for the Trojans with two wins, four losses and two saves.
Wyatt Carey from Charlestown, New Hampshire, will be attending Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina to play DII baseball. Wyatt pitched 51.1 innings with 42 strikeouts for his career at FTCC. He had one win and two losses in two seasons of Trojan baseball.
George Jones Jr. will be attending St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina to play DII men’s basketball. Jones, a native of Pamlico County, North Carolina finished his three years at FTCC competing in 75 games. He helped lead his team to a runner-up title in the district tournament this past season. Jones finishes his career with 649 points, 263 rebounds, 105 assists and 23 blocks.
Michael Okoye will be attending Multnomah University in Portland, Oregon to play NAIA men’s basketball. Okoye attended FTCC just for one year from Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria to be apart of the 2021-22 team. He finished his season playing in 30 games for the Trojans. Okoye had 180 points, 173 rebounds, 18 assists, and 25 blocks.