Just an undersized athlete from Concord

Travis Watkins was joyful as he trotted off the baseball diamond after an 11-4 victory against Memphis Friday night.

The fifth-year senior catcher, from Concord, North Carolina, has been through alot in his career at East Carolina University, which will come to a close at the end of this season. Over the years, he has become one of the go-to-guys on the team and has led by example.

As any freshman first coming to ECU, Watkins had to adjust to the new atmosphere and a new team.

“I came in not really knowing what my role was. I was undersized, I couldn’t really hit, being a defensive catcher in high school is what got me here,” Watkins said.

While Watkins thought of himself as primarily a defensive player, ECU Head Coach Cliff Godwin envisioned him being more than that.

"One of the first conversations I had with him was did he think he would be a good hitter," Godwin said. "Travis had always considered himself to just be a defensive player and I said, ‘Well you are going to be a good hitter,’ and he has really transformed himself into a complete player."

During his time as a Pirate, Watkins has evolved into a better player through improving his hitting and by gaining confidence. When times got tough, an injury made him realize what the sport meant to him.

“I had an elbow surgery my sophomore year. Faced with adversity, it showed me how much the game meant to me,” Watkins said. “Now in my fifth year, I try to spread knowledge to the younger guys and be the best example I can be and leave my legacy here at ECU.”

Watkins showed dedication in the way he practiced. Most teams use two catchers and he wanted to be out there everyday to gain experience.

"He has been tremendous, for the past three years he has caught in 90 percent of our games and that is a big feat in college baseball," Godwin said.

Being a great team player, friend and leader earned him the team captaincy for the last two years.

“It’s a great honor and it’s something I will cherish for the rest of my life, knowing that my teammates voted me as their team captain,” Watkins said. “It’s special.”

One of the things Watkins said he has appreciated during his time at ECU is the passion of the baseball fans and the atmosphere they create.

“It’s a baseball town,” Watkins said. “You walk around the campus, people recognize who you are, you walk around the community, people recognize who you are, even to the little kids that come to the camps and talk to us. That makes this atmosphere great.”

This year, ECU hosted three in-state rivals in NC State, Duke and North Carolina. The Pirates defeated the Blue Devils convincingly, winning the game 5-1. But the Wolfpack and the Tar Heels both beat ECU, taking the bragging rights for the year.

“It’s always fun to beat those guys,” Watkins said. “They have great programs, we have a great crowd turnout every time we play them. It’s hard not get up for those games because they are in-state rivals, but we try to treat it like any other game and if we put our best foot forward we can win.”

Watkins and the team hope to catch fire in the week leading up to the American Athletic Conference tournament in Florida, which starts on May 23. When the team plays its best baseball at the end of the season, good things happen, like last year, when ECU advanced to the Super Regionals in the NCAA tournament.

“You play the game to win, no matter who you are playing and what the circumstances are,” Watkins said. “We are going to play to win tomorrow, we are going to go to Clearwater and play to win, and I think this team can do it.”

With Watkins’ collegiate career nearing its end, he is able to look back and reflect on his time as a Pirate, including why he decided on coming to ECU.

“I came from a small town in Concord and then I had never been to Greenville, and I came here and was like ‘Wow, these people really care about baseball’,” Watkins said. “It was special to me and I wanted to be apart of it.”