WOODBURY, Ct. - How far has Braeden Purser-Eber come as a baseball player?

Cut from the team as a sixth grader, Purser-Eber is now a Division I college commit at the College of Charleston.

“I used to be really bad,” Purser-Eber admitted. “I was cut from the sixth-grade team and I made it in seventh but didn’t play much. Then I played as an upperclassman in eighth grade but I didn’t do too well.”

Things changed quickly.

“My freshman year I started lifting and taking it seriously,” Purser-Eber reflected. “I started hitting better and I also switched positions from outfield to catcher. I began to improve, everything just clicked at once.”

Admittedly, not making the team at a younger age was motivational.

“Baseball was always a passion,” Purser-Eber noted. “When my friends made the team in sixth grade and I didn't, I was pissed. It was an ego check. I had to work. I lost a bunch of weight, I started lifting and throwing more and I got stronger. I started seeing results.”

Playing for Ct Clubhouse brought more inspiration.

“Right when I started with Clubhouse 21/2 years ago is when I started thinking about college baseball,” the 15th-rated 2024 catcher in New England said. “My team before that was about having fun but with Clubhouse the focus is on development and getting kids to the next level. That’s when I thought I had the potential.

“A year-and-a-half ago is when I started to see I could do it if I worked at it,” Purser-Eber continued. “It was starting to come easier for me. My exit velo was going up and my pop time was going down. I felt comfortable playing the game.”

Interest from the College of Charleston began at a showcase in September.

“I did really well and they offered me straight from that,” Purser-Eber related. “It was the only time they saw me, but they had talked to my Clubhouse coaches.

“I sat on the offer for awhile and talked to some other schools,” added Purser-Eber, who was in conversation with Rutgers and Maine while Pittsburgh and Penn State also expressed some interest. “I visited Charleston a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with it. They just announced renovation plans for the baseball facilities, doubling the seating with new cages, new locker rooms and film rooms.”

There was more that stood out to the Nonnewaug High School sophomore.

“One thing I didn’t like with Rutgers was the size,” pointed out Purser-Eber, who had checked out the Big 10 school while at a camp. “Charleston is a lot smaller, though it doesn’t really feel like it. It’s in the middle of the city which is super historic. It was just amazing. Everyone was super nice.”

Coaches in the Colonial Athletic Association program saw a lot of potential in the 16-year-old.

“When they first saw me I was coming off an elbow injury so I wasn’t throwing,” the 58th-ranked 2024 in New England explained. “But they watched me hit and saw me catch a couple of bullpens. What really stood out to them was my hitting.”

That is just one area of the game that Purser-Eber believes he can provide the baseball team at the College of Charleston.

“In talking to the coaches, I have a chance to have a role early on,” said the third-rated sophomore catcher from Connecticut to make a commitment. “When I get there I’ll do whatever they need. I like to think of myself as a leader. As a catcher I’m going to manage the pitching staff. I have a high baseball IQ and can communicate with teammates well.”

A 4.1 student, Purser-Eber is uncertain about a college major at Charleston, which is a two-hour flight from his home in Connecticut.

“I’m just looking forward to the experience,” Purser-Eber concluded. “There’s only a small percentage of kids that get this kind of opportunity. Playing baseball at the Division I level in such an amazing city with all my friends is exciting.”