Tuscola baseball senior signs with Rockingham

May 24—There's still baseball left to play for the Tuscola Mountaineers, but one senior has secured his home for next season after signing with Rockingham Community College on Monday.

Tuscola senior Noah Stepp will join the Eagles next season.

"He had a dream to play college baseball," Tuscola coach Zack Shepherd said. "He worked at it and the dream came true."

Stepp said he's thrilled to be continuing his baseball career.

"I'm feeling really good," the senior said. "I'm excited to continue to play baseball."

It's been a long road to this point for the senior. From youth ball up to this season where the Mounties are making a deep run in the playoffs, Stepp has dedicated himself to the sport every step of the way.

"I feel relieved," said Kevin Stepp, Noah's father. "It's a long process. It started when Noah was 7 years old. It's been a lot of work, a lot of backyard baseball tosses, a lot of lessons, a lot of travel ball, a lot of blood, sweat and tears on the baseball field. I couldn't be prouder of him."

Kevin Stepp said that it's a proud moment, not just because of his son's play on the field, but because of what it has taught the senior.

"It's nice to see him understand the process of what it takes to be a young adult, not just in baseball but in life," Kevin Stepp said. "The most challenging sport you can play is baseball. It's a game of failure. You never succeed at it. If you can conquer that, you can conquer life going forward."

Stepp has been a key piece for the Mounties this season. He came up to the varsity level as a sophomore and has served a crucial role since then, whether that be in the field, at the plate or on the mound.

"He's a key contributor," Shepherd said. "He does a good job of picking everybody up. He doesn't get down on himself."

But not getting too down on himself is something the Tuscola staff has worked with Stepp on over the past four years.

"We've worked on instilling more self-confidence in him," Shepherd said. "He's really good about picking other people up, but sometimes you have to reassure him. I'm very proud of him."

Stepp said the choice to attend Rockingham Community College was an easy one.

"It was the first school that offered me," he said. "I really like the coaches."

Kevin Stepp said that his son had several JUCO offers, a handful of D-III offers and a couple of D-II offers, but going the JUCO route opens more doors down the line.

"Noah decided he wanted to start with the JUCO option because his goal is to play D1 baseball," Kevin Stepp said.

He also said that the decision was purely Noah's, something that brings him an extra sense of pride.

"He made his own decision," Kevin Stepp said. "That's why I say I'm proud of him for how he made his decision. We didn't decide for him."

The decision also keeps Stepp relatively close to home.

"It's not far away, but it's far enough that he can't run home and I can't run down there," Kevin Stepp said. "It's a good thing."

Noah Stepp will join Pisgah's Eli Rigsby, who signed just a few weeks ago, at Rockingham.

While the two have spent the last few seasons on opposite sides of one of North Carolina's most intense rivalries, they share a connection off of the field, as well.

"He's been my friend for all of high school," Noah Stepp said. "I think it's going to be fun."

Stepp joins a long list of Tuscola baseball players to sign for the next level in recent years. As a whole, Haywood County baseball players have been getting a lot of chances to play at the collegiate level.

"It's important. We've been blessed over the last couple of years," Shepherd said. "That's a testament to this county. They've been playing baseball long before they got up here with us. It's also a credit to Noah and his family."

Now, Stepp can turn his full attention to the remainder of the playoffs as the Mounties chase their first-ever baseball state championship.

"We just have to focus," Noah Stepp said. "We've just got to win."

With only a few games left in his son's high school career, Kevin Stepp is trying to soak it all in as much as his son is.

"It kind of chokes me up to know that baseball at home is almost over," Kevin Stepp said.