When Shawn Baxter stepped on campus in Fall 2021, he was one of 20 first-years joining the baseball program.

After Christmas, there were five.

Four years later, he’s the only one remaining.

Baxter’s story at Ferrum was one that almost never was.

A graduate of Potomac High School, Baxter was a multi-sport athlete, playing baseball and basketball.

During his junior season, he started seeing his teammates sign off on his dream–to play college baseball.

“I always wanted to play college baseball,” Baxter said. “I didn’t have any offers, and I didn’t know what my career was going to look like after high school, but I knew I wanted to play at the next level.”

As Baxter’s senior season was winding down, he still hadn’t received any traction from collegiate coaches, and he prepared to go to college as a student.

“College was always something my family had put out for me and my brothers,” Baxter said. “I was going to go to college, regardless. But deep down inside, I always wanted to play baseball and was going to find a way to do that.”

It wasn’t until that summer when Baxter’s friends, high school teammates, and former Panthers–Dylan Sereno and Ben Thomas–changed his baseball career and gave him a chance at his dream.

Sereno was approached by the former coaching staff on campus to see if there were any players from their area who could help the team.

“Shawn and I grew up playing baseball together from a young age,” Sereno said. “I always saw how much work he put in on and off the field to accomplish his goals. He has always been there for me, and I knew he would be a great addition to the team.”

Thomas added his story:

“I told the coaches we should pick up two players, one of them was Shawn,” he said. “At the time, we needed more corner infielders, and Shawn was a great fit. I also told the coaches that Shawn has the ability to play in the ODAC and the potential to be one of our best players when it is all said and done.”

Baxter gives all the credit to these two when it comes to looking back at being given the opportunity to play at the college level.

“I thank Ben and Sereno every day for giving me the opportunity to be able to play college baseball,” Baxter said. “With Ferrum being the only place I had to go, playing with guys you played in high school with made me feel comfortable.”

That fall, Baxter arrived with 20 other first-years.

“When I got here, I always thought I was better than the people in front of me, and always thought I deserved the chance to play,” he said. “I knew I wasn’t in the best shape at the time, but I always knew I was good enough. I saw all the first-years in my class getting a shot before me, and even going on the Spring Break trips while I had to go back home. (It) ate at me mentally and made me question my baseball career.”

In his first year as a Panther, Baxter played in nine games and had 17 at bats.

In that time, he said he was able to learn about what the college game was really about, and he discovered what he would need to work on to be a starter.

“After the season, my coaches told me they wanted me to be the first baseman that next year,” Baxter said. “But he said I needed to get in shape, and for me that was losing weight, and getting bigger, faster, and stronger.”

He had decisions to make, because after that first year, Baxter didn’t know if he wanted to continue playing baseball.

But a dark moment in his life brought a new light to the situation.

“I had lost my grandmother the summer after my first year, and something clicked in me,” Baxter said. “I found my why again and worked harder than I have ever worked. Coming back the next fall, I felt I was a whole new player.”

After a summer of working on his craft, Baxter came back to campus thinking he was going to earn a starting spot.

But that wasn’t the case.

“I tell our young guys right now that the most important thing to do when you aren’t playing is to be a good teammate, and to not pray on anyone’s downfall because that’s what I did my first two years,” Baxter said. “In my head I always thought I was better than the people around me, but in my sophomore year something clicked for me. I started really good, got into a slump, and was benched. When I was benched, I tried to be the best teammate I could be, stop complaining, and focus on working as hard as I could to get back on the field.”

In his sophomore season, Baxter played in 23 games, starting in 17, compared to the four games started in his first year. He slashed .286/.359/.329.

“Even though I improved, I wasn’t happy with how I played that year,” Baxter said. “My goal has always been to try and hit above .300, and I knew I was better than the way I played my sophomore season.”

Although Baxter saw improvement, he was faced with another roadblock.

To begin his junior season, he wasn’t an opening-day starter.

It wasn’t until a conference game against Guilford that Baxter really caught the eyes of the coaching staff.

Late in the game, Baxter had a pinch-hit appearance where he had an RBI single.

After that plate appearance, Baxter would start the next 20 games and go on a hitting streak that would change his playing career.

Following the Guilford game, Baxter tallied 39 hits, including a 13-game hitting streak. Within that 13-game streak, he had a seven-game, multi-hit streak.

“It felt good finally being able to prove myself on the field, but I knew that every opportunity is earned, so I continued to work as hard as I could, so I wouldn’t lose my spot,” he said.

Baxter finished his junior campaign slashing .426/.473/.557, and his .426 batting average was good enough for second in the ODAC.

“Not making an all-conference team really messed with my mind after the season I had,” he said. “That summer I had wrote down every name in front of me on the all-conference teams at my position, and every day it would eat at my mind. But that was my motivation, and it pushed me to a different level.”

Although Baxter put up good numbers on the field, the team wasn’t winning.

After the fifth consecutive season where Ferrum didn’t make the playoffs, the coaching staff that Baxter was recruited by and played under for the first three years was let go.

This left the rising senior contemplating on transferring or playing his final season as a Panther.

“It was a mix of emotions, and I didn’t know what to feel,” Baxter said when he heard the news. “I didn’t have any interest in coming back to a whole new coaching staff, and I built a strong connection with the old staff. Although I think it was for the best they stepped away, those were the guys that gave me an opportunity when I had nothing.”

That offseason, Baxter said he had long talks with his coaches, teammates, and family before deciding he was going to stay at Ferrum for his final season.

On June 28, 2024, Eric Owens was announced as the new head coach.

“Right when coach touched down on campus, we got to work right away,” Baxter said. “He’s taught me a lot, and you can see clearly how much better the guys have gotten, and the shift to a winning culture where guys believe we can compete with anyone.”

This past fall, Baxter was named one of the captains of the team due to his leadership on and off the field.

“Shawn has shown me what it means to lead by encouraging others, and offering the sacrificial love to us as teammates no matter who you are,” first-year catcher Dylan Howerton said. “Shawn has left an absolutely massive impact on my life because he has shown me what it means to lay it all on the line for the guy next to you, and most of all, he has shown me what it means to be a true friend.”

After being named captain, Baxter said he felt a lot of pressure to perform at the level he did the previous season.

“Coach Owens told me from the beginning of the fall to ‘go be an All-American,’ and my teammates calling me captain was all new to me,” he said. “It’s always been a dream for me since my first year to be a captain of our team, but once I was named captain, I felt there was a big expectation next to my name, and I had to work extremely hard to make sure I didn’t let my teammates and coaches down.”

That pressure led to a slow start to Baxter’s final season.

In the team’s first nine games, he had five hitless games, something he only did seven times in 32 games played the previous year.

The next nine games, Baxter would find his swing, hitting 20 for 33.

Swinging a hot stick, Baxter ran into adversity once again.

Playing against conference rival Roanoke College, Baxter tore his groin coming out of the box on what would be a double to center field.

“Getting injured in a game like that was hard,” Baxter said. “I thought that I had failed my teammates because there were big moments in that game where my name would’ve came up, and I felt like I could’ve made a difference in that game. What was good about it was to see some of the young guys get an opportunity and be able to pick me up.”

When Baxter came back from his injury, the team was on the outside looking into the playoff picture.

“I knew that I wasn’t guaranteed tomorrow,” he said. “I had come to the realization that this would be my final year playing baseball, so I wanted to give everything I had for my teammates, so when I looked back on my career I could say that I gave everything I had.”

On the final day of the regular season, Ferrum needed to sweep Washington & Lee, and Guilford needed to be swept by Randolph-Macon to get the Panthers a playoff berth.

That’s how the script played out.

After two walk-off wins for the Panthers by scores of 12-11 and 13-10, Guilford would drop both to Randolph-Macon, giving Shawn his first taste of postseason college baseball.

“Shawn has been able to play at a high-level day in and day out. His consistency is what puts him into the elite category,” Owens said. “Shawn’s growth has been tremendous this past year. He’s understanding how to win and what it takes to be a winner.”

The team faced off against top-seeded Lynchburg in the first round of the ODAC tournament.

The Panthers would lose both games–7-6 and 18-4–bringing an end to Baxter’s baseball career.

“I had mixed emotions. I was mad about the loss and knew we let the game fall out of our hands, but for the first time in my career here at Ferrum, I took that last game as if I was five years old,” Baxter said. “Nothing in the world mattered at that time. I took every pitch, every at bat, grateful for the time this amazing game has given me. I didn’t care for the results and at the end of the day, this year was truly enough for me because we did something that hasn’t been done in my four years here–make the playoffs.”

In Baxter’s senior campaign, he put up a .401 batting average, .446 on-base percentage, and slugged .599 with 59 hits, 13 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, and 45 RBIs.

These numbers earned Baxter the honor of Ferrum’s Co-MVP award, and All-ODAC second team first baseman.

“Earning All-ODAC honors was something I’ve dreamed about accomplishing my whole career here, and to finally get the recognition I feel I should’ve gotten in the past years meant a lot to me,” Baxter said.

Baxter’s father–John–had a rush of emotions after his son’s playing career ended.

“From the moment he stepped on to the field as a little boy playing T-Ball, Shawn has given us a lifetime of unforgettable memories. For 17 years, he’s brought joy, excitement, and pride to our family with every game he played,” he said. “He’s a natural athlete, blessed with the kind of talent that stands out no matter the sport, but baseball has always been his true love. If there’s one thing we know about Shawn, it’s that he never stops hustling. His love for the game runs deep, and we believe he’ll find a way to stay close to the sport he loves.”

Baxter balanced his love for the game with dedication in the classroom.

On May 3, Baxter walked across the stage, earning a degree in Computer Science.

This accomplishment wasn’t taken lightly by Baxter’s family, as he is a first-generation college graduate.

“As Shawn walked across the stage to accept his degree, our hearts were overflowing with emotion. He is a first-generation college graduate, and for both of us, this moment is more than just a milestone–it’s an honor, a blessing, and a privilege,” Baxter’s mother–Gaudy–said. “Watching our children achieve great things is every parent’s dream, and seeing Shawn do so with such grace, determination, and passion has been nothing short of inspiring.”

For the last four years, Baxter has embraced his opportunity as a Panther, with Owens saying he’s leaving the program better than he found it.

But a four-year chapter of his life is closing, and he says that since his playing days have concluded, he’s been able to see what matters most to him.

“Now that it’s all over with, looking back at it, all of the stats, the accolades, and the records truly don’t matter. What matters to me most is the moments I’ve spent with my brothers here at Ferrum, and I’d give it all up just to take the field one more time with my guys,” Baxter said.