By Scott Cole

AYDEN — Mason Ross, a multi-sport athlete at Ayden-Grifton, signed his letter of intent to play baseball at Fayetteville’s Methodist University on Monday.

“I’ve been playing baseball since I was about 3 years old,” Ross said. “This year was very special because we made the playoffs and hadn’t done that the year before. That was a lot of fun for us.”

Ross was used as an outfielder and pinch hitter, where he hit one home run and two doubles.

In the fall, Ross was also a part of the soccer team, scoring one goal and registering an assist in eight games. He also competed as part of the Ayden-Grifton wrestling team, qualifing for the state finals.

“I chose Methodist because it was close to home and they have a great baseball program,” Ross said. “They have some great coaches and I am very excited to be part of what they have going on.”

This year, Methodist sported a 32-9 record.

“Mason is an outstanding three-sport athlete who looks to take his athleticism to the next level at Methodist University,” Ayden-Grifton baseball coach Corey Skinner said. “It is a huge accomplishment by him and his family to be able to continue his athletic career after all the hard work he has put in. Mason was able to find a perfect athletic and academic fit with Methodist.”