This year Tyrrell County Schools welcomed several new hires to the community.

Among them was Blake Maxwell. Maxwell obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education  and Health Education from Methodist University in Fayetteville,NC and a Master of Arts in Coaching and Athletic Administration. Maxwell played for seven seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization and has served on the coaching staff of UNC Pembroke. Maxwell is a first year teacher.

Maxwell said his time spent with the Boston Red Sox was beneficial.

“I was drafted in 2005 and played from 2005-2011.I threw 600 1/3 innings in professional baseball with a career record of 42-33, with 44 saves.  I pitched in 276 games (40 starts).  My career ERA was a 3.76.  I won the 2009 Portland Sea Dogs Citizen of the Year award for my extensive work in the community.  I was a 2010 MILB.com Organizational All-Star for the Boston Red Sox after going 11-1 with a 2.90 ERA for the season.  I made it all the way to Triple-A,” said Maxwell.

Although Maxwell never pitched in a regular season major league game he threw in several major league spring training games and actually pitched in an exhibition game with Red Sox against the Houston Astros in Minute Made Park on March 30, 2011.

“I was one of only two minor league pitchers to travel with the major league team to this game and the only minor league pitcher to actually get in the game.  I threw a scoreless inning,” said Maxwell.

 

Maxwell said his dream was to play professional baseball and he achieved that dream, although he did not quite make it all the way to the major leagues.

“I spent seven years of my life doing this and it was an experience that I wouldn’t trade one second of.  I learned a lot about baseball not only as a player.I also learned how certain situations should be handled by coaches.  While progressing throughout the Boston Red Sox organization I played for a number of different coaches and I was able to learn from all of them.  With the many different coaching styles I had the privilege to play under, I found things I really liked and I have been able to take those with me and use them in my coaching career,” said Maxwell.

 

Maxwell had great experiences coaching college baseball at Methodist University (2013) and UNC Pembroke (2014).  He also was a head coach this past summer in the Coastal Plain League for the Florence Redwolves

“We won our division in the regular season and went on to be the runner up in the league championship.  I will be coaching in Florence again next summer,” said Maxwell.

 

Although Maxwell loved college baseball, the hours required as a recruiter were something he did not want to do for the rest of my life.

“I have a degree in Physical Education and Health Education, so I made the decision to use my degree and become a school teacher, which was my original plan all along had I not had the opportunity to play professional baseball,” said Maxwell.

Tyrrell County had an opening and they chose to hire Maxwell.

“So far I am really enjoying it.  The small town atmosphere gives me an opportunity to interact with almost every student in the 6th-9th grades daily.  Teaching middle and high school students is different from coaching college baseball, but even as a coach, I consider myself a teacher and I really enjoy watching someone who I am instructing or coaching reach their potential or succeed at whatever they are trying to do.  I am very excited to have the opportunity to coach the middle school basketball and baseball teams this school year as well,” said Maxwell.