Ray Brayboy will have his #13 jersey number retired by UNCP Baseball.
Courtesy Photo
PEMBROKE—Per the UNCP Hall of Fame committee unanimous recommendation during their summer meeting, officials at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke announced that they are planning to retire former baseball player Dr. Ray Brayboy’s No. 13 jersey.
“I am beyond humbled, grateful and thankful for this extremely rare UNCP Athletics Honor,” said Brayboy. “Glory first and foremost goes to the Good Lord, who provided me with the athletic talent, passion and relentless work ethic needed to perform at high levels in the sport that I loved and excelled in over the years. A sincere thank you also to Chancellor Cummings and his administration for his support of me and my family over the years.”
Brayboy, a nearly .330 career hitter, was named a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-American following the 1967 and 1969 seasons. In 1969, Brayboy posted an astounding .390 batting average.
“Ray was pure and simple a natural born leader,” said teammate and 2019 UNCP Hall of Fame member Ray Nixon. “Ray always led by example on the diamond and never took a play off.”
During the peak of Brayboy’s impact on UNCP Baseball, the Braves registered 79 wins in three years and recorded the highest winning percentage in a three-year span in program history.
“It was a wonderful personal honor to nominate Ray for the highest honor that can be bestowed on a UNC Pembroke athlete,” said teammate and 1994 UNCP Hall of Fame inductee Preston Douglas. “Not only was Ray a marvelous baseball player, he was the consummate leader on some of the strongest baseball teams in the history of our University. Our top ranked teams did not achieve such levels of success by happenstance.”
Among the first selections of the prestigious UNCP Athletics Hall of Fame, Brayboy is a 1984 inductee. Following his collegiate career, Brayboy played for the Red Springs single A club, an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins in the Carolina League.
“The support and encouragement I consistently received from my teammates, the larger Lumbee community and the UNCP coaching staff and administration were all critical in helping me reach this UNCP athletics pinnacle as well,” said Brayboy.
A 1969 graduate of Pembroke State, Brayboy earned his degree in physical education and recreation. As acknowledged by the many letters of support through the nomination process, Brayboy was an active and visible member of the campus community, participating as a member of the Pine Needle staff and serving as the class president his sophomore year. Brayboy would continue his education after professional baseball, achieving a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earning a Doctor of Education degree from Penn State University. He had a long career in education administration as he and his wife Bea currently reside in Pinehurst, NC.
“Ray’s peers have long heralded his prowess on the baseball diamond and overall impact to our legendary teams of the late sixties,” said Chancellor Robin G. Cummings. “As profound, however, are the many leadership roles he tackled across the state. He continued to serve students and represent our region and the university in a meaningful way.”
“During crucial times, it was invariably Ray Brayboy who challenged our teammates to pick it up a notch,” said Nixon.
“It took the rare combination of outstanding talent and strong leadership to garner such success,” said Douglas. “Ray was an acknowledged catalyst on those championship teams and his leadership skills only got better as he advanced through his award-winning professional career in education.”
“Being the first Lumbee (baseball player) to be so honored is both gratifying and very special to me. Hopefully, achieving this distinction will serve as an inspiration for other aspiring young athletes within the Native American community to strive for excellence in their athletic endeavors as well,” said Brayboy.
Brayboy’s No. 13 jersey will officially be retired on April 5 during a ceremony in the newly renovated Sammy Cox Field. More information will be announced at a later date at UNCPBraves.com.