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06/01/2022 12:00 AMAiden McBrierty has been constantly growing as a leader while serving as a senior captain for the Guilford baseball team this spring. After seeing some struggles in the first half of the season, Aiden has been thriving under the pressure down the stretch and is helping the Grizzlies play some great baseball heading into states.
Aiden, a first baseman, began his baseball journey with tee-ball when he was eight. He played through Little League and then competed on the AAU circuit in Guilford. Aiden has also played football and basketball throughout his sporting career, earning All-SCC honors as a defensive end for the Guilford football squad last fall. While his athleticism spreads across different fields, Aiden’s devotion to baseball has held the strongest since his dad introduced him to the game as a youngster.
“What got me into it was my dad. He played all sports when he was a kid,” says Aiden. “He was trying to get me to figure out what I liked and, when I played baseball, I really liked it. I fell in love with baseball and didn’t want anything else.”
Aiden’s growth on the baseball field has involved much more than his own individual progression. Aiden grew up playing the sport alongside teammates with whom he shares the Grizzlies’ uniform today. Aiden’s bonds with his teammates have bolstered his confidence as he leads the Grizzlies in a captain’s role this year.
“Growing up, my teammates are all kids that I’ve grown up playing with on the AAU team. These are all kids that I know,” Aiden says. “I felt for the longest time, being one of the older kids, that I was their leader and that I had to lead by example and lead them.”
Shortly after Aiden was named a captain, his senior season was underway. Aiden struggled at the plate early on and knew that he had to improve in the batter’s box. Aiden was determined to keep his spot in the starting lineup and motivated to turn things around.
“I could have very easily just continued to spiral out of control and lose not only my leadership role, but my role as a key part of this team and keeping us in games,” says Aiden. “I’m very proud of myself for turning it around and, towards the end of the season where it really matters, really stepping into my role and being that guy that everyone can lean on.”
Classifying Aiden as someone on whom others can lean is an understatement. While reversing his own fortunes, Aiden helped Guilford finish its regular season strong to post a record of 10-10, marking a huge improvement from its 2-16 record in 2021. The Grizzlies qualified for the SCC Tournament and took a quarterfinal loss to Fairfield Prep, but are now competing in the Class L State Tournament this week.
Aiden wound up hitting at a .410 clip during the second half of the regular season. Head Coach Nick Merullo appreciates the value that Aiden’s presence adds to his program. Merullo felt that Aiden becoming a captain was inevitable following the senior’s efforts during Guilford’s offseason workouts over the winter.
“As important as his play is on the field, Aiden’s leadership is what makes him special. He always puts the success of the team ahead of his own personal accolades or statistics,” Merullo says. “Not only does Aiden lead by example with his work ethic, but he is also not afraid to speak up and deliver an important message to his teammates when necessary.”
While he felt happy to turn things around for himself, Aiden was more focused on contributing to the improvement of the Guilford baseball program as a whole. The Grizzlies wanted to qualify for both SCCs and states while finishing with a solid record, and Aiden feels proud of his club for accomplishing those goals. In the end, Aiden just wants to come through for his hometown.
“Expectations are kind of what drive me. If someone expects something, I want to meet their expectation and more. I want to surprise people,” says Aiden. “I want to make people proud. I want to make people I know proud. I want to make people I don’t know proud.”
Aiden’s relationships with his teammates have helped the senior captain develop into the leader he wants to be. Aiden believes in his team and has confidence that the Grizzlies can keep their momentum going into the state playoffs.
“Knowing that the people around me will make that play, will get that hit, it’s just confidence. Being around it for this long, I just have the utmost confidence in everybody on that field,” Aiden says. “There’s nobody that I have doubts in. I know we’re all capable of making great plays and big hits.”
After leading Guilford to a big-time turnaround, Aiden will be attending Coastal Carolina University to study marine science in the fall. Aiden’s journey on the high school diamond has seen some ups and downs, but he feels happy to capping it off with a memorable season as a senior.
“Since freshman year, it’s been a pleasure to be a part of this team,” says Aiden. “Junior year wasn’t what we were expecting, and then having to come out this year and prove what we really could do and have the big turnaround probably sums up my entire baseball career and kind of tops it all off. I’m happy walking away from this and saying that I’m done, finishing like this.”