Foard pitcher Sean Jenkins graduates early

“We do mental training stuff, all the guys are down there, but I Zoom in every morning,” Jenkins said. “It’s like a class, we go through the workbook and there’s assignments and worksheets and videos and stuff like that… It’s about mental toughness, how to deal with failure, stuff like that.”

From there, it’s his usual summer workouts and then school, even though it’s summer break. “Right now I’m taking two classes at CVCC (Catawba Valley Community College) to get some credits,” Jenkins said.

He is also taking two classes through the Edmentum program, a credit-transfer program he is using to fulfill his four remaining high school core requirements. He took two in the spring and is finishing the other two this month.

It’s all part of a busy summer schedule to prepare him for his high school graduation a year early so he can report to East Carolina University as a freshman on Aug. 12.

Jenkins said he was first offered the chance to graduate early in March. He didn’t make the plan public until after the 2024 baseball season.

“I had decided since the beginning of April and started working on it,” he said. “We had a really good year and I didn’t want it to change the team dynamic and how well we were doing.”

Jenkins is 17 and will remain so his freshman year. He said he feels he is ready to take the leap, not just athletically, but academically, emotionally and socially.

“I feel like a pretty mature kid, so I think I’m ready to handle it,” he said. “I think I’m totally ready.”

As he sees it, just getting the opportunity is a testament to his work, both on the field and in the classroom. At the end of his junior year, Jenkins has a weighted GPA of 4.13.

Self-discipline is the key to his success. He said he is already developing habits that will allow him to play college baseball, graduate before age 20 and be selected in the Major League Baseball draft.

“I started this thing where every night before I go to bed I write down what I want to accomplish the next day,” he said. “It keeps me organized and on track … I go through the day and check everything off and make sure I get everything done.”

He said the mental training he goes through with his ECU teammates also helps.

Braxton Tramel is also one of the factors that is pushing Jenkins to go to East Carolina this summer.

Tramel is a year older than Jenkins, but they have played baseball and coached together since they were in elementary school. This spring, they led Foard to a 19-6 record and a Western Foothills Athletic Conference championship.

“We’re here training together all the time, so it’s really important to continue that relationship,” Jenkins said. “That guy is like a brother to me. … We have a relationship that’s bigger than baseball. He’s my best friend.”

On August 12, they added roommates to the list. Jenkins said he knew he had to take it to the next level with his best friend if he had the chance.

Coming off to college a year early wasn’t an easy decision. He said he’ll miss his senior year of high school and a shot at the 2025 MLB draft. Jenkins and his 95-mph fastball drew plenty of attention, even a few pro scouts, to Fred T. Foard baseball games last season.

By going to ECU, he will now have to wait three years before he is eligible for the draft. MLB draft rules state that a high school player is eligible at age 18, while a college player is not eligible until he is three years out of high school.

Jenkins believes the rigor and challenge of college baseball will better prepare him for the 2027 draft than the 2025 draft.

“It makes me draft-eligible at 20,” he said. “I’ll have both of those factors, I’m still relatively young, but I also have college experience. They want you to be more pro-ready so they can get you to the big leagues quickly.”

He said ECU also has a track record of developing major league pitchers, which is one of the things that initially drew him to the school.

“Our Friday night player there is drafted in the first round,” Jenkins said. “In college athletics, baseball is the main focus … I can do whatever I want and see where it goes. I want to get that experience now and get that opportunity.”

He also said he hopes the extra two years will give him a chance to earn his college degree before the prospect of playing professional baseball comes along. It’s another reason he’s taking the extra classes at CVCC this summer.

“I hope that if I plan it right, I can graduate within three years or come very, very close,” he said. “That’s something I want to do for myself and my parents. I feel like I owe it to them for everything they’ve done for me. They sacrifice a lot.”