NCAA DIII Week: Piedmont Baseball Makes History, Retires #26 Jersey Honoring Brady & Carter Ballstadt

Saturday, March 29, Piedmont baseball made history as #26 became the first retired number in the Piedmont baseball program. Brady and Carter Ballstadt combined to hold 35 records at the end of their collegiate careers with the Lions. From 2016-2023, a Ballstadt started every game in centerfield, over 300 consecutive games. Both were three-time all-conference honorees, three-time all-region selections and an ABCA All-American. Not only successful on the field, they both earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors in their time as well. 

Brady currently holds a total of eight career records for the Lions including total games played and games started at 166. Impressively, he leads the record book in hits, doubles, runs scored and runs batted in as well as total bases.  In the 2018 season, Brady set the single-season record with 73 hits as he topped out over 60 hits three times in his four seasons. Leaving Piedmont with a .363 batting average over a program-high 655 at bats, Brady was a two-time USA South Player of the Year in 2018 & 2019. 

He was an ABCA All-Region and D3baseball.com All-Region selection each year from 2017-2019 and named the D3baseball.com Region Player of the Year in 2018. He earned ABCA All-American honors in 2018 and was a Preseason D3baseball.com All-American in 2019. He earned Perfect Game Midseason National Player of the Year in 2019 and helped the Lions to a 19-3 mark in conference play that season and the 2019 USA South Regular Season Championship.

Carter left Piedmont holding five career records including homeruns with 21 and saves with 22. He also posts the best stolen base percentage and most strikeouts per nine. He totaled eight single game records and 14 single season records including homeruns with 12 in 2022. He also totaled 56 RBI in 2022, his senior season, while scoring 53 runs as a graduate student, both single season records. In 2023, he was a perfect 18-for-18 on stolen bases and did not commit a single error in the field. 

He was a 2021 ABCA National Gold Glove selection as one of three outfielders across Division III, becoming Piedmont’s second honoree to receive the distinction. He was a three-time ABCA All-Region selection from 2021-23 earning All-Region Defensive Team honors in 2023 and twice earned D3baseball.com All-Region honors. He earned ABCA All-American status in 2022 after earning D3baseball.com All-American honors in 2021. In 2023, Ballstadt helped the Lions to the inaugural CCS Championship pitching the final inning in the win over Maryville to seal the championship and earn his then program-best 22nd save of his career.