Four Enterprise athletes and longtime friends sign college scholarships
ENTERPRISE – It was a special moment Friday morning for four longtime friends at the Enterprise High Performance Arts Center lobby.
The four – Jon Ed Steed, Brady Richardson, Mikey Vanderheyden and Tripp Rascoe – held a signing ceremony together with family and friends.
Three of the four signed letter-of-intents to major Division-I schools – Steed to Vanderbilt for golf, Richardson to Troy and Vanderheyden to the University of Houston for baseball. Rascoe inked with Huntingdon College for tennis.
"I love them," Richardson said of signing together. "We have all been childhood friends and friends for years, so it is special to do this with them."
Quick journey to success
Rascoe has played tennis only three years, starting in his freshman season, but has developed quickly to become one of the Wildcats' top players.
"I got a tennis racquet for Christmas (my freshman year) and started playing," Rascoe said. "My parents knew I wanted to play and that I wanted to try it out."
This past year as a junior, he amassed a 22-4 singles record and 23-3 doubles record with partner Julian Gunter.
Rascoe said his quick rise in tennis was a product of a lot of work.
"A lot of late nights, a lot hitting on the court and playing by yourself," Rascoe said.
The EHS senior said he was impressed by Huntingdon's tennis program, especially head coach Tony Franklin.
"I love the team there," Rascoe said. "I love the facilities. I love the coach and what he stands for and how he conducts a team."
The chance to continue to play tennis, especially at the college level, was meaningful for Roscoe.
"It feels good," Rascoe said. "It is something that I have always wanted to do – go play college and continue to play the sport that I love."
One of state's best going to Vanderbilt
Steed, one of Alabama's top junior golfers, officially signed with Vanderbilt after committing to the Commodores in September of 2023.
"It feels good," Steed said. "Glad I was able to finally put pen to paper and be official."
Steed, a three-time Dothan Eagle high school Golfer of the Year, is currently ranked as the No. 16 high school senior by Junior Golf Scoreboard and No. 18 by Rolex AJGA rankings. He is a three-time Rolex AJGA All-American.
Steed is part of a Vanderbilt signing class that is ranked No. 1 by both Golf Channel and Golfweek. The Commodores are just a couple of years removed from an SEC title and NCAA Final Four appearance.
"Two of my best friends in the class of 2025 are going there," Steed said. "I also have two friends in the '24 class that I will there with for three years. I really like the coaches – Coach Austin Cody, head coach Scott Limbaugh and Brody Edwards. I liked everything about Vanderbilt"
This past season at Enterprise, Steed finished as a Class 7A state runner-up, just a stroke behind the winner. He finished with a 71.6 stroke average over 270 holes and had even par scores in 12 of 16 rounds, while winning two tournament titles.
Vanderheyden pursues childhood dream
For Vanderheyden, Friday's signing fulfilled a long-time dream.
"It is a lifelong dream, something you dream about as a kid," Vanderheyden said. "Ever since I was maybe 8 or 10 – just a lifelong dream come true."
Vanderheyden, a catcher, finished his junior year with a .391 batting average (30-of-77), a .475 on-base percentage and 24 runs batted in over 31 games. He helped Enterprise to a 22-12 record and to the first round of state playoffs.
He committed to the University of Houston as a freshman, choosing the Cougars over Alabama, Auburn, Troy and several junior college programs. Enterprise baseball currently has a tie to Houston as Santiago Garcia, a 2017 EHS graduate, is in his final year with the program.
"The coaching staff is great," Vanderheyden said. "The campus is nice too. I felt welcomed there. You want to go somewhere you are wanted and in Houston I felt wanted."
In addition to his solid offense, the 6-foot, 183-pound Vanderheyden is also known for his defense. According to perfectgame.org , Vanderheyden has "smooth actions behind the dish" with a "quick transfer" and a 2.03 pop time on throws to second base.
The Houston signee said he thrives as a catcher, a position known for its wear and tear.
"Nobody likes it, but I like it," Vanderheyden said. "It is a really hard job and something other people don't want to do.
"I feel like I am a good framer (of pitches). I have been working on that since I was 12. I would say blocking (pitches) is next. I am good at blocking. My arm strength has improved over the years."
Richardson sold on Troy
Enterprise's Richardson knew quickly that Troy was his destination, committing to the Trojans during his freshman year.
"They have been like family ever since eighth grade when they started recruiting me," Richardson said. "They treated me so well and took me in as their own. No other college had done that for me. They kept that up through all the years."
Richardson was so impressed with the Trojan program that he ended any recruitment with other schools.
"There was no reason to (continue)," Richardson said.
A two-way standout, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Richardson has excelled as a both a pitcher and hitter at EHS. This past spring, he earned Dothan Eagle Super 12 honors. In 32 games, he hit .411 (37-of-90) and had a .523 on base-percentage with five homers, 23 RBI, 35 runs and 10 doubles. As a pitcher, he had a 6-3 record, a 1.37 earned run average and 0.92 WHIP with 93 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings.
"They said I have the possibility to play both ways," Richardson said of his potential role at Troy. "I could pitch, hit and play shortstop. It all depends on how I perform in the fall."
Richardson said he doesn't have a preference where he plays for the Trojans as long as he playing.
"I am going to do whatever they ask of me," Richardson said. "Whatever they ask, I will conform to that. I will be wherever they need me to be to help the team. I just want to make a difference."
