Local Legends with Chris Radford: Carter Adams

Carter Adams: From a Dream on the Diamond to a New Beginning at Mount Olive

For Carter Adams, baseball has been a part of life for as long as he can remember.

Growing up in Wilson, North Carolina, Carter began playing Little League baseball at just 3 years old at Gillette Stadium. What started as a childhood game eventually became a journey that took him from the fields of Wilson to some of the biggest stages in youth baseball and now to the next chapter of his career at the University of Mount Olive.

But Carter’s journey has been about much more than baseball.

It has been shaped by faith, family, education, perseverance and a willingness to adjust when circumstances do not go according to plan.

Building a Foundation

Carter was raised in a Christian household and homeschooled by his mother. The experience provided him with an academic foundation built around accountability and communication.

His education included lab reports, thesis projects and impromptu speeches, experiences that helped prepare him for the demands of college.

During his junior and senior years of high school, Carter took online community college courses and accumulated more than 20 college credits before beginning his freshman year at Mount Olive.

For Carter, academics were never simply something that existed alongside baseball. They were part of his preparation for life beyond the field.

His family also played a central role in that preparation. His parents, Mickey and Britney Adams, provided consistent support throughout his athletic and academic journey, while his older brother, Turner, became an important role model.

Carter’s faith also became more than something practiced at home. He participated in a two-week mission trip to Vietnam through his church, helping serve a local church and an orphanage. The experience broadened his perspective beyond baseball and his own community.

A Childhood Dream

Carter’s baseball journey began in the familiar surroundings of Little League, but his talent quickly became evident.

At age 12, he was part of a team that won the North Carolina Little League state championship. The accomplishment earned the team a trip to the Southeast Regional, where it competed on ESPN.

For a young baseball player, it was a dream come true.

The experience also gave Carter a glimpse of what the sport could become.

After Little League, he entered the world of competitive travel baseball, first playing with the Dirtbags organization before moving to the Canes.

With the Canes, Carter initially developed as a two-way player, contributing both on the mound and at the plate. As recruiting became a bigger part of his baseball future, he eventually accepted a position with the Canes National program and focused increasingly on pitching.

The goal was clear: Give himself the best opportunity to play baseball at the collegiate level.

When Everything Changed

Then came the moment that changed the direction of his career.

During his sophomore year, Carter suffered a torn labrum.

Initially, the hope was that he could recover without surgery. After attempting a nonsurgical approach, however, it became clear that surgery was necessary.

On Aug. 20, 2024, Carter underwent surgery.

His recovery would stretch for more than a year.

For an athlete whose recruiting future was closely tied to his ability to pitch, the timing could hardly have been more difficult.

The injury came around the same time that Division I college baseball recruiting rules opened a new window for coaches to contact him on Aug. 1. Carter had already been communicating with Division I programs, but those conversations suddenly changed.

Schools that had previously shown interest became hesitant because of the upcoming surgery and the uncertainty surrounding his return.

Instead of continuing down the path he had planned, Carter had to start over.

Turning a Setback Into an Opportunity

The injury forced Carter to reconsider his baseball identity.

For years, pitching had been a major part of his future. Now, he had to determine what baseball could look like after surgery.

The answer eventually became clear: Return to the field as a position player.

That transition required patience and a willingness to embrace a new challenge.

While the physical recovery was demanding, the emotional side was difficult as well. Carter had to watch the recruiting process unfold while he rehabilitated instead of competing.

During that period, the support of his coaches and teammates at Eastern Carolina Academy became especially important.

Coaches Ashton McGee, Matthew Hare and Adam Pate helped Carter navigate a difficult period and continue moving forward.

His teammates became an extended family.

Rather than allowing the injury to define his story, Carter used it as an opportunity to redefine his future.

Finding the Right Fit

Carter’s time at Eastern Carolina Academy during his junior and senior years provided him with an environment where he could continue developing as both an athlete and a person.

The school and its coaches helped him through the recruiting process, particularly as he transitioned from pitcher to position player.

That support ultimately helped lead Carter to Mount Olive.

Now a rising freshman, he enters college with a different perspective than he might have had before his injury.

He knows what it means to have a plan change.

He knows what it means to work through uncertainty.

And he knows what it takes to start over.

At Mount Olive, the goal remains ambitious.

Carter wants to play professional baseball and ultimately be selected in the MLB draft.

But he also understands that baseball is only one part of his future.

Looking Beyond Baseball

If baseball does not become his profession, Carter already has ideas about what could come next.

One possibility is joining his father’s flooring business.

Another is building a career in residential construction.

Either way, Carter sees himself as an entrepreneur and someone who wants to create something of his own.

That mindset reflects the lessons he has learned throughout his life: Work hard, take responsibility, adapt when circumstances change and keep moving forward.

His family remains an important part of that vision.

His parents, his brother Turner and his grandparents have all influenced the person he has become. Their support has been especially meaningful during the difficult seasons of his baseball career.

A New Chapter

Carter Adams’ baseball story could easily be defined by the injury that changed his path.

But that would leave out the most important part.

His story is about what happened after the injury.

It is about a young athlete who went from dreaming about pitching at the highest levels to undergoing major surgery, enduring a lengthy rehabilitation and rebuilding his recruitment from the ground up.

It is about finding a new position, a new opportunity and a new college home.

And it is about understanding that sometimes the path forward is not the one you originally planned.

Now, as Carter begins his college career at Mount Olive, he carries with him the experiences of a childhood spent on baseball fields, the lessons of homeschooling and college-level academics, the influence of his faith and family, and the perspective gained from overcoming adversity.

The dream has not changed.

He still wants to play professional baseball.

But now he understands that reaching the dream may require taking a different route.

For Carter Adams, the next chapter is just beginning.