Ethan Harris was a part of the Troy Junior Dixie Boys baseball team that brought a World Series championship back to Troy in 2004, but Harris had a much more personal accomplishment Wednesday afternoon.

The senior Ariton Purple Cat signed a scholarship to play baseball for the Faulkner Eagles next year.

“I am real excited to sign a scholarship,” Harris said. “I have been up there a lot to see the campus to watch my sister play softball and I like the campus. I have been wanting to play for Faulkner since 10th grade.”

Harris’ sister Eden is a junior softball player for the Eagles and Faulkner athletic director and head baseball coach Brent Barker said the family connection definitely helped lure him to Harris.

“I had known his parents through his sister who is a softball player up here and we are a private Christian school that wants good families and they are definitely one of those,” Barker said. “Ethan is just a good fit for Faulkner because he is a good kid and he is versatile on the baseball field.”

Harris was an all-state honorable mention selection and was his team’s most valuable offensive player last season. In his previous two seasons at Ariton Harris was .435 in 2007 at the plate and .458 in 2008.

“Ethan is the type of high quality player we’re looking for and he’s also a high quality person,” Barker said. “We think he’ll be able to help us in a number of ways.”

Harris’ father Ken could not be happier for his son’s achievement.

“As a kid playing rec ball in Troy he was looking forward to signing a scholarship and it was a dream,” Ken Harris said. “He worked hard and it is a dream come true for him.”

Harris is ready to go cheer on both of his children next year at Faulkner.

“Next year will be his sister’s fourth year and it is kind of neat that both of them are going to be playing at the same school,” Ken Harris said.

Josh Herring, Harris’ high school coach at Ariton, is happy Ethan is getting the chance to this chance.

“The big thing is it is a great time to get somebody to go ahead and further their education plus get to play ball at the same time,” Herring said. “I am just looking forward to having him one more year playing for me before he goes to play because he is one of a kind. He is the kind of kid you would hope you had a team full of.”