Keith Stutts has no regrets.
He enjoyed a brilliant baseball career at Louisburg and Atlantic Christian (now Barton) colleges and appeared destined for a professional baseball career when he suffered an injury that halted him in his tracks shortly after his 1978 graduation.
Instead of looking back, the Wilson native forged ahead, married the love of his life, raised two children and made a nice living. A career .325 hitter with blazing speed left his mark at every stop along the way and has thus been rewarded with a spot in the Barton College Athletic Hall of Fame.
“I am honored, shocked and pleasantly surprised about it,” Stutts, presently a manager with Albemarle Truck and Trailer, said of his induction, “especially since I was a junior college player who only played for two years at AC.”
The other cool thing for Stutts is that he will be joining one of his oldest friends, Robin Rose, in the Hall of Fame. The duo has been friends since early in elementary school and their careers mirrored each other as they starred at Fike High, Louisburg and Atlantic Christian. They were suitemates at Louisburg and roommates at Atlantic Christian.
Stutts, who was born to Glen and Marie Stutts on December 1, 1954, played the three major sports at Charles L. Coon Junior High before settling into baseball and football at Darden Vick Middle School and Fike.
He attributes a great deal of his success to playing for some extraordinary, legendary coaches. Barton Hall of Famers Gilbert Ferrell and Dick Knox were his coaches at Fike.
“Coach Ferrell was just a fair man and a great person,” he recalled. “He was not all in your face. Coach Knox was also a football man who knew his baseball, but he was a little bit tougher. They were both a joy to play for.”
Playing alongside Rose, Stutts and others enjoyed great success while helping Fike to the state playoffs. Stutts also played football his junior and senior seasons on a powerhouse team that went 27-2-2.
At Louisburg, Stutts said suiting up for head coach Russ Frazier “was a dream come true. Robin and I walked on and there were a lot of players there that we knew, all within one to one-and-a-half hours from Louisburg, so we had a lot of unity on that team. Coach Frazier really worked us hard.”
That combination of hard work and chemistry paid off for Louisburg. Stutts went from a back-up as a freshman to a starter in 1975 as the Hurricanes posted a phenomenal 30-5 record and finished third in the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series in Grand Junction, CO. Stutts batted .343 for the season, which caught the attention of Atlantic Christian head coach Larry Thompson.
“Seven of our nine starters at Louisburg that season were offered full rides to some school,” Stutts said. “I just remember we were playing against AC at Louisburg (his sophomore year) and AC was beating us. They were having a big time in the dugout with players like Chuck Finklea and Will Flowers, who we knew. Robin and I talked about it and decided that we wanted to stick together, go to AC and see if we could help take that program to the next level.
“We were very comfortable, liked the school and had been here (Wilson) our entire lives, so it was the right decision – the best decision – for both of us. Will Flowers (also a Barton Hall of Famer) was very instrumental in persuading us to come.”
His career with the Bulldogs got off to a rough start when in his first at-bat in the first game of the season, he suffered a groin injury beating out an infield hit. He missed the remainder of the season as a medical red-shirt…but did bat 1.000 for the year!
The outfielder came back with a vengeance the next season, batting .321 en route to NAIA All-District 26 honors. The Bulldogs captured the District 26 title and Stutts was later chosen to play in the N.C. Collegiate Summer League All-Star game.
The hit parade continued his senior campaign as he batted .320 for the Bulldogs. He was team captain and earned MVP honors from his teammates. In the summer league following that season, Stutts was lighting up opposing pitchers with a .400 batting average and was on track to win the batting title before at 0-for-9 to end the season. He still finished second in batting average, third in stolen bases and fourth in runs scored.
He was second in Player of the Year voting to Otis Nixon of Louisburg, who went on to star with the Atlanta Braves.
After obtaining his Bachelor of Science Degree from Atlantic Christian in Health & Physical Education, he was quickly offered a professional contract to play for the Kinston Blue Jays by team president Ray Kuhlman.
“They said they would help me with my meals and lodging and pay me $400 per month,” Stutts said. “I felt like I was rich. Before I signed, they wanted me to go outside and run, but a big storm came up with lightning, thunder and rain. It was a monsoon. They left for a four-day road trip, so they asked me to come back the next week. While they were gone, I went to the Fike batting cage to stay sharp, where I hit a ball off the pole. It hit me in the nose and crushed it.
“I had to have emergency surgery done by Dr. Chip Satterly. I was his first surgery patient, and he did a great job, which we still talk about today. Kinston told me I could try out the next season, but it turned out to be a good thing. I think it was just all fate because I wouldn’t give up what I have now for a 20-year baseball career. I love my family, my wife, my children, my in-laws.”
Stutts and his wife, Terri Hines Stutts (a 1978 AC graduate) have been married 31 years and have reared two children, Callie Hines Stutts and Cullen Benson Stutts. He spent many a day helping coach Callie in softball, or playing softball himself in some competitive and recreational leagues.
He is thankful to have played for Coach Thompson, Doc Sanford, Tommy Hawkins and Gary Ray either at ACC in the regular season or summer league.
“We were all tight-knit at AC, even with the other athletes,” he said. “Dr. Allan Sharp was one of my favorite teachers, as were Mr. Dunn and Jerry Cooper. It was a great atmosphere, because even if you were considered a jock, there was a lot of respect.
“The school was good for me, and I hope I was good for them.”
Stutts need look no further for confirmation that the wall in the Robert L. Dunn Sr. Bulldog Hall of Fame Room, where his name will be listed alongside all the great student-athletes who have ever worn the royal blue and white.
