UNC Pembroke Baseball Retires Jersey of Lumbee Hall of Famer Ray Brayboy

At a packed ceremony this month, UNC Pembroke took jersey No. 13 off the field for good. The number belonged to Ray Brayboy, who crushed pitches at a .390 clip in his final year. He's now the first Lumbee athlete to see his number hung up in nearly 40 years.  

"Baseball was my passion, and I consider myself to be awfully skilled out here along the way," said Brayboy to The Robesonian. "I'm just so grateful and humbled at the support that I had from mentors along the way that really made a difference in my life." 

Brayboy struck fear into pitchers with his career .330 batting average. His skills caught scouts' eyes, earning him an NAIA All-American nod in both 1967 and 1969, before he signed with the Minnesota Twins. Brayboy’s impressive collegiate career would earn him a spot in the 1984 UNCP Athletics Hall of Fame.  

After hanging up his cleats, Brayboy switched fields. He earned his doctorate from Penn State and went on to lead three school districts as superintendent - Bladen, Wayne, and Marlboro. At 78, he calls Pinehurst home but stays close to UNCP sports. 

The day marked more than just a jersey retirement. The Brayboy family announced the Dr. L. Ray Brayboy No. 13 Baseball Endowed Scholarship.  

"We are sincerely grateful to the Brayboy family for their generosity in establishing this scholarship in honor of Dr. Ray Brayboy," said Vice Chancellor for Advancement Anita Stallings in a UNCP release. "His legacy as a dedicated student-athlete will continue to inspire future generations at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.” 

Lumbee Tribal Chairman John Lowery presented sacred eagle feathers to Brayboy. University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, once Brayboy's high school player, sent words of praise by video just before his team's championship game. 

After the ceremony, guests walked through Sammy Cox Field to see Brayboy's No. 13 signage in its new home.