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By Ray Hamill — While he still has some unfinished business to take care of at College of the Redwoods this spring, outfielder Tyson Bragg knows where his baseball journey will take him next.

On Tuesday, the former McKinleyville Panther signed his letter of intent to play at New Mexico Highlands after his time at CR is up later this year.

And CR head coach John Downey believes the sophomore outfielder has what it takes to succeed at a four-year program.

“From a baseball IQ standpoint, to a leadership standpoint, to an overall skills standpoint, he’s ready,” Downey said.

Bragg is enjoying a good spring on a CR team that has struggled in terms of wins and losses, and he has been a definite bright spot through the first few weeks of the season.

He leads the team in batting average (.351) and has shown a keen eye and plenty of patience at the plate with a team-best 15 walks.

His influence on the team also has grown from his freshman campaign.

Last year he batted .279, mostly in the lead-off spot, but he worked hard to become a better player this year, and that work ethic is something that has earned him the respect of his coaches.

“He’s grown his talents,” Downey said. “And he’s stayed humble about it. He knows he has to show up every day to get better.

“He’s taken some big strides. I think he wanted to have a better year and I think he was motivated.”

That dedication to his craft and motivation has paid off with his recruitment to next level.

The speedy Bragg also made the move from right field to center field for his sophomore season and the switch has worked out well for him and his team.

“He’s been amazing out there,” Downey said. “He’s an A-plus defender. He has great reaction time.”

Bragg also has impressed his coach on the bases.

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“He has A-plus speed as well,” Downey added. “He’ll turn a grounder into a single and a single into a double, and he’s a threat no matter where he is in the lineup.”

Bragg’s success at the JC level won’t come as a surprise to anyone who saw him play at McKinleyville High School.

In his senior year in 2024, Bragg played a pivotal role in the Panthers’ march to a Big 5 title, batting .321 and providing some power at the plate with a team-high six home runs.

The Panthers finished that year 22-5.

After his time at CR, he will join a New Mexico Highlands team that is 5-9 this season.

The NCAA Division-II program competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

“We’re going to miss him,” Downey added. “He’s a great individual.”

Before he makes the move to New Mexico, Bragg and his CR teammates are hoping to close out this season strong.

The CR men are 2-16 on the season and 0-5 in the Golden Valley Conference.

They will try to end a seven-game losing streak and get their first conference wins when they host Shasta in a three-game series this week.

Injuries haven’t helped matters for Redwoods, but the coaches and players remain optimistic they can still make some noise down the stretch of the season.

“There are a lot of struggles we’re facing right now,” said Downey, who has had to make some adjustments to the lineup because of injuries. “Somer guys are stepping into bigger roles that maybe they didn’t see coming, but one thing I see is they’re not giving up. This is a team that’s going to fight till the end.

“They still believe in each other, one through nine and the bench, and it’s really fun to watch these guys grind it out every game.

“They’re getting better every game. There’s nothing but progress to be made.”

Redwoods and Shasta will play a single game on Friday at 2 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, with game one starting at 11 a.m.