STONY BROOK, N.Y. — It already was late in the college baseball recruiting process when Brad Hipsley attended a Stony Brook sponsored-tournament with his South Troy Dodgers travel team during the infielder's senior year at Saratoga Springs High School.

With the pressure on to impress, Hipsley put on a show during the fall 2017 event at Joe Nathan Field.

"I had a really good day," said Hipsley, who characterized his collegiate baseball options to that point as limited. "I think I was 4-for-5 with two triples and a home run. I had been in contact with Coach Senk my junior year, but talks had kind of stopped. After that tournament, he gave me a call and said, 'I'd like to have you here.'"

At the time, Stony Brook pretty much had completed its recruiting class. But the coaches liked Hipsley's personality as well as his determination to attend the university. So they invited Hipsley to walk on.

Hipsley has rewarded that faith with two solid seasons with the Seawolves to date.

And the coaching staff reciprocated with a reward this summer, providing Hipsley a scholarship for the first time in his collegiate career.

"It is such a great part of coaching any time we can reward someone for working so diligently every day at being an outstanding student, an impactful player and a great teammate," coach Matt Senk said. "Brad has been all of that, and we couldn't be more pleased to have a young man of such high character in our program."

Hipsley had heated up shortly before Stony Brook's 2020 season got shut down in the spring due to coronavirus.

He had four RBIs, four walks and two steals in the Seawolves' final three games, including a go-ahead two-run double in a win against Merrimack.

A member of the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll for his academic excellence, Hipsley earlier in the season produced his first career homer — a sixth-inning go-ahead grand slam en route to an extra-inning win at Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 29.

"Coach Senk texted me in late June, 'Hey, can you talk for a second?'" Hipsley said. "I gave him a phone call. And he was like, 'Well, finally, amidst this whole pandemic and everything, we've got some good news for you.' He said some scholarship money opened up, and he thought I'd be perfect to receive that. I was very thankful for that. It was a really cool moment for me, just knowing all of the hard work and what I came from with walking on.

"From having that one big day my senior fall in high school to being put on scholarship a few years later was really cool for me. I'm really thankful for it. I can't thank the coaches and the staff enough for the opportunity."

Hipsley had started for three years at shortstop at Saratoga Springs High School. He was all-section honorable mention as a sophomore and junior.

He made big strides during his senior year, with the Stony Brook walk-on spot already secured. Hipsley hit .425 with 25 RBIs.

"I was second-team all-section," Hipsley recalled with a laugh about his senior year. "The shortstop that was first team, Luke Gold, plays at Boston College now. I think he hit .600 with eight home runs that year. It was incredible."

Meanwhile, the past two falls — as a freshman and sophomore at Stony Brook — Hipsley has continued to attend the travel-team tournament at Joe Nathan Field that he used in 2017 as a springboard to land a spot with the Seawolves.

"It's kind of ironic," Hipsley said, "because I work them now."