As Miles concluded its 10-1 win over LeMoyne-Owen this past Saturday, assistant coach Trey Rutledge walked over to head coach Milton Barney and told him he had something to share with him.

"After the game was over, he came and said 'I need to talk to you about something,'" Barney said. "So I asked him, 'When are you leaving?"

The answer to the question was "right away". The former Miles baseball standout had just signed a professional contract with the New York Mets organization and knew he was headed to Florida to begin his first spring training with the club.

As he shared the news with the team, he was mobbed by his now-former players.

"It was a surprise to them. It was one to me, too," Rutledge said on Thursday from Port St. Lucie, Fla. shortly before his day's workouts began.

Barney said he had known for a few days that something was imminent. He had seen Rutledge work and knew that he desired to continue his playing career. He was in contact with scouts looking for someone with the Irondale, Ala. native's skillset and drive.

"If you have an opportunity that's bigger than yourself, you gotta take it."

Rutledge has always taken that attitude towards playing baseball. When he arrived at Miles in 2022, he did not have a scholarship…or even a spot on the team.

"I came as a walk-on. Our former coach, Coach (Ty) Roberts took a shot on me," Rutledge said "He told me that I had to earn everything. So he gave me a good hitting program, and I worked with Code Red (former Miles player and coach Cody Hamilton) a lot."

When Barney arrived prior to the 2024 baseball campaign, Rutledge's presence was no stranger to him.

"I did my homework and knew who I had. He's a plus runner. But you don't know how fast he is until you see it in person."

Rutledge knows that it is his speed that has separated him from a lot of others to be able to gain this opportunity.

"I have top-grade speed. It's a blessing to get a chance to take advantage of it," he said. "This kind of thing doesn't happen too often. So whatever I have to do to get to the league, I'm going to do it."

In 89 games at Miles from 2023-24, Rutledge hit .330 with a .501 on-base percentage and a .529 slugging percentage. He had 11 home runs, 67 runs batted in and swiped 52 bases in 58 attempts. He was 31-of-35 in his final season.

In 2023, he was named Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In 2024, he earned First Team All-SIAC honors.

With a year of eligibility remaining, Rutledge played at Division I Alabama A&M in 2025. He led the country in on-base percentage (.573) and was fifth in stolen bases per game. hitting .397, going 34-of-37 in stolen bases, drawing 37 walks and scoring 56 times.

But he came back to Miles to serve as an assistant this season while continuing to put his work in.

"He's made my job the easiest it's been since I've been here. He was a good college player and he brings a lot of energy and knowledge," Barney said.

Rutledge said being at Miles has helped him stay sharp as he gets ready to embark on his first professional spring training.

"I was still out here playing with the guys. I was coaching them up. But I was still getting my work in."

Barney added that this is a boon for the Miles program as much as it is tough for him to see Rutledge go. But it shows that there is a gateway to the pros – even from Division II Miles.

"If you do things the right way, there's no limit to what you can do. We will make the calls," Barney said. "Just stay true to what you're doing, love the game, and good things will happen."