Titans Hit the Jack Pot: NM 3A Player of the Year Charlie Birdwell Announces Commitment

SANDIA PARK — New Mexico’s reigning Class 3A Player of the Year, Charlie Birdwell, has announced his commitment to play collegiate baseball at St. Petersburg College in Florida.

Birdwell’s transition to the next level follows a dominant senior campaign that established him as one of the most productive offensive forces in New Mexico high school baseball history.

The senior outfielder led the top-ranked East Mountain Timberwolves to a historic 28-1 record, culminating in a 10-0 victory over St. Michael’s to secure the Class 3A state championship. Birdwell capped the title run in dramatic fashion, delivering a walk-off, run-rule home run in the bottom of the sixth inning of the championship game.

Over 29 games, Birdwell led the state of New Mexico across all school classifications in home runs (9), RBIs (64), and runs scored (62). He posted a .615 batting average, collecting 56 hits in 91 at-bats, including 21 doubles and four triples. The slugger also ranked second state-wide with a 1.231 slugging percentage and seventh in stolen bases with 31.

With his commitment, Birdwell moves from the high-desert mountains of New Mexico to the talent-heavy landscape of Florida junior college baseball. St. Petersburg College competes in NJCAA Division I (Region 8), widely regarded as one of the premier breeding grounds for Major League Baseball draft prospects and NCAA Division I talent.

Birdwell joins a Titans program looking to inject high-impact, multi-dimensional talent into its offense. His combination of elite barrel control, discipline—marked by a .697 on-base percentage—and proven baserunning capability will give the Florida program a versatile bat capable of competing for middle-of-the-order responsibilities early in his collegiate career.

The individual accolades for the state champion Timberwolves also included head coach Chris Moya, who was honored alongside Birdwell as the Class 3A State Coach of the Year after leading the program to a perfect 15-0 run in district play.