Heritage Hall 2024 baseball pitcher Julius "Juice" Ejike-Charles describes himself as a 'colorful player'

OKLAHOMA CITY - Julius Ejike-Charles has been called many things, but basic is not one of them. 

The Heritage Hall senior southpaw pitcher earned the moniker "Juice" from his teammates and coaching staff from what he brings to the game each day he steps onto the diamond.

“I would say this might be on the nose, but I would say colorful,” Ejike-Charles said. “I feel like I'm a colorful player. I just kind of like to fire everyone up and just have a good time while I'm out there.”

Ejike-Charles is looking to enjoy himself this week as he leads No. 4 Heritage Hall into the 3A state baseball championships. Their first-round opponent is No. 5 Perry, with the game being played at Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond on Thursday.

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After winning the program’s fourth title in 2021, the Chargers have made it to the state tournament each year but has come up short each time. Ejike-Charles is looking to end that streak in his final run with the Hall.

“I think from last year, kind of our playing style was just a little bit more passive,” Ejike-Charles said. “I think this year, we've been a lot more aggressive, a lot more confident in our play style, and we've kind of played with more swagger this year, and I think that really helps on the ball field.”

A lot of the swagger Heritage Hall plays with comes from Ejike-Charles. Whether it's the multi-colored necklace and cowboy hat he wears during practice or the bright shoes and glove he takes into games, Ejike-Charles exudes confidence.

“The guy is a character,” Heritage Hall coach Xavier Freeman said. “His personality in the dugout, on the bus, in the locker room, in the field house, you don't really see that out there. When you step across the line, it is all business, but outside of that, you'll never see him without a smile.

"His cleats are different colors and he's earned that. That's just not given. That's something that he's earned over the three or four years he's been here. And so he goes out there, he puts the work in, he plays hard. So I let him have fun with it and sure enough, he takes off and runs with it.”

Even though Ejike-Charles wasn’t an immediate starter his freshman campaign, he knew early on that he had the stuff to pitch at the next level.

“I would say kind of in between freshman and sophomore year. Just that time, I took a huge leap and was really able to contribute to the team,” Ejike-Charles said. “Whereas freshman year, I didn't do anything for the team pitching-wise. But sophomore year, I would say I was one of the better pitchers on the team.”

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On the mound, Ejike-Charles says he has control over the game and one of his biggest assets is being able to “miss barrels” or produce weak contact.

Ejike-Charles’ skillset was too much for Tulane University to pass on. He committed to the Green Wave in 2022 after a trip to New Orleans.

“I visited down there and it just felt like home,” Ejike-Charles said. “The people, the atmosphere. Obviously, New Orleans is an awesome place, with great food and a great atmosphere. I just loved it.”

Beyond just being able to chase after his dream of playing baseball at the highest level, Ejike-Charles knows what the opportunity means to his family.

“I think it means just stability,” Ejike-Charles said. “My parents have worked really hard to put me in this school, in a situation where I've had opportunities to grow and learn and they've wanted me to be successful.

"So later on in life, I think with any of the choices at Tulane, academics-wise, or baseball, I think I'll be set for life pretty much.”

-- Michael Kinney | @SBLiveOK