FALMOUTH, Mass. — After being announced as West MVP of the 33rd annual Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game, Ethan Conrad was given a golden bat by Cape League commissioner John Castleberry. He recorded a one-RBI, two-run performance while going 1-for-2 at the plate in his quest to be named MVP. But the creme-de-la-creme was not the award but rather getting to celebrate and hold it with his parents.

Conrad was awarded a starting spot in the ASG after slashing .365/.410/.458 in the regular season for the Bourne Braves. He currently ranks second in batting average for the entire league and has three multi-RBI games this season.

The Demon Deacon put the West on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a double that scored Murf Gray (Fresno State) to tie the game. He then proceeded to steal third on the throw, putting himself in prime scoring position. But for Conrad, MVP or not, he was just honored to be named to the All-Star team.

“It means a lot, you know, just even being selected to play in this game, it means a lot,” Conrad said. “And being the MVP means everything.”

The East held a large lead until the eighth inning when the West was able to capitalize on fielding mistakes by their opponents and put up a four-spot. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, with the score tied at 8, it was heroics by Hyannis’ Kane Kepley, who hit an RBI-single to walk the game off and bring home the victory.

Conrad wasn’t on the field and had already been subbed out of the lineup — in true All-Star Game fashion — but was fervently yelling from the dugout before joining the swarm around Kepley at second.

“Once (Kepley) walked up to the plate, we all kind of were confident that he was gonna get the job done,” Conrad said. “Then he worked a 3-2 count, fouled off the tough pitches and he was able to get the job done and we were super happy for him.”

A true team guy, Conrad spent two years at Marist College before transferring to Wake Forest for this upcoming season. He’s gotten to spend his summer with his future teammates Marek Houston and Joe Ariola, with Houston joining him at Guv Fuller Field for the All-Star Game.

The duo of Houston and Conrad met last year as rivals while playing in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. It was around that moment, after playing Houston, that Conrad wanted to transfer to Wake Forest. That’s the beauty of the All-Star Game to Conrad, he gets to be teammates with not only Demon Deacons but players from all over the Cape League and the country.

“Being able to kind of relax together and mold as one,” Conrad said. “We are 'enemies' during the season, but when we come here, we’re a family, it's good to meet everyone and form connections.”

With the Cape League, not only is he playing with and against new teammates, but he is developing his baseball prowess — even coming away with some golden hardware — before the fall.

So is Conrad taking his gold MVP bat down to Winston-Salem?

“I’m going to give it to my parents,” he said.