GASTON COLLEGE RECORD BOOK: School's first national statistical leader - Wade Beam

(Part 7 of a 10-part series)

Wade Beam's Gaston College baseball coach called him the "Road Runner."

Others who played with and against him in high school sports, in American Legion baseball and in adult softball, thought his speed on the bases was unparalleled.

"He was very fast and a very good athlete," said Walt Heafner, a West Lincoln product who played three seasons of American Legion baseball in Cherryville right after the late Wade Beam played then played against Wade Beam in recreation softball for years.

Lincoln County Sports Hall of Famer Wes Beam, a legendary coach in the area and Wade Beam's first cousin, remembers growing up with the two-time Gaston College all-conference outfielder (1969-70).

"We were the best of friends and ran around together," said Wes Beam.

Both athletes were stars at their respective high schools – Wes Beam at West Lincoln and Wade Beam at Cherryville.

Wade Beam was named male athlete of the year at Cherryville during his senior year (1966-67). He was captain and quarterback of the football team, a starting guard in basketball, and a mainstay in the outfield in baseball, leading the team in hitting with a .369 average in 1967.
Wes Beam, who graduated from West Lincoln a year later, went on to become a standout defensive back at Appalachian State.

Meanwhile, Wade Beam enrolled at Fort Union Military Academy after graduation before ultimately finding his way to Gaston College.

In the spring of 1969, Wade Beam stole 35 bases in 35 attempts and led the nation in that category, according to Gaston Gazette clippings.

His prowess on the base paths was best showcased in a 2-1 home win over Chowan on April 8. In that contest, Beam stole second, third and home for the winning run.

Beam's speed on the bases and his defensive work in the outfield helped Gaston College claim N.C. Community College Conference championships in 1969 and 1970.

During the athletic heyday of the Beam cousins, there were those who argued over who was faster. Some said Wade Beam was the swifter of the two, but Wes Beam insists he had the edge over his cousin. And he may have the final word.

"We put it on the line at least four times," Wes Beam said. "Wade always thought he could beat me. But he ain't beat me yet. Even at Appalachian, nobody could beat me except for one guy."

The speed debate between the cousins notwithstanding, there is no doubt Wade Beam made his mark as a base-stealing artist on the national level with Gaston College in 1969.

Of all the baseball records that were set during the college's first sports era in the 1960s and early 1970s, Beam's perfect 35-for-35 stolen base mark may be one most difficult to top in the coming years.