Ephraim Herring is the second child of James and the eldest son. Ephraim was thrilled when his father got the job working for the Collegiate Baseball Association. Like many boys his age, Ephraim was taking up baseball and playing the game as much as possible. Over the first few years of the association's existence, Ephraim would accompany his father to games or to his office, soaking up the experience in the hopes of someday playing at the collegiate level. Many times, like young people do, he couldn't understand why his father did things the way he did with the association. Ephraim had tried to talk to his father about having the association expand. He could see a day where baseball would be played on nearly every college campus across the nation. James just laughed, saying the association was still in it's infancy and needed more time to become stable before expanding. Ephraim had other ideas as well, but they were met with the same resistance.
With his schooling complete, Ephraim was ready to take his life and his love of baseball to the next level. He met with coaches when he got the chance and visited many college campuses, trying to find somewhere he could get an education and play on the field. Unfortunately for Ephraim, he wasn't a big talent. At 5'8" and 155 lbs., Ephraim didn't tower over people. He had good range and could turn a double play well, but his arm wasn't very good. So, he played second base, where his talent could be best utilized. Behind the scenes, though, his father was being told by coaches and scouts alike that they were concerned about his work ethic and thought he could be a better player if he put more effort in.
But Rutger's scouting director Charlie Caldwell thought Ephraim was worth taking a shot on. Sure, he wasn't going to be breaking records, but he could be a solid piece for the team down the road at second base. So, after a talk with Manager Steve Garrett, and a little convincing, the Scarlet Knights decided to sign young Ephraim on. As far as Garrett was concerned, it wouldn't hurt to have the commissioner's son playing for him. His team hadn't done well thus far and he was willing to try anything at this point. As for Ephraim, well, he was getting his chance to play ball at the collegiate level. As a freshman, he wasn't expecting much and was placed on the reserve roster when the season started.