Randleman’s Austin Lemons delivers a pitch last Thursday at Eastern Randolph. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Randleman’s baseball team was in good form on the mound when Piedmont Athletic Conference play began.
The Tigers posted two shutouts against Eastern Randolph, winning 9-0 at home in the first matchup and then two nights later prevailing 5-0 in Ramseur. Austin Lemons was the winner in the second meeting.
The Tigers haven’t lost a conference game since 2019.
Providence Grove and Southwestern Randolph split a pair of games to open their PAC schedules.
Providence Grove won 95 at home before the Cougars claimed the rematch by 6-0.
Andrew Canter drove in three runs in Providence Grove’s victory, which was aided by Southwestern Randolph’s fielding snafus.
In the second meeting of the week, Southwestern Randolph’s Jonah Campbell threw six shutout innings. Eli Gravely drove in two runs and scored two runs.
Trinity blew out Wheatmore twice in a matchup of PAC neighbors, winning 18-2 at home and 12-5 on the road.
Asheboro belted Uwharrie Charter Academy 9-0 in a non-conference game with Tanner Marsh homering and doubling. Connor Adams, Chandler Macon and Amare Godwin combined for the shutout.
Girls’ soccer
Jaira Arellano’s three goals boosted Asheboro in a 4-2 victory against Southwestern Randolph.
• Providence Grove’s 2-1 home victory against Southeast Guilford came with goals from Taryn Waugh and Sarah Majors.
Several alums from Randolph County schools have produced notable opening stretches in their collegiate baseball careers.
Providence Grove alum Luke Thomas was the winning pitcher in his collegiate debut, throwing 1 2/3 shutout innings when UNC Greensboro defeated Northeastern on Feb. 18 in the second game of the season. The Spartans scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The next day, Thomas took the loss when giving up four late-inning runs to Northeastern.
In the season’s second week, Thomas had two outings against Notre Dame, throwing one hitless inning in the second game of the series and, the next day, three shutout innings with five strikeouts in the series finale.
He added his first collegiate save March 1 with two shutout innings in a 4-1 home victory against Elon.
Then this past weekend, Thomas was the winning pitcher when the Spartans began a three-game sweep of visiting Rutgers. Thomas threw two shutout innings in the 3-2 outcome.
In the series finale against Rutgers, Randleman alum Matt Kemp, a junior, improved to 2-0 this season with a shutout inning in the Spartans’ 10-9, 10-inning victory.
White has mixed outings
Randleman alum Ryan White pitched in the season opener for Western Carolina, making his collegiate debut vs. Akron. His stint came to begin the ninth inning, striking out his first batter.
But an error and a pair of walks preceded Ian Pennington’s game-tying grand slam. The Zips went on to win 14-12.
Last week, White posted 1 2/3 hitless innings at Gardner-Webb and then he logged a shutout inning in a 10-3 victory against visiting Eastern Kentucky.
Gardner honored twice
Former Eastern Randolph baseball player Brody Gardner has had a strong start to his collegiate career with Greensboro College. The freshman outfielder was a two-time USA South Conference Rookie of the Week in February.
Brody Gardner at Greensboro College.
He received the conference’s first rookie honor of the season as a result of a .350 batting average and driving in two runs when the Pride won two of three games against Lynchburg.
The next week, Gardner batted .316 with three doubles, two runs batted in and scored three runs when the Pride went 2-2. He has been in the lead-off spot in the batting order.
On Saturday, Gardner was 3-for-5 with two runs scored in a 7-5 victory at Berry (Ga.) College.
Randleman coach Jake Smith receives a water bath courtesy of Riley Edwards after the Tigers won the 2022 state championship in Burlington. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Randleman’s baseball team embarks on another season of high expectations
RANDLEMAN – Randleman has been at the top of the Class 2-A baseball world in the state for the past two years.
Going into this season, the Tigers are going to look different. The goals haven’t changed.
“It’s exciting for the kids, a lot of them waiting their turn,” coach Jake Smith said. “I think we’ve got a lot of guys who are excited about their roles and get their chance to kind of prove themselves and kind of continue what we got going.”
Only two mainstays from the 2022 lineup are still with the Tigers – and they’re both in different positions in the field. Plus, Drake Purvis remains a standout on the mound.
Yet if nothing else, Randleman knows how to reload.
Hunter Atkins is already a two-time all-conference player and he moves from third baseman to shortstop for his senior season. He said it’s clear that there’s a different look with the Tigers, but that doesn’t mean their fans should be worried.
“I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me: ‘How we going to look? How we going to look? We lost everybody.’ ” Atkins said. “We’ve been working our tails off. These guys, it’s not like they’re young, but they’re inexperienced.”
The level of experience would be nearly impossible to replicate with a senior-laden team from a year ago that had college baseball scholarships lined up. Not to mention catcher Brooks Brannon, who was drafted and signed with the Boston Red Sox after setting state records for home runs and runs batted in.
He was just part of a power-laden group.
“You go from a record-setting lineup from runs scored, home runs, RBIs, it is a little different,” Smith said. “These guys are waiting their turn and they got to see great leaders and kids who know how to work and prepare and do the right things before them. They know they can’t be those guys. They just do what they can do, contribute to the team and be great teammates and hopefully have a great season.”
The Tigers were 33-1 last year following a 19-2 record in 2021.
Certain types of pressure that might have existed last year – though there wasn’t evidence of stress around a team that generally dominated and posted shutouts in eight consecutive games – won’t be present this spring.
“We had these D-1 commits (so) if Randleman doesn’t win the state championship, what are they doing?” Atkins said. “This year, I feel like they’re kind of sleeping on us a little bit. I like being slept on. You can go out and show them that we’re really not that bad. Everyone wants to beat Randleman. Being the underdog a little bit, taking a punch.”
Along with Atkins, Seth Way is a returning starter. The junior, whose older brother Trey Way was the team’s 2022 shortstop and lead-off batter, will move from left field to center field. He’ll likely be slotted third in the batting order.
Way is also a pitcher, something of a priority for him.
“People say that we lost a lot of guys,” Way said. “People saying that we’re not going to be any good could not be farther from the truth.”
Other pitchers are Purvis, who threw a no-hitter in the opener of last June’s Class 2-A championship series, Austin Lemmons, Chesney Welch and Atkins.
Caleb Dunn takes the catcher’s role, while Shawn Miller is the potential lead-off batter. Miller will be the second baseman (or shortstop when Atkins pitches). Welch, who took his junior year off from baseball, is a corner infielder. Atkins also helped convince football player Riley Edwards to suit up for this season.
Way could be surrounded in the outfield by a pair of freshmen – Jake Riddle in left field and John Kirkpatrick in right field.
“They might be young, but they know what to do,” Smith said.
Newcomers to the lineup could develop into key players.
“These guys have stepped up, they really have,” Atkins said. “It’s impressive.”
Randleman carries a 17-game winning streak into 2023.
Now there’s an opportunity to create more memories.
“You just have fun with it and just go play,” Way said.
Smith’s approach might be altered along the way, but the foundation is similar. He has put together a challenging schedule, while last week’s preseason scrimmage at Charlotte Providence, the reigning Class 4-A state champion, included numerous encouraging moments.
“Hopefully, we’ll have some success,” Smith said. “I’m sure there will be some bumps in the road that we can learn from and get better.”
Summer Bowman of Wheatmore reacts after scoring a goal against Clinton in the Class 2-A state championship game. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Here’s a recap of notable Randolph County-related sports stories for 2022:
** Asheboro’s summer collegiate baseball team undergoes a rebranding that includes a name change. The new name is the Asheboro ZooKeepers in a switch from Asheboro Copperheads.
Randleman’s girls’ basketball team under the direction of coach Brandon Varner had a stellar season a year ago and the Tigers are off to another strong start this season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
** Randleman’s girls’ basketball team goes through an undefeated regular season and completes a 25-1 season. The lone loss came in the Class 2-A West Region semifinals to Shelby.
** David Makupson of Trinity captures a state championship in Class 2-A wrestling at 138 pounds to cap a remarkable high school career. Uwharrie Charter Academy underclassmen Aldo Hernandez (132 pounds) and Grayson Roberts (160 pounds) are Class 1-A state tiltists.
Also, UCA reaches the Class 1-A dual team state final, where it lost to Avery County in Greensboro.
** Steve Luck leaves his position as athletics director at Asheboro High School. Later in the year, he becomes commissioner for the Mid-Piedmont Conference.
** Eastern Randolph’s Connor Carter is the Class 1-A state runner-up in Class 1-A boys’ golf.
** Providence Grove’s softball team racks up an incredible season, going all the way to the Class 2-A West Region’s fourth round before suffering a defeat. The Patriots finish with a 24-1 record.
** Wheatmore’s girls’ soccer team turns in a perfect season with a 25-0-0 record that culminates in a Class 2-A state championship. The Warriors defeat Clinton 4-1 in the title game in Cary.
** Randleman’s baseball team repeats as Class 2-A state champion with a dominating regular season and postseason. The Tigers are stocked with college prospects and churn out a 33-1 record, sweeping Whiteville in the best-of-3 state finals in Burlington.
** McCrary Park undergoes numerous changes at the beginning of a massive renovation project for the baseball facility in Asheboro. The project is off schedule causing Asheboro High School to play at an alternate site and the Asheboro ZooKeepers to begin the season with extra road games.
Off the field, there are changes announced after the 2022 season, including Melissa Godwin joining the club as general manager for the Coastal Plain League team, which is a summer circuit for college players.
** Randleman catcher Brooks Brannon is a ninth-round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox. So he steps away from a baseball scholarship at North Carolina to launch a professional career.
Randolph County Post 45’s Tyler Parks slides home during an American Legion Southeast Regional game vs. Rock Hill, S.C., in Asheboro. It was one of the games at McCrary Park, where a new field surface was in place this year. Parks is a Southwestern Randolph standout. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record).
** American Legion baseball is a hot summer topic.
Eastern Randolph Post 81 has a breakthrough season and emerges as a contender in Area 3. Randolph County Post 45 is the host team for the Southeast Regional, but its bid to reach the national tournament is foiled on the second-to-last day of the regional tournament so the club finishes with a 31-13 record.
** Asheboro’s boys’ soccer program has unprecedented success, but falls one victory shy of reaching the Class 3-A state championship game. The Blue Comets post a 23-2-2 record.
** Eastern Randolph’s football team goes undefeated in the PAC for the second year in a row. The Wildcats reach the Class 1-A West Region semifinals before falling to eventual state champion Mount Airy.
** Tot Hill Farm Golf Club in Asheboro is sold from its original ownership group to a man who runs courses in the Charleston, S.C., area.
** Football coach Calvin Brown directs Providence Grove to another winning season. That includes the school’s first-ever football victory in the state playoffs by winning at McMichael. Weeks later, Brown accepts the coaching position at Asheboro High School.
Alex Martinez, shown here batting for Randolph County Post 45 during the Southeast Regional earlier this month in Asheboro, could be among the team’s returning players for 2023. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO – When the season ended for Randolph County Post 45 earlier this month, it was a downer.
The team lost back-to-back games to be eliminated from the Southeast Regional in American Legion baseball in its home ballpark.
Yet there might have been a ray of hope regarding the future that day at McCrary Park.
“Only three of our 17 players are gone,” Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh said. “We could have a lot of these guys back.”
Post 45 ended up with a 31-13 record this year. It was an automatic regional entrant based on its role as the host team.
Given the experience on Randolph County’s team, it might have seemed strange that only three of the players will age out. Pugh said that trio is right fielder Blake Marsh, second baseman Tatum Marsh and catcher/utility player Trey Way. All three of them were pitchers as well.
Granted, those are significant losses because all three usually occupied spots within the top five pegs in the batting order.
Blake Marsh (Catawba) and Tatum Marsh (Brunswick Community College) spent the 2021-22 school year at post-secondary school stops, while Way was a 2022 senior on Randleman’s second consecutive Class 2-A state championship team. Way is beginning his freshman year at Virginia Tech.
Several other Post 45 players will be heading to post-high school programs during the school year that’s just starting. That includes center fielder Braylen Hayes at UNC Greensboro, catcher Alex Martinez at Brunswick Community College and pitcher Robert Garner at Wake Tech.
Other Post 45 starters are rising high school seniors. That list includes left fielder Adam Cole (Southwestern Randolph), third baseman Tyler Parks (Southwestern Randolph), shortstop Tanner Marsh (Asheboro) and first baseman Josh Meadows (Asheboro). Several other players still in high school – such as Grant Little (Uwharrie Charter Academy), Drew Harmon (Montgomery Central) and Connor Adams — were part of this year’s postseason contributors.
In some cases, the 2023 college players or high school seniors might opt for other summer destinations rather than American Legion baseball.
After losing the Area 3 title game to Rowan County, Post 45 went 2-2 in both the state tournament and the Southeast Regional.
“We’ll get back out there and start recruiting,” Pugh said of encouraging eligible players to participate in American Legion baseball.
So there would be a strong quest for Post 45 to contend for a spot in the 2023 American Legion World Series in Shelby.
Earlier this month in Shelby, Troy Post 70 became the first Alabama entry two win the American Legion World Series since 1967 by defeating two-time defending champion Idaho Falls (Idaho) Post 56 in the championship game.
Camden (S.C.) Post 17, which won the Southeast Regional in Asheboro, went 1-2 in World Series bracket play and failed to advance to the semifinal round. Camden’s lone victory came against eventual champion Troy.
Brooks Brannon, shown here with Randleman during the Class 2-A state playoffs in May, has had a strong start to his professional career. (File photo)
Ex-Randleman star then triples twice in second game
Former Randleman catcher Brooks Brannon’s second professional plate appearance resulted in a two-run single Saturday in the Florida Complex League at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla.
“It was amazing,” Brannon said of the feeling in a text to Randolph Record.
Brannon, who was a ninth-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox last month, went 1-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout in his debut for the Red Sox rookie club in a 16-10 loss to the Minnesota Twins minor-league club. He struck out on three pitches in his first at-bat against Ryan Horstman, a 30-year-old on a rehabilitation assignment with a pro career that began in 2013.
On Monday in his second game, Brannon was 3-for-4 with a two-run triple, another triple and scored three runs in a 14-2 victory against the Baltimore Orioles rookie club. That game was shortened to six innings because of wet grounds.
Brannon was part of back-to-back state championship teams for Randleman, concluding his high school career in June. He was a North Carolina signee, but opted to turn pro after the draft.
RANDLEMAN – The route for Randleman catcher Brooks Brannon in professional baseball is taking form after he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox last week.
Brannon said Monday, while he was traveling to Florida, that he plans to sign with the Red Sox this week in Fort Myers, Fla., where the organization has a training facility.
Two days after he was selected in the draft’s ninth round last week, Brannon was headed to Boston. He reportedly was in line to receive a signing bonus that was more in line with a second- or third-round draft selection.
“He’s going to be compensated nicely,” Randleman coach Jake Smith said. “They had to do some shuffling around and it all worked out. Both parties are happy.”
So with a professional career unfolding, Brannon won’t play collegiately for North Carolina. He was a signee with the Tar Heels.
Brannon turned 18 years old in May amid his record-setting senior season with Randleman. He was one of several core players on the Tigers’ back-to-back Class 2-A state championship teams.
Throughout the spring and leading up to the draft, the most active professional clubs in scouting Brannon appeared to be the Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins, Smith said. Most organizations had scouts stop by as well.
In many cases, it was more than regional scouts attending games, but other team officials finding their ways to Randleman. Many gathered behind the backstop, while others viewed from a distance atop the hill that circles Joe Brookshire Field.
“They spent some money coming to watch him,” the coach said.
Smith said Randleman’s appearance in a tournament in the Charleston, S.C., area during spring break also brought additional attention for the catcher, who had a good string of games that week.
Brannon was the only catcher drafted by the Red Sox among the team’s 21 picks in this month’s draft. Boston picked seven players out of high school.
The next step for Brannon will come in Fort Myers, where the Red Sox hold spring training and conduct rookie training. There’s the Florida Complex League (formerly Gulf Coast League) for young players, and that figures to be where Brannon will make his professional debut.
Games in the Florida Complex League are scheduled through Aug. 23.
“He’ll get his feet wet and be around a lot of people in the organization,” Smith said.
Boston’s minor-league affiliates are located in Salem, Va.; Greenville, S.C.; Portland, Maine; and Worcester, Mass.
“He’s going to have every opportunity to be successful,” Smith said. “He’s got a long road and a fun road ahead of him.”
Trey Cooper has excelled with his college summer team and has selected a new college. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record)
Transfer has been stellar for summer team in Burlington
BURLINGTON – Trey Cooper found a good summer gig and a new college home.
The left-handed pitcher from Randleman is transferring to Liberty after two seasons in the North Carolina State program.
“At the end of the day, I said I wanted to go somewhere I could play a lot,” Cooper said. “They wanted me to be a starter (at Liberty). Everything felt right.”
Cooper has been a standout in the Appalachian League with the Burlington Sock Puppets, who are in their second season as a college summer league team geared toward prospects and overseen by Major League Baseball with input from USA Baseball.
After only two appearances covering two-thirds of an inning for N.C. State this year, Cooper entered the transfer portal.
“That was a question I think everyone on the team was trying to figure out,” he said of the limited chances with the Wolfpack.
Still, he said he considered staying with N.C. State until deciding in early July to accept Liberty’s offer.
Much of this stemmed from his success with the Sock Puppets.
“To be able to come in and do my thing,” he said. “I took a couple of steps to kind of figure out I wanted to be a starter. That helped me out a lot. I wanted to come out here and get to work.”
Cooper, whose fastball clocks up to 95 mph, was the Appalachian League’s Pitcher of the Month for June without allowing a run in 20 innings.
He tossed five no-hit innings June 23 vs. Johnson City. A week later, he threw the first five innings of Burlington’s combined no-hitter against Pulaski. He’s the only pitcher in the league with multiple double-figure strikeout outings.
“I love catching him,” said Sock Puppets catcher Ryan McCrystal, who plays for East Carolina. “His stuff is so good.”
Cooper holds a 2-1 record with a 3.96 earned run average. In 25 innings, he has allowed 12 hits, 23 walks and racked up a league-leading 45 strikeouts.
“When someone beats him, it’s so rare,” McCrystal said. “And then he beats (that batter) the next time.”
Cooper has drawn praise regarding his pitch command and demeanor.
“One of the things I like about Trey is when an umpire makes a bad call, he’s able to handle it,” second-year Sock Puppets pitching coach Anthony Essien said. “He doesn’t have bad body language.”
In the Appalachian League, the catcher calls pitches for at least the first six innings. Essien said that requires good coordination between the pitcher and catcher. Giving instruction to Cooper has been a smooth process.
“Probably the biggest thing is he’s moving more efficiently,” Essien said of the left-hander’s mechanics. “He showed up a little out of sync.”
After a stint as a reliever, it was time to use him as a starter.
“He wanted to be a starter and he has run with it,” Essien said.
Cooper’s senior high school season with Randleman was shut down because of the pandemic. Later that summer, he suffered a ligament injury that called for Tommy John surgery. He sat out as a redshirt in 2021 at N.C. State and then played briefly last summer for the High Point-Thomasville HiToms in the Coastal Plain League. He attended the 2021 state finals when Randleman won the Class 2-A crown at Burlington Athletic Stadium, which is his home field this summer. He missed this year’s title run by the Tigers because the Sock Puppets were on a road trip.
There’s almost two weeks left in East Division-leading Burlington’s season. Cooper, 20, reports to Liberty in Lynchburg, Va., in mid-August.
Update: Cooper has been selected for the Appalachian League All-Star Game, which will be played at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, in Burlington.
Brooks Brannon had an award-winning high school career with Randleman. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
RANDLEMAN – Catcher Brooks Brannon of Randleman was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the ninth round of baseball’s amateur draft Monday.
“It felt like a dream come true,” Brannon said Monday night. “Excited isn’t even the word. It was ecstasy.”
Brannon, 18, is enrolled at North Carolina, where he’ll play for the Tar Heels if he decides to pass on this pro opportunity.
Brannon was selected with the 279th pick overall during the second day of the three-day draft that concludes Tuesday. In that spot, the projected signing bonus is about $158,000, but he could be in line to sign for over slot because draft projections had him going in earlier rounds.
Brannon said he expects a decision about his next steps to be revealed this week, perhaps as early as Tuesday.
Pro scouts were regulars at Randleman games this season to watch Brannon. The Tigers posted a 33-1 record, winning the Class 2-A state championship for the second year in a row.
Brannon was the 20th catcher picked in the draft, and the first taken by the Red Sox. Only one other high school catcher was selected ahead of Brannon, with Lamar King Jr. out of Calvert Hall College High School in Maryland going in the fourth round to the San Diego Padres. King, a Georgia Tech signee, is a native of Canada.
Red Sox scout Spencer Brown had a good attendance rate at Randleman games.
“He was at so many games,” Brannon said. “Some of the scouts joked that he was there so much that he was going to get a locker (in the field house).”
Brannon watched the draft unfold on television from his Randleman home.
“There were definitely some anxious moments, for sure,” Brannon said. “God rewards people’s patience.”
Brannon’s draft status had been a curiosity for many of his now-former Randleman teammates.
“I feel like he’s going to get out there and do his thing and he’s going to work his butt to the majors,” said center fielder Braylen Hayes, a classmate. “That’s what I want to see.”
Randleman coach Jake Smith said Brannon did so much through his high school days that he’s in position to pick between two good choices.
“He has the hard part out of the way because he has a great opportunity at Carolina to go in and make an impact right away,” Smith said. “He’s in a win-win situation the way I look at it.”
Since Randleman won the state title in early June, Brannon stayed away from playing.
“Summer school at Carolina and then whatever happens after that,” he said following the championship series. “I’m just excited to get to Carolina.”
Brannon said his five weeks in Chapel Hill were worthwhile. He was limited to individual workouts, but he said he got better through those.
Brannon had gained scouts’ attention well before the record-setting 2022 season. His 20 home runs were the most in the nation among high school players this year, tying the single-season North Carolina record set by his father, Paul Brannon. He also set state records for a season with 91 runs batted in and 70 hits.
Brooks Brannon had a record-setting high school season with some incredible power-hitting numbers. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Randleman catcher awaits draft after season filled with thrills
RANDLEMAN — For all the noise Brooks Brannon can bring to a ballpark, it might be a level of calmness that helped him – and his teammates – most.
Yet there could be more commotion connected to his baseball career this weekend
when baseball’s amateur draft begins, and the Randleman catcher is bound to be among those selected.
Whether he goes from high school to the pros – or chooses a route playing college baseball for North Carolina – his high school career might be unmatched.
Reaching this next opportunity unfolded, in part, because of an approach that extended beyond allowing raw talent and energy to define him.
“The biggest thing I’ve done (last) offseason is trying to quiet my mind and just calm everything down a little bit, and it has been working this year, and I hope to keep doing it,” Brannon said. “It was hard because I’m 100 percent go all the time. It’s pretty hard to rein the horse back, if you know what I mean.
“So doing that was difficult, but I feel I’m getting a better grasp of it, and so that’s important. It’s not something anybody else can do for me; you have to do it yourself and learn it yourself.”
Those lessons translated into team and personal success. As Randleman was on its way to a second consecutive Class 2-A state championship, Brannon set single-season state records for hits (70) and runs batted in (91) and tied the mark for home runs (20) in 34 games.
Batting in the No. 3 spot in a lineup jammed with college prospects, Brannon became the focal point. In the field, he was behind the plate for a pitching staff that routinely dealt shutouts.
That was an ideal composition for coach Jake Smith.
“He’s a great leader. He’s an even-keeled guy,” Smith said. “He’s a mentally tough kid. He doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low. He understands the game well as far as knowing that failure is going to come. He understands that you can’t do anything about it. Just move on to the next at-bat.”
Brannon said he found the right mix.
“I guess I know when to ramp it up and when to draw it back a little bit,” he said. “Learning that was important. I try to be a leader for the guys and a leader for the team and hope I’m doing a good job. I think I’m doing a good job.”
In what became his final prep game, he went to the plate in Randleman’s 12-5 victory against Whiteville in the top of the seventh inning last month. He drove a ball to deep right-center field for a flyout at Burlington Athletic Stadium.
Then he trotted back to the dugout following his last high school at-bat, though he said he didn’t comprehend what was happening with the ensuing ovation, which seemed to be an acknowledgment of his record-setting season and stellar career.
A night earlier in Game 1 of the state finals, Brannon ripped a second-inning single to set the single-season state record for hits. Smith retrieved the ball.
“He deserves it,” the coach said. “It’s something special.”
With each accomplishment, his teammates seemed to take increasing joy.
“He’s the most humble guy I know,” second baseman Kaden Ethier said.
For pitcher Drake Purvis, who just finished his sophomore season and is committed to North Carolina State, Brannon provided a reassuring presence and ideal example.
“Brooks has always been like that,” Purvis said. “He wants to be the best. He’ll calm everything down.”
Brannon enrolled for summer classes last month at North Carolina as he awaits the draft. His prospects range somewhere within the first five rounds. So Smith’s message was to cherish those final months of the high school season.
“He needs to relax and enjoy it because probably after this, it’s a little different,” Smith said. “It turns into his job. I think he’ll get drafted high enough where he’s going to have to make a decision.”
They’re watching
By last October, in a showcase event in Jupiter, Fla., it was clear that Brannon had caught the attention of just about every major-league organization.
That resulted in a steady stream of scouts showing up at Randleman games this season.
“It’s a lot of pressure every time you go out there; there’s all of that,” said Paul Brannon, his father.
The younger Brannon knew the scouts had eyes fixed on him. He deflected that on game nights.
“It hasn’t affected me playing,” he said. “It hasn’t affected me mentally – and it shouldn’t. I’m just here to have fun. Here to have fun and play with my brothers one last time.”
Pro prospect Brooks Brannon was a mainstay behind the plate as Randleman’s catcher. (PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD)
His teammates appreciated how he’s unfazed.
“He doesn’t feel the pressure,” senior pitcher Ryan White said. “He’s calm, cool, collected. He does his job. He’s just out there to do what he can do to help the team win.”
Scouts usually gathered behind the backstop, often ending up down the first-base line for a vantage point on the right-handed batter. They’ve gone through this drill before, perhaps a few decades ago at Kings Mountain.
“A lot of scouts who scouted me in high school are scouting him,” Paul Brannon said.
Brooks Brannon kept doing his thing, no matter who was watching.
“To me, that’s the most impressive thing — you’ve got numerous scouts out here every night just watching him. He’s a 17-year-old kid out there,” Smith said earlier this spring. “That’s a lot of pressure. He doesn’t let it get to him. He enjoys it. I think he understands; he’s not playing for them. They’re here to watch him.”
At a certain point, amid the lineup of big-bashing Tigers, this all seemed normal to Brannon.
“Just trying to see it and hit it right now. Nothing too crazy,” he said. “I’m just trying to stay unconscious and keep hitting. I’m not really thinking about anything. I’m just seeing the ball and hitting the ball.”
There already was a Brannon in the state record books — Paul Brannon. He held the North Carolina single-season record for home runs with 20 in 1989 for Kings Mountain.
The specifics of the record pursuit weren’t discussed much.
“I call it chasing the ghost,” Paul Brannon said, “and I was the ghost.”
When the record-tying homer sailed over the fence in the opening game of the Class 2-A regional finals against visiting Community School of Davidson, it came with quite a response.
“(People) were talking about when it happened, he jumped out of his seat with both hands, and he ran down the steps,” the catcher said of his father. “I haven’t ever seen him run. Seeing him happy, it just made my night.”
While the home run standard is certainly a topic that’s connected to family, the RBI mark has a special place.
“The RBI record is a team record,” Brannon said. “So I think my guys who scored should have their name up there just as (much) as mine. Driving in runs is the name of the game. More runs equals more wins, so I think that record means more than the home run record.”
Power production
Brannon has a 220-pound frame, seemingly made for a catcher.
Regardless of hitting home runs at a rapid rate, Brannon refuses to make it complicated.
“I’m hitting it where they’re pitching it, I guess. I don’t know how else to describe it,” he said. “I’ve always had power. I was always really, really strong for my age. Just the refined approach, I don’t have to muscle up to hit the ball. If I just stay smooth and I stick to my approach, I’ll hit it. I figured that when I stay loose, I’ll hit it a lot farther than when I try to hit it far.”
So, where does this power stem from?
“My butt, my legs,” he said. “I feel like I’m a pretty big kid, and most of my weight is down there, and that’s where I generate most of my power. Hip rotation.”
Third baseman Hunter Atkins batted a spot in front of Brannon in Randleman’s order. He often was on base with the slugger at the plate.
“You’ve just got to be ready for it,” Atkins said. “You’ve got to keep your feet going because he hits the ball so hard. You’ve got to read the ball as hard as he hits it. Line shots, that’s what he does best. The way the ball jumps off the bat.”
Atkins also benefited from taking a slower pace around the bases after Brannon deposited balls over fences. He marvels at the source of the power.
“His legs, for sure. His legs and his hips,” Atkins said. “A big factor in baseball is your legs. If I’d have them legs, I’d love it. Definitely his legs, and his hands.”
When reference was made to an outdated roster listing him at 190 pounds, Brannon smiled.
“Maybe like freshman year,” he said. “Not now; I’m a little bit heavier now.”
Probably wiser, too.
It was no secret that Brannon had developed talents to put him on major-college scouting radars and eventually on pro scouts’ must-see lists. Then other parts fell into place.
“He has always had the skill set as far as physical ability, but he has learned a lot,” said Trey Cooper, a former Randleman teammate and now a Division I pitcher. “You can tell; now he has the IQ behind the plate.”
It was clear through the 2022 season that Brannon’s preferred topic was the Tigers and not individual accolades coming from all directions.
“It’s just a great way to cap off senior year,” he said. “I’m just happy that we won a state championship. I’m OK with the fact that I did what I needed to do to help my team win. Records or not, I did what I needed to do to help us win.”
That might be an understatement.
“He’s just special. He’s a special kid,” Smith said. “He deserves everything he gets because he works so hard, and he does the right things. I’m happy for him, excited for his future.”
