Bradley Central pitcher Cole Brand will sign a baseball national letter of intent with Clemson today.
Brand chose to sign with the South Carolina school over Auburn. The two-time all-area selection decided not to wait on a possible offer from Mississippi State.
"My family has been Auburn fans for years, but there was a lack of communication," he said. "I would call and not hear back for a couple of weeks, and then they'd call and say they were interested and excited about me. I have gotten a call from Clemson every week since they saw me pitch during the summer."
The right-hander pitched an 11-strikeout one-hitter for the Chattanooga Cyclones in a mid-July tournament at Clemson.
"Everything was working," he said. "I was staying at 90 (mph) or better with my fastball. I had been working on a slider and it was working that game. My changeup was good and my fastball had movement. It was just one of those good days."
It didn't hurt that the performance came against the East Cobb Braves, who won the Perfect Game national championship.
The Tigers offered a scholarship the next day.
"It is one of the most prestigious college baseball programs," Brand said. "The main reason I picked Clemson, though, is the intensity coach Jack Leggett brings to the program. He hits me as a stand-up guy and a guy that will shoot you straight."
Brand also had offers from Southern Mississippi, Austin Peay and junior college power Walters State.
"Cole has a very strong arm, and I think he has the build to get bigger and better. He certainly has the potential to compete at that level," Bradley coach Travis Adams said. "He's going to be at a place where he will have every opportunity to grow as a student-athlete and as a player. There are a lot of possibilities for him."
Brand wanted to get the signing out of the way so he could concentrate on his senior season.
"Right now I'm about Bradley Central," he said. "I want my teammates to know that I want there to be a team concept and a one-game-at-a-time mindset."
Ward Gossett is an assistant sports editor and writer for the Times Free Press. Ward has a long history in Chattanooga journalism. He actually wrote a bylined story for the Chattanooga News-Free Press as a third-grader. He Began working part-time there in 1968 and was hired full time in 1970. Ward now covers high school athletics, primarily football, wrestling and baseball and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling. Over a 40-year career, he has covered ...
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