Photo by Michael Egge
Brantley Hayward
Brantley is a senior at Durant High School where he is a catcher for the Cougars varsity baseball team. Brantley is having a great season. His stats include a .326 batting average, 14 hits, 9 runs batted in, and 2 home runs.
How long have you been playing baseball?
I have been playing baseball since I was 5 so 13 years.
Do you have a favorite career moment/highlight for baseball?
My favorite moment playing baseball is when I hit a three-run home run my junior year in the district semifinals against Strawberry Crest
What do you think your biggest strength is when it comes to baseball?
I believe I have two major strengths when it comes to baseball. The first one being my mental awareness of the game and always knowing where to be and when, and the second one is either my strength when it comes to hitting or my defensive skills such as receiving and blocking.
Has baseball taught you any life lessons? If so, what?
I think baseball has taught me that you can fail more times than you succeed and you can still be successful.
What’s your favorite thing about playing for Durant?
I think that the greatest thing about playing for Durant is the brotherhood that I made with all of my teammates over the years.
Do you have a favorite MLB player or college player? If so, who and why?
My favorite MLB player is a retired player Buster Posey, just because of the fact of how good he was behind the plate, and I try to mirror myself after him.
What’s an area of your game you want to improve?
One area of my game that I would like to improve in is my speed, just because I feel like that’s what’s holding me back from being the best player possible.
When you’re not playing baseball, what are you doing in your free time?
Answer: In my free time I like to play pickleball, work out, and spend time with my girlfriend and my friends.
Do you have any game day rituals by yourself or with the team?
Before the game, I always hit in the cages and then I will hit on the field, and then right before the game starts, I will grab the same coach every time, Coach Brooks, and we will do some receiving and transfer drills just to get me warmed up before the game.
What are your favorite songs to get you hyped for game day?
Before the game, I’m either listening to old 2000s rap, some country music, or some new rap. Those songs just really get me going before the game.
