Branton Sanders recently turned 24, making him the oldest person in the Anderson University baseball dugout not employed as a coach.
It’s the kind of seniority capable of inspiring a nickname or three.
“There’s an ongoing joke on the team about me being a great-great grandpa. I think it’s funny. Even some of the coaches do it,” said Sanders, a 2015 Whiteland graduate who is flourishing as the Ravens’ starting first baseman in what is his sixth college baseball season.
“I actually do get another year (because of COVID-19), but I think I’ve made up my mind that this is it. So many memories, and I’ve made so many great relationships, but you have to turn the page and move on at some point.”
Sanders, who bats left-handed and throws right-handed, is AU’s leadoff hitter. His scalding .406 batting average, including seven of his team’s 19 home runs this season, have been significant in the Ravens taking a 15-10 record into today’s game at Bluffton.
He had to weather change and demonstrate resiliency to get to this point.
Recruited by former Ravens coach David Pressley, he had three head coaches in as many years at the front end of his college baseball career. Former Anderson player and assistant coach Mathew Bair was elevated to the top spot in 2018 and has been a steadying force ever since.
“It’s night and day the difference,” Sanders said. “Coach Bair has provided so much structure to this program, and I’m really going to miss playing for him. You can tell he genuinely cares about all the players.”
Sanders sometimes feels the urge to tell Bair he wishes he had played all four seasons for him; then it hits him that this is their fourth year together, though last season was cut short due to the pandemic. Sanders’ effectiveness the previous two seasons was limited because of injury.
A torn labrum sidelined Sanders after 15 games in 2018; the following season he played in only four contests due to a herniated disc in his back.
He’s more than made up for missed time this spring. The seven round-trippers Sanders has hit more than double his productivity in that category prior to this season.
“The biggest thing has just been my mentality,” Sanders said. “With the seasons I’ve lost, I’ve learned to enjoy it all and soak it all in. I’m just trying to be in the moment and make all the games count.”
Sanders is working toward his master’s degree in business administration, and in March he received his certification to work as a personal trainer. He hopes to merge the two by eventually starting his own fitness business either in or around Indianapolis.
If anyone knows about the persistence needed to reach a goal, it’s Branton Sanders.
“Branton’s work ethic is absolutely relentless,” Bair said. “He’s willing to put in the time to become an elite hitter at the college level and is such an example. His character, leadership and resilience, he’s such a positive presence in the dugout.
“Whether it’s in the meeting room or on the field, as long as he’s present, there’s a different feeling in that room. He’s one of the best players and best people I’ve coached.”
