Golden Valley has a new college commitment, the first baseball commit of the school year for the Grizzlies. Senior pitcher Brandon Wright is committed to continuing his academic, and athletic career at Goshen College, an NAIA school in Goshen, Indiana.
Wright has been pitching for Golden Valley since his sophomore year when he moved to Santa Clarita. He has pitched on varsity since he was a junior, striking out 52 hitters in 34 innings in his varsity career. Wright has arguably been the Grizzlies’ best pitcher this year, with 28 strikeouts, leading the team.
Wright has been playing baseball since he was three, and plays the game because “Baseball has become a large part of my life and I would feel incomplete without it.”
He credits much of his success to Golden Valley assistant coach Marc Kennedy. Wright says that without Kennedy, “I wouldn’t be in the same place I am right now.”
Coach Kennedy says that the area that Brandon has improved the most is “Stuff overall. Stuff meaning velocity, and spin rate on the breaking ball. I think this last summer and fall, the amount of time spent in the weight room had an impact on him becoming the kind of pitcher he needed to become in college.”
In college, Kennedy says Wright, “is gonna have to grind, his spot’s not guaranteed. If he continues to focus on his health and getting more athletic, he’s going to be alright.”
Wright says “I feel most confident that I’m going to find my way onto the field, and help my college win.”
Wright says he chose Goshen, “Because the school had good academic options to start, and then seeing the facilities, and meeting the team, it was very welcoming, and seemed like a place I fit in.” Goshen’s baseball team is currently 11-17, and Wright will be joining a pitching staff that has seen struggles recently, with a team ERA of 10.03.
He signed his letter of intent on Tuesday, March 26, before Golden Valley Baseball’s home game against Canyon, a game where the Grizzlies defeated Canyon 7-4, powered by a seven-run third inning that saw the Grizzlies bring 11 hitters to the plate. Wright worked a walk and later scored a run in the win.
Brandon is the Grizzlies’ best reliever, and comes in late in the game. Golden Valley will play Saugus on the road on April 10, and will take them on at home on April 12.
