Brandon Bailey is a leader of the Westfield Hornet baseball team. When he's not hurling on the mound, he makes plays in the infield as the shortstop.
"He's kind of like another coach out there," says head baseball coach Rob Fitzpatrick. "He does a good job running the show on the field and talking to the guys in the dugout and the locker room and things like that.
It's just smart baseball mind out there. When I'm not around he does a good job of handling the situation and he is a big part of our program and our team."
Bailey grew up playing baseball as a kid in Dooly County. Now the senior will only go to bat for the GISA defending state baseball champions.
Bailey says, "Last year was one of those story book seasons. We played real well all year long and lived up to expectations. We were expected to win state, and we did. It's just one of those magical seasons you dream about having."
Fitzpatrick agrees, "Brandon has done a good job for us. He was a key component for us last year and this year on the mound. And we look for him to pitch in some of those big time games again and with him and Caleb [Weaver] there a good one two combination."
Off the field Bailey is an honors student in the classroom, carrying a 3.97 GPA, an achievement he is equally as proud of as well as his state ring.
"It's very important to me," says Bailey. "I take a lot of pride in my grades. I am a straight A student, and I make sure I have my priorities straight so I can get into a good school for life after baseball."
"Brandon is taking the upper level AP classes," says Fitzpatrick. "And basically put himself in a position where he is on a pretty good road for his senior year. He's a smart kid."
As the season gets underway, number 5 will help keep the buzz in the Hornets as they look to defend their 2011 title.
Bailey says, "We've gone through a lot of adversity already this year, and we're going to have to persevere. But that's going to help these guys in life learning that through this team. But I think about these guys a lot, they mean a lot to me."