Buchanan Alumni takes his Talents to Nevada
By Jos Fagundes
Twitter: @jos__fagundes, Instagram: @jos.fagundes
Buchanan High School alumni, Jos Fagundes, reports on Brady Hormel, another Buchanan alumni, and how he has transitioned from being one of the best players in the district to a Division 1 collegiate program.
Baseball is America’s pastime. It is one of the biggest sports in the nation. It is also one of the biggest sports in Clovis, CA.
The level of competition amongst the high schools for baseball in the Clovis area is very high. The Clovis Unified School District high school’s have some very talented players to come out of the area. Players like Jason Donald, Justin Wilson, Jordan Luplow, Jamal O’Guinn, Quentin Selma, and Jake Gatewood to name a few. Another name on the list of very talented baseball players is Brady Hormel.
A Phenom in the Making
Hormel was a Class of 2019 graduate from Buchanan High School. He was a three-year varsity player for the Bears. He played second base his Sophomore season, then, after the Senior shortstop graduated, Hormel moved over to shortstop.
“He’s obviously a talented young man but his work ethic is what separated him from the other players. He was relentless in practice. He wanted to be a great player so he practiced to be a great player. He was our leader on the field. Brady was a great communicator and he ran the show… Simply put Brady is a baseball player who enjoys the grind and the intensity of the game,” Former Buchanan High School Head Coach and National Champion Tom Donald said.
Looking at Hormel’s statistics throughout high school he was one of the best players to come out of Buchanan. Overall his career batting average was .400 with 69 RBIs and 9 total home runs. His sophomore season he had an astounding .434 batting average. He was also a clutch player with some of his hits and a few of his home runs coming when the game was on the line.
“The level of competition between high school and college is night and day. The guys in college are bigger, stronger, and faster,” Hormel said.
His senior season he committed to the University of Nevada, Reno to play baseball for the Pack.
Becoming Part of the Pack
“I chose Nevada because they stuck with me throughout the recruiting process. They came to me during my sophomore year and stuck with me all the way until I committed late my senior year. Their commitment to me made me feel like they really cared and wanted me as a player,” Hormel said.
Being a small fish in a big pond was an eye opening experience for Hormel. Being able to play amongst players that he has looked up to and being able to travel and play in places he had never thought of ever playing in.
In his freshman season, Hormel got a decent amount of play time. He played in 11 games and started in five of those games. In those games he hit for .222 batting average with 2 runs and 3 RBIs. He also had one of the best on-base percentages on the team at .423 OB%. Out of all the freshmen on the team he had the most playing time and his numbers are not bad for only being a freshman. Sadly his first season in a Pack uniform was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Staying Positive for the Future
Like every school across the country, all sports in the spring were cancelled. It was very hard for all these players across the country to be forced to stop doing what they love but they are keeping their heads up especially Hormel.
“We are just thankful to be healthy and able to get us on the field at some point in the future,” Hormel said.
Hormel and the rest of the Nevada Wolfpack are keeping their heads up during times like these. He is hopeful for what the future holds for him and his teammates.
“I think this season especially is going to be special. We’d been away from the field since March and we had a very short fall, so getting back onto the field and playing against someone else is something we’re looking forward to,” Hormel said.
An Eye For It All Photography
Instagram: @eyeforitallphotography
Brady Hormel
Twitter: @HormelBrady, Instagram: @bradyhormel