Slimmed Down Branch Drawing More Interest

Charlie Branch 3B / RHP / North Muskegon, MI / 2021

NORTH MUSKEGON - The desire to play baseball at the next level can come when you least expect it.

“I wasn’t really big on college baseball before eighth grade but I started thinking about it then,” Charlie Branch said. “We hosted some college players from a summer league in our town and they talked about how awesome it was to be part of a college team.”

Intrigue was followed by hard work by Branch and now the North Muskegon junior is deep into the recruiting process. Camps at Purdue and Grand Valley State, personal interest in the Coast Guard Academy and talks with Central Michigan, Indiana State, Ashland and Xavier has the 35th-ranked 2021 in Michigan looking forward to a future on the ballfield.

“They all see me as a pitcher,” Branch  related. “They’re all interested in the way I throw.”

But Aaron Wilson, PBR Michigan Director of Scouting, believes there is additional potential in the second-rated junior third baseman in the state.

“He is a physical prospect that swings from the left side and has big-time raw power at the plate,” Wilson said of Branch, who has an exit velocity of 95. “He’s a two-way prospect that can play the corner infield.”

However, it is on the mound where the future of Branch most likely lies.

“This March he showed an upper-80s fastball with arm side run and a feel for his breaking ball.” noted Wilson of Branch, who hit 88 on the radar at the PBR Preseason All-State Showcase event. “He's a guy that continues to get better.”

Improvement has taken place in a variety of ways.