Quick Chat: Kolby Branch
May 22, 2024 | Baseball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
It took a second before Kolby Branch remembered that his first collegiate home run was a grand slam. It was last season when he was a Freshman All-American at Baylor. His second college homer, and this he didn't remember, was also a grand slam.
After leading the Bears in most significant offensive categories last season, Branch transferred to Georgia, where he's been the Bulldogs' everyday shortstop. And Branch, if you can believe it, has three grand slams this season. He's hit 15 home runs, driven in 52 runs and scored 44, helping the Bulldogs produce one of the greatest offensive seasons in school history.
A native of Lucas, Texas, near Dallas, Branch's father, Rusty, played college tennis at Oklahoma Baptist. But tennis was never Branch's thing, though he does remember his dad hitting tennis balls at him to help him develop quicker hands and become a better infielder.
During a recent Quick Chat, Branch talked about those first collegiate home runs, having a front-row seat to Charlie Condon's extraordinary season, his funniest teammates, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Did you play a lot of different sports when you were a kid, or was baseball always your main thing?
Branch: I played baseball, mainly, but I also played football and basketball. I did football and basketball up through middle school, but then I quit once I got to high school.
I just enjoyed playing baseball. I had a good group of friends and people that I played with growing up, and it was always fun to go out there in the summers and the springs and go play at the ball field.
Frierson: I know your dad played tennis in college, so did you ever give that sport a try?
Branch: No, he never took me to the tennis courts. But he would grab a bucket of tennis balls and a tennis racket, put me on a wall and slap tennis balls at me — and I just had to catch them. I played first base at the time, so I just sat against the wall and he'd slap the tennis balls at me.
Frierson: When did you realize you had a future in baseball beyond being a good high-school player?
Branch: It was when I was 14 or 15, and I started to play in the bigger tournaments and stuff. I liked it, it was super fun, and I enjoyed being around people that were better than me and competing against them. I was striving to make myself better, and I sat down with somebody that I trust and he was like, "Where do you want to play baseball when you're in college?"
I wasn't even thinking about it. I was just going to be done after high school because I didn't know any better, but after that, I kind of developed a dream and took it from there.
Frierson: What can you tell me about your first college home run?
Branch: I think that was against Houston Christian, and I think it was a grand slam. Is that right?
Frierson: It is. What can you tell me about your second college home run?
Branch: Uhhh.
Frierson: It was also a grand slam.
Branch: Was it really? I knew my first one was a grand slam, but I'd forgotten about my second one. That's wild.
Frierson: A grand slam for your first college homer, that's a pretty good way to get things started.
Branch: Yeah, it was pretty cool. I was just trying to get something in the air, probably, and ran into it a little bit. I remember it being a close game, too, so that was good to keep us in the game.
Frierson: There are a bunch of guys on this team having great seasons, but then there's the season Charlie Condon is having. What is it like being around him every day and being a part of his record-breaking season?
Branch: It's a front-row seat to awesomeness. When he steps up the plate it's a calming feeling because chances are it's going to be a good at-bat. I spend every day with him; I get to be in his B.P. (batting practice) group every single day, and there are things that I've learned from him, from being around somebody that's so developed and is possibly the No. 1 pick (in the upcoming (MLB( draft.
When you're around somebody like that, you tend to get better. And he makes the people around him better.
Frierson: What is something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Branch: Probably Mexican food, or a steak. Lately, I've been cooking steaks on the grill and those have been really good.
If I'm out with my parents, I'll get my steak Oscar-style, so you put some crab meat on it. If I'm by myself, I'll probably have a baked potato with my steak, and some Brussels sports.
Frierson: Who's the funniest guy on the team?
Branch: I'd probably give it to ... Dillon Carter's one to make me laugh, and Slate (Alford) can always make me laugh. There are a lot of funny guys, but I'd probably pick those two.
Frierson: How valuable are those really funny guys during a 60-game season that features a lot of travel and a lot of time at the ballpark every day?
Branch: It keeps it tight-knit and it keeps it fun. There's so much downtime in baseball, so whenever you can have those funny moments together, it's good to have.
Frierson: Are you a superstitious baseball player?
Branch: Maybe a little bit. I'll listen to the same music the whole season while going up the field, and I like to have the same tape on, as far as wrist tape. And then there are things along the way that kind of develop when you're going good and you want to stick with it.
Frierson: Is there a difference between a routine that's working and a superstition?
Branch: They're kind of intertwined a little bit. They're different, but they're the same.
Frierson: What is the music you're listening to this season on the way to the field?
Branch: Right now, it's gospel music. Last year, it was an artist named SZA, and then I listened to it this year and I was like, let's switch it up. I was kind of on a rough streak, so then I was like, let's listen to some gospel music. And then I started doing a little bit better.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
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Staff Writer
It took a second before Kolby Branch remembered that his first collegiate home run was a grand slam. It was last season when he was a Freshman All-American at Baylor. His second college homer, and this he didn't remember, was also a grand slam.
After leading the Bears in most significant offensive categories last season, Branch transferred to Georgia, where he's been the Bulldogs' everyday shortstop. And Branch, if you can believe it, has three grand slams this season. He's hit 15 home runs, driven in 52 runs and scored 44, helping the Bulldogs produce one of the greatest offensive seasons in school history.
A native of Lucas, Texas, near Dallas, Branch's father, Rusty, played college tennis at Oklahoma Baptist. But tennis was never Branch's thing, though he does remember his dad hitting tennis balls at him to help him develop quicker hands and become a better infielder.
During a recent Quick Chat, Branch talked about those first collegiate home runs, having a front-row seat to Charlie Condon's extraordinary season, his funniest teammates, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Did you play a lot of different sports when you were a kid, or was baseball always your main thing?
Branch: I played baseball, mainly, but I also played football and basketball. I did football and basketball up through middle school, but then I quit once I got to high school.
I just enjoyed playing baseball. I had a good group of friends and people that I played with growing up, and it was always fun to go out there in the summers and the springs and go play at the ball field.
Frierson: I know your dad played tennis in college, so did you ever give that sport a try?
Branch: No, he never took me to the tennis courts. But he would grab a bucket of tennis balls and a tennis racket, put me on a wall and slap tennis balls at me — and I just had to catch them. I played first base at the time, so I just sat against the wall and he'd slap the tennis balls at me.
Frierson: When did you realize you had a future in baseball beyond being a good high-school player?
Branch: It was when I was 14 or 15, and I started to play in the bigger tournaments and stuff. I liked it, it was super fun, and I enjoyed being around people that were better than me and competing against them. I was striving to make myself better, and I sat down with somebody that I trust and he was like, "Where do you want to play baseball when you're in college?"
I wasn't even thinking about it. I was just going to be done after high school because I didn't know any better, but after that, I kind of developed a dream and took it from there.
Frierson: What can you tell me about your first college home run?
Branch: I think that was against Houston Christian, and I think it was a grand slam. Is that right?
Frierson: It is. What can you tell me about your second college home run?
Branch: Uhhh.
Frierson: It was also a grand slam.
Branch: Was it really? I knew my first one was a grand slam, but I'd forgotten about my second one. That's wild.
Frierson: A grand slam for your first college homer, that's a pretty good way to get things started.
Branch: Yeah, it was pretty cool. I was just trying to get something in the air, probably, and ran into it a little bit. I remember it being a close game, too, so that was good to keep us in the game.
Frierson: There are a bunch of guys on this team having great seasons, but then there's the season Charlie Condon is having. What is it like being around him every day and being a part of his record-breaking season?
Branch: It's a front-row seat to awesomeness. When he steps up the plate it's a calming feeling because chances are it's going to be a good at-bat. I spend every day with him; I get to be in his B.P. (batting practice) group every single day, and there are things that I've learned from him, from being around somebody that's so developed and is possibly the No. 1 pick (in the upcoming (MLB( draft.
When you're around somebody like that, you tend to get better. And he makes the people around him better.
Frierson: What is something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Branch: Probably Mexican food, or a steak. Lately, I've been cooking steaks on the grill and those have been really good.
If I'm out with my parents, I'll get my steak Oscar-style, so you put some crab meat on it. If I'm by myself, I'll probably have a baked potato with my steak, and some Brussels sports.
Frierson: Who's the funniest guy on the team?
Branch: I'd probably give it to ... Dillon Carter's one to make me laugh, and Slate (Alford) can always make me laugh. There are a lot of funny guys, but I'd probably pick those two.
Frierson: How valuable are those really funny guys during a 60-game season that features a lot of travel and a lot of time at the ballpark every day?
Branch: It keeps it tight-knit and it keeps it fun. There's so much downtime in baseball, so whenever you can have those funny moments together, it's good to have.
Frierson: Are you a superstitious baseball player?
Branch: Maybe a little bit. I'll listen to the same music the whole season while going up the field, and I like to have the same tape on, as far as wrist tape. And then there are things along the way that kind of develop when you're going good and you want to stick with it.
Frierson: Is there a difference between a routine that's working and a superstition?
Branch: They're kind of intertwined a little bit. They're different, but they're the same.
Frierson: What is the music you're listening to this season on the way to the field?
Branch: Right now, it's gospel music. Last year, it was an artist named SZA, and then I listened to it this year and I was like, let's switch it up. I was kind of on a rough streak, so then I was like, let's listen to some gospel music. And then I started doing a little bit better.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
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Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.Â
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