Pine Island Division I commit Brandon Week looks to build on early season success

BYRON There was one thought running through Brandon Weeks mind after four scoreless innings on Tuesday evening.

Just keep doing your thing.

ADVERTISEMENT Its a mentality that seems to work well for the Pine Island senior left-handed pitcher/outfielder as the Panthers continued their hot streak with a 4-1 victory over Hiawatha Valley League opponent Byron.

Pine Island sits at 8-1 overall and remains undefeated in the HVL at 6-0, while the Bears drop to 4-2.

Week struck out eight in 4 13 innings on Tuesday, scattering six hits, while working around three walks to allow just one run.

The guys stayed after it, and then once we did take that lead, then our pitchers filled up that strike zone, and we made the plays defensively, Pine Island head coach Dan Drazan said.

But it was a good feeling to keep battling against a good pitcher like that.

As a team captain and Division I South Dakota State University commit, Week dedicates most of his energy these days to his craft.

Week wasnt sure if he would ever play baseball at the D-I level, but then SDSU reached out, and he knew it was the right fit.

They were kind of the first school at the D-I level that really showed true interest in me, and that was huge, Week said.

The coaching staff there was amazing, very friendly, very player-friendly, and especially with the transfer portal now throughout college, they made a huge emphasis that they're still big in (recruiting) high school players, instead of trying to transfer guys in.

They believe in the process and growing guys throughout their program.

So that was huge for me and my parents, and then I just fell in love with the campus right when I stepped (foot on it), too.

So that was obviously part of it.

Baseball is a huge part of picking the school for me, but the schooling part obviously still had to match.

ADVERTISEMENT Week started with T-ball at four or five years old and blossomed from there, playing youth ball for the Rochester Tornadoes until his family moved to Pine Island for his eighth grade.

His days on the Tornadoes competing for the state championship especially winning it with his 11U team were when he discovered he loved the sport.

That was super cool, Week said.

That was kind of when I realized I had a deep passion for baseball.

As a sophomore, Week realized baseball could take him far, and not long after, SDSU came calling.

He attributes much of his recent growth to his pitching instructor Mitch Brown , a former minor-league pitcher and Century High School grad.

Week has been working with Brown since he was in eighth grade.

Hes just a huge role model for me, and (hes been) working with me multiple times a week for a few years now, Week said.

He's probably been the biggest role model for me in my baseball career.

Week played basketball in the past, but opted out of his senior season to focus his full attention on baseball.

While hes all business when it comes to the sport hell play in college, he still takes time to enjoy the competition.

He even went out for football last fall despite not playing since he was a seventh grader.

It was a bit of a risk, but it worked out well for Week, who shared quarterback duties with junior Alex Knox.

When Week came out of the game against Byron in the fourth inning, it just so happened it was Knox who came to relieve him.

I rejoined here, Week said of football.

Gave it a second go, and it was a blast.

But, yeah, baseball has always kind of been my first love.

ADVERTISEMENT Week is one of six seniors on the Panthers and is a captain along with senior Luke Sems .

While Week and Sems have played baseball nearly their entire lives, Week said not all of the seniors have.

Some of the guys that maybe don't get as many innings, they haven't been playing baseball since second grade, like me and Luke have, Week said.

So it's really cool to see them still be a part of the squad and bring in what they can to the team.

Varied levels of experience havent seemed to matter much as Week and the rest of the Panthers look to continue their early-season reign in a stacked HVL.

I think we just have to keep doing what we do as a team, Week said.

Obviously, 8-1 kind of speaks for itself.

Keep hitting the ball hard, keep throwing strikes, just keep doing the fundamental things that we've been doing.

Pine Island 4, Byron 1 Pine Island#000#031#0##4#8#1 Byron#000#010#0##1#8#0 Pine Island : Nick Thein 1-for-3, 1 2B; Talan Bond 1-for-3, 2 RBI; Alex Knox 1-for-3, 1 R; Brandon Week 1-for-3, 1 R; Landon Lowrie 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R; Ben Grabau 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 R.

Pitchers: Alex Knox (S) 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K; Brandon Week (WP) 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K.

Byron : Will Brian 1-for-2, 1 R; Brayden Wytaske 1-for-3, 1 SB; Ryan Gordon 1-for-3; Aidan Gross 2-for-3, 1 2B.

Pitchers: Aidan Gross (LP) 7 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 8 K..

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