Brandon Rembert has been a rising force in the HBCU sports world. The Alcorn State outfielder is considered by many as one of the top baseball players in the Southwestern Athletic Conference or SWAC for short. The Pensacola, Florida native has the accolades to back up the claim, being named to the 2020 Pre-Season All-SWAC First Team respectively. Rembert has even been considered as an MLB Draft Prospect for the 2021 draft. Despite all of the accolades and awards, Brandon tries to play for a purpose that is bigger than himself. He wants to help attract African-Americans to the game of baseball. Rembert states that, “I want to help be a pioneer for African-Americans in the sport of baseball. If we are being honest, African-Americans do not flock to this sport as much as football and basketball. I think that if African-Americans see someone that looks like them is doing well in this sport, it will help draw some more interest to the sport of baseball.”
Alcorn State is a Division 1 baseball program that competes in the SWAC, as fore mentioned. The SWAC is home to many HBCU athletic programs such as Jackson State, Alabama State, and Grambling to name a few. Many big-name athletes and coaches have started to flock to HBCU programs recently. Top basketball player Makur Maker, a five-star recruit out of high school, has been one of the most recent stars signing with an HBCU program in Howard University. NFL star Deion Sanders is also a big name that has recently became the head football coach of HBCU Jackson State University. When asked about the uprising of HBCU athletics Brandon Rembert states, “I think that it is definitely a good thing that this happening. It is showing others that HBCU’s have a lot of talent as well and that HBCU’s can get big-time recruits. Just because you are a five star does not mean that you have to go to these big time schools. I think that people forget that HBCU’s have a lot of talent as well.” Alcorn State was the home of Heisman candidate Steve McNair in 1994 and Rickie Weeks was a first-round MLB Draft pick out of HBCU Southern University in 2003. HBCU’s do indeed have a history of producing some elite athletes.
Brandon Rembert hopes to be the next great out of a historically black institution. He has dreams of playing in the MLB one day and making a name for HBCU’s and African-Americans across the nation. Rembert states, “My dream is to play Major League Baseball one day. I want to play under the bright lights in front of thousands of fans. That would be my ultimate goal in life. Who knows? It may not ever happen, but I am going to continue to be consistent and work hard to put myself in the best position to be able to play at that level one day.” Brandon’s favorite baseball player is Mookie Betts of the LA Dodgers. Mookie Betts, who is African American, is one of the rising stars in the game of baseball. He won the American League MVP award in 2018 and was in the running again this season, although he did not win. He and the LA Dodgers were the recent winners of the 2020 World Series. Rembert states that, “Mookie Betts, along with many other African-Americans in the MLB, are making a name for us in the sport. I look up to Mookie Betts because he looks similar to me. He is about my size and we are the same race, so it is inspiring to me to see that a person who looks similar to me is doing well in the big leagues. It gives me hope that I can someday be where he is.”
Even though Brandon Rembert has had a pretty prestigious collegiate baseball career, he hoists an inspiring story as well. His underdog like story is very interesting and journey’s like his are pretty unheard of, to say the least. His inspirational journey to where he is now as a D1 draft prospect was even featured in the likes of Sports Illustrated. Rembert started off his collegiate freshman campaign at an NAIA program…on the JV squad. He states, “Believe it or not I was on the JV team my freshman year of college at an NAIA program. That is probably the lowest level of college baseball. It was a very humbling experience to be playing at the lowest level of college baseball to now thriving at one of the highest levels. ” After leaving the program after his freshman season, Rembert attended a junior college for his sophomore season. After leaving the junior college, he then arrived at his school now in Alcorn State. He burst on to the season his junior season at Alcorn, hoisting a team-leading batting average of .345 and a .462 on base percentage, which was good for top five in the conference.
Rembert states, “That year kind of put me on the map. I had a pretty solid season that year. It definitely turned some eyes.” Brandon will be entering the 2021 season as a 5th-year senior, after gaining another year of eligibility back from the NCAA because of the ongoing pandemic. Rembert hopes that a breakout 2021 campaign will hopefully catapult him up draft boards. Brandon’s hard work and determination hopes to help make him a draft pick come June. Whatever happens next year, Brandon Rembert hopes to keep being a representative for African-Americans in the sport of baseball. He states, “I just want to be an inspiration to young ball players that want to be like me. I want people to see that if I am able to play at this level, they can do it too. If I can just inspire one kid in my career, then my goal would be completed. I just want to encourage younger African-Americans and any kids in general that if they work hard and stay consistent, they can do anything they put their minds to.”
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