Every college athlete has a different path they follow to get where they want to be, and for freshman infielder Brayden Curlis, that path has some familiar faces on it.
Curlis committed to playing baseball at Bowling Green, the same school where both of his parents played collegiate sports.
“I knew it would be great for me to come here, keep the family legacy going,” Curlis said. So, I think it was pretty cool and fun. Like telling them they’re excited, they’re pumped up. I think it was a pretty cool moment.”
Chad Curlis, Brayden’s father, played four seasons for Bowling Green and was a pitcher for the Falcons during the 1999 season, where the Falcons made the NCAA baseball tournament.
His mother, Beth Curlis, was a part of the BGSU women’s soccer program from 1998 to 2001.
Having a parent with that much experience as a part of BGSU baseball, Curlis was given some advice from his father on how to carve his own path as he grows with the Falcons.
“I would say just not thinking too much,” Curlis said. “My dad always says, ‘Don’t worry, do your own things, and just be myself.”
Curlis’ parents didn’t want to put extra pressure on him, so when he was being pursued by BGSU to attend, they stepped completely back.
“We really stepped back completely,” said Beth Curlis. “We obviously know it’s an amazing school, and we’re grateful for the opportunities that gave both my husband and I, so we really push our kids to make those decisions on their own.”
Having all this background at Bowling Green is a huge advantage for Curlis as he goes about the season; he can fall back on knowledge his parents gave him.
“Tips and tricks for going to go here, playing baseball in college. So, it was good having that coming here,” Curlis said.
It’s not just his parents who are high-level athletes, as his cousin, Connor Curlis, played at Ohio State and got drafted into the MLB.
“It was very fun to watch him; I was able to go to a few of his minor league games and just looked up to him, trying to achieve what he achieved.”
Curlis was even advised by his cousin on how to better himself as an athlete at BGSU.
“Just working on your craft every day, it’s a grind, so it’s more like a job,” said Curlis. “You have got to take it seriously to do what you want to do.”
With all these high-level athletes as family members, it is a bit hard to have a bit of pressure on Curlis’ shoulders, but head coach Kyle Hallock knows he can deal with the pressure.
“You just tell him to be himself and do exactly what his family members did, and that it’s in his gene pool to be successful at BGSU and to help us go out there and play at the highest level we possibly can,” Hallock said. “You know that the nice part about that is you just spin it the way it needs to be spun. His family tree had success here; he’s the next branch on it to do so.”
The biggest thing for Curlis to do next is for him to continue to better his game as he starts his career here with the Orange and Brown.
For Curlis, the work put into the game to better his craft is a very enjoyable part of the process.
I just keep my head down and work,” Curlis said. “I don’t complain about having to practice every day or lift every day; I think it’s fun; it’s fun to get better.”
That love to work on his craft was something that even coach Hallock echoed as something that is a big strength of Curlis.
“I thought this fall he came in and he just tried to do exactly what we’re asking to do. He’s coachable; he understands the game. Now it’s just a matter of, like every other freshman, getting used to the speed and getting used to the margin of error, and having jumped from high school to Division One is a big one.”
Curlis parents know that he’s going to put his head down and work hard to get to the level that he wants to be at.
“He has always been the one who wants to hit the weight room; he wants to get the extra batting practice in, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make himself a better player,” Beth Curlis said.
Curlis has been competing at a high level his entire baseball career; in high school with Elder High School in Cincinnati, he was a steady presence on the team, helping them make a huge run.
Hallock expects the knowledge that Curlis gained from his time at Elder to translate well as he makes his mark on the Falcons.
“It’s a seamless, natural transition for him. He’s used to it coming from Cincinnati Elder, took them to the regional finals last year, was a captain on the team, played an integral part in their success, and we look forward to him doing the same thing here over his four years,” Hallock said.
Every step forward for Curlis is a way to carve his own path and make a name for himself as a part of the Falcon family.
That first step would be taken in the Middle Tennessee State series earlier this season as Curlis would get his very first collegiate at-bat. Even though it did not go the way he wanted it to, he is excited and ready to go for the next time.
“It was late in the game, eighth inning, sitting on the bench. I wasn’t really expecting it, but I had to lock in,” said Curlis. “It didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, but I’m sure I’ll get another one soon. I’m looking forward to it.”
At the end of the day, being a Falcon is something extremely special for Curlis and his family.
“I just want him to work hard, be a great teammate, and I want him to love BG as much as I did,” Beth Curlis said.
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