With talent and motivation, Brandon Rembert is a consistent hitter for the Alcorn State University Braves baseball team. Rembert desires to be a role model for African American boys, encouraging them to get involved in baseball. A key piece of advice that he learned is how consistency is important to excel in the sport.
“The best players consistently hit and consistently field well,” he said. “Some of the best advice is just to be consistent on an ongoing basis.”
He started his college career at Faulkner University of Alabama and played for their junior varsity team.
For his sophomore year, Rembert transferred to Coastal Alabama Brewton Community College. His efforts there allotted him an offer from Alcorn.
Rembert was fond of the program and the Brave coaching staff; he also wanted to compete right away.
“They didn’t have a whole lot of outfielders then. A lot of them were leaving, so I knew I was going to come in and have an opportunity to make an impact immediately,” he said. “When I was on my visit, I felt like it was at home.”
He was a starter at the beginning of his first season in 2019, getting a hit and an RBI in his second game. Rembert ultimately led the Alcorn State Braves with a .345 batting average and came in fifth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) with a .462 on-base percentage.
Rembert did not expect to perform as well has he did.
“I was really motivated. Playing Division I baseball, it’s really competitive and playing against pretty good teams,” he said. “I wanted to do well, I was really focused.”
During a series against the Jackson State Tigers, Rembert made a season high of five RBI. As an outfielder, he had a season high of four putouts against Mississippi Valley State. That season, Rembert only made three errors.
The Alcorn State Braves competed in 12 games in 2020; Rembert made 11 runs, 13 hits, six RBI, and one homerun in that time. He noted how the beginning of the quarantine shrouded him in uncertainty, but he ultimately found the time at home to be beneficial.
“I had time to get stronger and I got better at everything,” Rembert said. “It was a great time to let my body heal and recuperate and to mentally be able to relax.”
The NCAA granted student-athletes of spring sports an extra year of eligibility and Rembert desires to win a conference championship during the 2021 season.
“I want to go out on top,” he said. “This year, we brought in a ton of good arms, so I think that we’ll be able to do pretty well.”
Rembert graduated last spring with a degree in general studies. Maintaining his grades while competing in baseball was challenging.
“I usually do my homework and stuff at night, my schedule is so tight,” he said. “We had study hall my junior year coming in … so that helped a ton. You just have to stay on top of your work.”
During his time at Alcorn, Rembert’s favorite class was psychology. He felt the class was interesting and was glad that the class gave a manageable amount of assignments.
“Everybody was engaged and [the teacher] was talking about interesting stuff and relating it to us,” Rembert said. “It wasn’t like a lecture, it was more like a discussion and everybody was involved which I think made that class actually fun and I actually wanted to go to class.”
