Ballard High Baseball player Rory Graf-Brennen is heading for the big leagues. Or, well, at least the college leagues.

On Wednesday, Nov. 14, he signed his national letter of intent to play baseball for Santa Clara University. That's right, Graf-Brennen is going to be a bronco -- which is a tad bigger than a beaver.

Standing at 5'7" and 160 lbs, Graf-Brennen plays center fielder and 2nd base and will be finishing out his fourth year on varsity. Throughout his time at Ballard he has become a force to be reckoned with, if the stats Coach Doug Montgomery have anything to say.

As a freshman, Graf-Brennen hit .302, with a .403 on base percentage (OBP), and .547 slugging percentage.

As a sophomore, he hit .304, with a .403 OBP, and .429 slugging.

And as a junior last year, he hit .339, with an astounding .541 OBP, and .549 slugging.

He led the Ballard team in home runs, runs batted in, and runs. He led the entire league with 25 walks, indicating that his reputation preceded him. Coach Montgomery said opposing teams will likely be pitching around him again this year.

Montgomery had this to say about Graf-Brennon:

"We're looking for Rory to be a premier player in the KingCo 4A conference for us once again. He'll lead off a very potent lineup that many expect to be tops in the league. I'd also like to see him become more aggressive on the base paths. There's no reason, with his athleticism, that he can't lead the league in steals as well. All in all, I know he's working his butt off this off-season, and I expect this will be a very fun season for Rory."

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