Baler senior shines on court and diamond
Brian Haggett has always been a two-sport athlete. From the time
the San Benito High senior was 5 years old, winter meant basketball
and the spring and summer months were for baseball.
”
I started out playing T-ball and recreation basketball when I
was a little kid and never stopped,
”
Haggett said.
”
My dad took me down and signed me up and I’ve been playing ever
since.
”
Baler senior shines on court and diamond
Brian Haggett has always been a two-sport athlete. From the time the San Benito High senior was 5 years old, winter meant basketball and the spring and summer months were for baseball.
“I started out playing T-ball and recreation basketball when I was a little kid and never stopped,” Haggett said. “My dad took me down and signed me up and I’ve been playing ever since.”
Clearly, his 12 years of experience in both sports is paying off.
Today, Haggett plays the No. 3 guard and forward positions on the San Benito High basketball team and is the school’s most feared hitter and starting second baseman on the baseball team.
A month from now, he’ll be working on hitting a baseball and practicing turning the double-play but for now he’s enjoying a nice run on the basketball court where he leads the Balers in scoring, with nearly 12 points a game, field goals and free-throw percentages.
Last year, Haggett helped lead the Baler baseball team to a league title and a trip to the Central Coast Section Division I championship game before seeing his team lose to Valley Christian. That season he wound up batting .370 overall, .425 in league play and led his team in homeruns (7), RBIs (36) and doubles (12). For his efforts he was named to the First Team All-League team and made the prestigious All-CCS Second Team as well.
“I enjoy both sports,” Haggett said. “In basketball, I get to run and it’s more physical. The crowd in the gym is real tight. I like to be out there for baseball too.”
While he admits that he enjoys playing both sports equally, at 6-foot-1 he believes he has a brighter future in baseball, which he plans to continue playing after high school.
“I don’t think I’m big enough for the Division I level in basketball,” he said. “My goal is to play baseball at the next level.”
And judging from the attention he is getting, that shouldn’t be a problem. Already Haggett has received letters of interest from Santa Clara University, California State University at Fresno, University of San Francisco, Dartmouth and San Jose State University.
Haggett, who was also a 4.0 student last semester, isn’t planning on committing until all offers are on the table.
“Brian is great at everything. He does everything well,” Baler basketball coach John Becerra said. “He’s just an outstanding athlete. I always put him up against the other team’s toughest offensive player. He can guard anyone his size.”
Haggett’s play on the court this season has helped propel the Balers to a 12-6 record overall and a 2-1 mark as of The Pinnacle’s press time. Haggett’s play combined with the strong play of Baler guard Marty Bueno appears to have given San Benito High enough spark for a playoff return this season.
“We’re coming along well,” Haggett said. “We’re kind of small, but we like to push the tempo and get the other team tired because we are well conditioned. I think that if we continue to run the offensive plays and put points on the board we should do well. We’ve had a solid defense all year. We could finish strong enough to have a home playoff game and make a run on the road too.”
