Like every spring athlete graduating in 2020, Savannah Country Day senior baseball standout Braden Sorge had no clue his final high school season would be cancelled in early March due to the arrival of Coronavirus.
“It wasn’t something you prepare for. We knew the safety was going to come before anything so we just tried to make the best of it,” said Sorge on a phone call with PSR. “We were going to be a really good team this season. I thought we beat some good teams already and were getting better too.
“That’s the bad part though, just because I can’t contribute next year. But, the good thing is ... (SCDS) is going to be very good in the future. They have a lot of talent with younger guys so they’ll be fine.”
Sorge couldn’t have known his last at-bat for the Hornets would come in March rather than May, but that didn’t stop him from playing the beginning of the 2020 season as if every game would be his last.
The University of North Georgia signee was hitting .500 with a .630 on-base percentage when the season was brought to a screeching halt. With 16 runs batted in and 10 stolen bases included, Sorge was scorching at the plate before things were ultimately shut down. He credits his father and grandpa for passing on their passion of the game to him at an early age.
“Even when I was young I remember my dad taking me to the fields or batting cages,” said Sorge. “And my grandpa … he always made trips to Savannah to come watch me play every season. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”
Sorge posted a .456 batting average while getting on base at a .550 clip during his 2019 junior campaign. He hit four homers and drove in 29 while scoring 34 runs as a First Team All-Greater Savannah selection last year.
The righty says he has been keeping in baseball shape over the last month as best he can during the pandemic. Sorge gets in occasional batting practice reps with a friend at a field in Richmond Hill, and has the benefit of a gym at home to continue working out.
He says he’ll be ready to play anywhere he’s needed next season at UNG.
“I was recruited there as an outfielder and first baseman, but I don’t know which outfield spots (UNG) will use me at yet,” he said. “I’m excited about the opportunity and grateful for everyone who helped me get to this point.”
