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Brady Willis is off to a torrid start to his second year with the Troup baseball team. The sophomore won the starting catcher role as a freshman last year and has elevated his game to new heights as he truly makes the position his own in year two.

“I knew I wanted to come in and start right away, but I knew that it wouldn’t be easy and I wasn’t guaranteed a spot,” Willis said. “I’ve been working hard to get stronger because when I came in as a freshman I was small.”

Willis has built a strong camaraderie with Troup’s stable of pitchers. He and fellow sophomore Davis Moncus have built up chemistry long before they suited up in the blue and gold for the Tigers. 

“I’ve been playing with a lot of the guys since I was a little kid,” he said. “Me and Davis have been playing together since we were like eight. We’ve been playing together so long now that we know what the other person wants on the field.”

Depending on who is on the mound for the Tigers, Willis has to make some adjustments. While it is never anything major, Willis has to tailor his style to the pitcher.

“Some pitchers you have to communicate and talk to more while others mainly want to be left alone so it all depends on their personality,” he said. 

There have been some big moments early in the season for Troup and Willis has been at the heart of it. No moment was bigger than Willis’ walk-off in extra innings at home against Callaway earlier this season.

“That was actually the second time in the game that I had a chance to win it for us and I wasn’t going to waste the second,” he said. “I just went up there and trusted my bat.”

The impact Willis would have on the Tigers was apparent as a freshman. Willis started on the team last season that made it to the quarterfinals of the 4A state playoffs. Now with a taste of the playoffs, Willis is hungry for even more success.

“Making the Elite Eight last year was awesome, but we felt like we could have done more,” Willis said.”Our goal is to win state. We only lost one senior from last year’s team, so we’re trying to really build on last year’s run.”

The team had lofty ambitions but Willis’ individual goals are not centered around achievements or accolades as he focuses on the simple task of bettering himself each day.

“I’m not focused on doing one thing better, just focused on improving all the parts of my game,” Willis said. “I’m working one day at a time, one step at a time.”

Willis already feels like a mainstay in the Troup starting lineup despite being just a sophomore. Willis has earned his spot as the starting catcher for Troup and doesn’t plan on relinquishing his spot any time soon.