By Tim Morris
Brad Brach has reached the pinnacle of Major League Baseball.
The former Freehold Township High School and Monmouth University star pitcher, now pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, was selected to play for the American League squad in the All-Star Game July 12 at Petco Park in San Diego, California.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Brach. He was drafted out of college by the San Diego Padres and made his major league debut with San Diego in 2011.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander is a late-inning relief pitcher who is having a tremendous year for the Orioles. Brach is 6-1 and pitching to a 0.78 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 45.2 innings. He also has two saves.
The bullpen has been a big reason why Baltimore sits in first place in the American League East Division heading into the All-Star Game. And Brach has been a big part of Baltimore’s success.
Frank Gualtieri, Brach’s head coach at Freehold Township High School, pointed out that Brach’s selection is an example of how baseball has changed.
“It shows the value of middle relief today,” he said.
The selection to the All-Star Game is the culmination of a long journey that began in the Freehold Township Little League for the pitcher. He had a great high school career, leading the Patriots to the Shore Conference A North Division title and a berth in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV title game as a senior.
Brach went on to have a stellar collegiate career at Monmouth, where he set numerous school records, including career victories (29) and strikeouts (277). He guided Monmouth to the Northeast Conference (NEC) title in 2007. The pitcher was twice First Team All-NEC and was named the NEC Pitcher of the Year in 2007.
Monmouth head coach Dean Ehehalt remembers his first impressions of Brach when he scouted of him in high school.
“I saw a guy who was winner, who competed very well,” he said. “He’s very good at everything he does. He always challenges himself. Anything he’s gotten, he’s earned.”
Brach was drafted by the Padres in the 42nd round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. Brach worked his way up through San Diego’s minor league organization, starring at every level until he was brought up to the major league club in August 2011.
Brach was traded to the Orioles in 2014, and he has been a big part of the bullpen there ever since. He was 7-1 in 2014 when Baltimore won the East Division title.
Todd Smith, the head coach at Freehold Township, said “his hard work, determination, and quiet confidence have led him to this point.”
Every step of the way on his long journey to the major leagues, Brach stayed connected to Freehold Township High School baseball.
“We’re tremendously proud of Brad,” Gualtieri said. “One thing about him, he’s never forgotten his roots. He comes back every year and talks to the team.”
Ehehalt echoed similar sentiments.
“[Brach is] held in high esteem at the university,” he said.
Smith has talked to the former Patriot after he learned of his selection to the All-Star Game.
“He is very excited, to say the least,” Smith said. “He knew his performance up to this point put him in the mix to be selected, but he was not sure if he would be selected because he is not a starter or closer. So he was cautiously optimistic.
“Once he found out he made it, he was thrilled. He is very honored to be a part of the entire experience with the best players in the game. He respects the game of baseball and plays it the correct way, so something like this means a lot more to him. He understands how special it is and how fortunate he is to be associated with the All-Star Game, so he plans to just enjoy all of it as much as he can and take it all in.”
