BRAXTON CASEY
OKTAHA HIGH SCHOOL
Being a winner has been a big part of Braxton Casey’s DNA as a member of the Oktaha Tiger baseball program.
“Braxton has played all four years for me and is a guy you can always count on to do whatever and play wherever you need him to,” said Tiger head coach Kevin Rodden. “He’s been to state seven times including last spring when we won the state championship. He hits second in the lineup and can bunt and runs well and is a jack of all trades. He leads pretty much by example but can be vocal when he needs to be.”
Getting started in baseball required a little parental push according to Braxton.
“I actually was against playing baseball when I was little but about the age of four my dad kind of made me play and I’ve been doing it ever since including a lot of summer ball,” said Casey who also plays basketball for Oktaha.
Being part of such a prolific program as Oktaha can be rewarding but also frustrating says Braxton.
“Before last spring when we finally won, it was frustrating not being able to quite get over the hump. We’d get to finals or semifinals and end up getting knocked out, usually by Silo.”
That was the case this fall as well when the Tigers fell to the Rebels in the state finals to finish an up and down season with a 17-16 record that included an uncharacteristic stretch where Oktaha lost seven of eight games.
Casey gave a shoutout to a former teammate who he considers one of his role models.
“Maddox Edwards was a guy I looked up to. He was a good leader and whenever I was down, he always found a way to pick me up and he was always there for me.”
Braxton hopes to play baseball at the next level. He’s planning a visit to Eastern State and has talked with Carl Albert but before that he hopes to have one more shot at a second state title next spring.
