For brothers Garrett and Brady Anderson, baseball is in their genes. Since they could walk, the two had been trying their hand at pitching, batting and growing a healthy dose of competitive edge. Now in college, Garrett and Brady both play as pitchers for the FGCU baseball team.
Baseball was a family sport for the Andersons back home in Arcadia, Florida. Even though the brothers are two years apart — Brady being the elder of the two — they seemed to pick up baseball around the same time.
“Brady took his first step at nine months old, and as of 10 months, my husband had a bat and a ball in his hand,” said Tara Anderson, the boys’ mother. “[Brady] was hitting off the tee as a 1-year-old and officially started playing when he was five.”
Tara said that Garrett didn’t have much of a say in what sport he played due to his brother’s natural inclination for baseball.
“Garrett really didn’t have a choice,” Tara said. “They are close siblings, and for Brady, it was, ‘If you’re going to play with me, you’re going to play ball.’”
The two played on the same little league team for three years, where they won second place their first year and first place the following years after. Their dad, Matt Anderson, coached the teams they played on until they reached high school.
Brady, a graduate student pursuing a master’s in accounting, played for DeSoto High School, under head coach Mike Klossner, and won Player of the Year his junior and senior year. Brady was a four-time MVP and two-time All-Area MVP.
Garrett, a junior health science major, played for DeSoto High School, under coach Trey Hill, and was part of the winning 2012 All-Area Team. In 2013, Garrett was named All-Area Player of the Year.
“There has always been competition between us,” Garrett said. “Sometimes, our parents would have to separate us. Basically, whoever wins gets the bragging rights.”
Brady explained that even though they play on the same team, the brothers’ schedules can be very different.
“For the most part, we are together, but not always,” Brady said. “Although we have the same training schedule, we’re in different groups.”
The same goes for their personalities. Garrett thinks of himself as the more outgoing one of the two.
“I want to be more social,” Garrett said. “I always want to hang out and do things with other people. I always want to be surrounded by my friends and large groups; Brady usually likes a small group.”
By living together for nearly three years, the brothers have learned that sometimes having someone as close as a sibling makes life a little easier.
“You always have somebody to do something with, like getting groceries or eating dinner,” Garrett said. “It’s just easier to hang with someone you’ve known your whole life.”
Tara recognized the brothers’ accomplishments and is proud to be the mom of two of the FGCU baseball team’s players.
“As a mom, I am ever so proud having two boys playing Division I baseball,” Tara said. “They’ve worked very hard both in baseball and academically.”