New Paltz High School Graduate Signs With MLB's Cincinnati Reds

A New Paltz High School graduate who went on to play baseball in college at RIT has gone pro after signing with the Cincinnati Reds. Steven Branche is a 2015 high school grad and member of the class of 2020 at RIT where he was a pitcher with the Tigers.

According to RIT Athletics, Branche had a terrific 2019 season finishing with a 5-2 record over 11 starts. He led the Liberty League in strikeouts with 66 and held opposing batters to a .198 average. Despite being a Division III program, he caught the attention of Major League scouts and will now start making his way towards the big dance.

The 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19 but Branche was off to a hot start. He struck out 17 batters over twelve innings and only gave up three runs to go along with a 1-0 record.

The 6'4 210-pound hurler is 'not only one of the most talented pitchers we ever had but one of the hardest workers and most importantly a tremendous person,' according to RIT Head Coach Rob Grow. He becomes the eighth Rochester Institute of Technology student to sign with a Major League organization.

Brache has been spending time as an employee at Kettlebourgh Cider House in New Paltz in recent years. It could be tough to keep both jobs.

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