Junior pitcher Brantley Claunch is a weekend starter in UNA’s rotation this season, but he almost did not end up playing baseball at the collegiate level.

After being a standout starting pitcher at Florence High School, Claunch did not receive any offers or interest from any schools.

“I had not gotten any looks as far as baseball goes,” Claunch said. “Then one day I texted Coach Keehn because I couldn’t see myself not playing baseball anymore, and I asked him if there were any spots open.

“I went to a tryout and pitched to three of their best hitters and they pulled me aside afterward and said they had a spot for me as a walk-on.”

Claunch’s pitching repertoire includes a fastball, curveball and a change-up. He said he’s always had these pitches and they continue to develop, but he has dropped one particular pitch since coming to UNA.

“When I came here the coaches told me they didn’t want me throwing my knuckleball,” Claunch said. “What I heard was they had a guy who threw a knuckleball before I got here and it got hit pretty hard.”

Claunch is referring to a story where former pitcher, Scott Fleming, threw his knuckleball and the opposing batter ripped it for a homerun. Coach Keehn turned to pitching coach Matt Hancock and asked him what that was. As the story goes, that was the end of knuckleballs being thrown by UNA pitchers, Claunch said.

Claunch said he chooses to ice his arm after every game but all UNA pitchers are not required to. A steady regimen of ibuprofren and strengthening exercises is his way of keeping his arm fresh throughout the season.

“I’ve never had any serious problems with my arm, but I have had some strained muscles before,” Claunch said. “Nothing serious. No surgeries.”

Claunch initially planned on becoming a pharmacist, but after enrolling at UNA he realized he did not enjoy the courses he was going to load up on.

“I didn’t like having to take two science classes every semester,” Claunch said. “Science just wasn’t for me. Math is my thing.”

Claunch’s early role for the Lions was as a relief pitcher, which was a struggle for him early on.

“That was different for me,” Claunch said. “Coming out of high school I was a starter, so that transition was difficult for me.”

Claunch’s teammate and fellow pitcher Riley Sanderson said Claunch has worked his way out of the bullpen and into a solid starter position for the Lions.

“He didn’t really like the relief work,” Sanderson said. “But he has gotten back into his groove as a starter and he really gives us a great chance of winning every time he goes out there.”

The pitching staff for UNA has kept them in some close games this season so far. Claunch said it is because they are a hard working group that tries to make each other better.

“One of our central themes with this team this season is to stop complaining,” Claunch said. “With the pitchers specifically our saying is ‘Today’ which means that we only need to focus on what’s happening right now.”

Sanderson said Claunch embodies a lot of those themes.

“Brantley is a great guy,” Sanderson said. “He’s fun to be around, but he also works really hard at what he does.

“Last season we had some pretty good weekend starters and Brantley has stepped up and become one of those for us this season.”

Senior infielder Bradley Noland said Claunch is a dependable teammate.

“Brantley is the type of guy you want on your team,” Noland said. “He’s a good character guy. He can lead now as a junior and will be a leader next year, too.”

Even when Claunch is not on the mound his teammates say he has a way of helping the team stay focused.

“He’s involved with a lot of church stuff. He’s a role model along those lines, too,” Noland said. “He helps the pitchers be better when he’s not pitching. He finds a way to impact the game positively.”