“Eli is the best pure hitter that Shipley has had in my four years here,” said Shipley baseball head coach Bryan Bendowski. “He is a proven winner on and off of the field. His dedication to baseball can be attributed to the time he has put in during the off-season. He was a regular at our early-morning winter hitting workouts and he plays practically all year long.”

During the Gators’ spring training at Disney Wide World of Sports, Branzburg slammed a towering home run over the fence into a field where the Haverford School squad was practicing.

CATCHING ON: Branzburg, who first played organized baseball with Lower Merion Little League, has played catcher throughout his career. He won the Lower Merion Little League scholarship earlier this year. During the summer, he plays for Bendowski with the Wayne American Legion squad.

“Bryan Bendowski has been a great coach for our teams,” said Branzburg. “He helped me to get to where I am by forcing me to work hard every time we were on the field.”

Last spring, Branzburg provided solid hitting and catching, as the Gators went 13-6. He received second team All-Main Line honors for his efforts.

Branzburg’s twin brother Max is a solid first baseman/designated hitter and captain for the Friends’ Central baseball squad.

“We have unofficially made our teams rivals,” said Eli.

Branzburg plans to play baseball at Muhlenberg College next year, and is leaning toward majoring in business.

—By BRUCE ADAMS
Reprinted Courtesy of The Main Line Times