St. James native Andrew Branson currently is trying to help his powerhouse team win a collegiate national championship. And in a couple months he’s hoping his life-long dream of having a shot in professional baseball takes flight.

Branson is currently finishing up his collegiate career with the Pittsburg State (Kan.) Gorillas, who are one of the hottest and most explosive baseball teams in NCAA Division II.

“It’s been a really fun year so far,” Branson said when he returned to Rolla April 15 to play his former school - Missouri S&T. In a matchup of nationally-ranked squads, Pittsburg State staged a come-from-behind, 9-5 win over the S&T Miners. In his final game in Phelps County, Branson had a large number of family and friends at the April 15 game.

“We’re not finished,” Branson said. “We have a lot more to accomplish. We have a chance to host the Central Regionals and go far (in the national tournament).”

The Gorillas ended the regular season 40-9 overall and won the murderous Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) outright with a 27-9 mark. PSU won 12 of its final 13 regular-season games and this week competes in the MIAA Tournament.

Entering this week Pittsburg State was ranked No. 5 in both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America and American Baseball Coaches Association national polls and debuted at No. 1 in the first set of NCAA Division II Central Regional rankings. The Gorillas are hoping to host the NCAA D-II Central Regionals May 14-17 then move on to the Super Regional May 22-23.

“It’s fun being a part of an offense so potent,” Branson said. “You never feel you are out of a game. We know when we play to the best of our abilities we’re the best team in the country. Our goal is to peak at the right time.”

A year ago strong pitching led the Gorillas to a 42-12 record and a trip to the Super Regionals. This year a powerful hitting attack is leading the way.

Pittsburg State boasts one of the nation’s top-ranked offensive attacks and Branson, a 6-3, 200-pound infielder, has been a key cog in that lineup all spring. Of Pittsburg State’s nine lineup regulars - including Branson - all are batting above .300.

Among D-II schools, Pittsburg State ranks first in on-base percentage (.478), second in scoring (11.7 runs per game), second in walks received (312), fourth in team batting average (.357), fourth in runs scored (536), fifth in slugging percentage (.571) and 10th in hits (566).

Senior outfielder Dagen Brewer leads the charge for the high-powered Gorilla offense. Entering last weekend Dagen ranked first nationally in RBIs (89), second in slugging percentage (.975), fourth in home runs (21) and sixth in total bases (153).

At the end of the regular season Branson was averaging .326 with four doubles, six homers, 27 RBI, 53 total bases and had a 1.013OPS and .558 slugging percentage.

Branson, now age 24, finishes his collegiate career this year in his hardship eligibility senior season. He has experience playing all infield positions from third base to shortstop, second base and first base in his collegiate career and that continues this season. He gets most of his infield starts at third base.
And the big key...Branson has stayed healthy this spring.

“No injuries,” Branson said. “Just some nagging stuff. I’ve been super-blessed to stay healthy. And being healthy, I’ve been able to get in a rhythm. I had a good fall and came out swinging hot in the spring.

“Our coaches have done such a good job. I feel I’m in a good place now. Our brand of baseball has created this identity from Day 1. I know my role on how to help this team.”

The coach who brought Branson to Pittsburg State, Bob Fornelli, retired following the 2025 campaign after becoming the fourth active D-II baseball coach to reach 1,100 career victories. He was replaced by Brock Buckingham this school year.

“Buck is the new coach and he’s awesome,” Branson said. “He was a Juco guy for 16 years at one of the top programs in the country. He has a lot of experience and is a good hitting guy. He talks about hunting pitches you’re going to get, not pitches you want. We focus on that a lot, controlling what we can at the plate.”

When the college season is over, Branson will turn his attention to his future.
He graduated from Pittsburg State in the spring of 2025 with a degree in pre-med. This school year he’s been working towards his Masters degree in leadership. Although he has his degree in hand, Branson would like to put off using it if a professional baseball opportunity is in the mix.

“This will be my last year (of college baseball),” said Branson. “I’m trying not to think about (pro ball prospects) now. We’re focused on our goal to win the national championship. If I stick to that and do my part, I hope to have an opportunity to keep playing somewhere. It’s been an amazing ride. I’m at peace with what happens. But (professional baseball) is still a goal. The thought now is baseball. If that doesn’t happen, I’ve got some contacts in medical sales, which I think fits my personality well.
“The draft is 20 rounds and the way it is now guys who don’t have (college) eligibility left are usually non-drafted free agent signings. But getting my foot in the door is the only opportunity I ask for. It’s been a goal since before I can remember. There are just so many talented athletes and good training... the game is so crazy - people going 100 miles an hour.”

After a standout St. James High School athletic career, in which he was a four-year baseball starter and two-time all-state basketball player who helped carry the basketball Tigers to a state quarterfinal berth, Branson chose to stay home by signing to play baseball at S&T.

Playing mostly at third base for the Miners, although also getting starts at second base and shortstop, Branson batted .315 as a sophomore with 33 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple, four homers and 30 RBI. He earned All-Great Lakes Valley Conference second-team honors for his performance. As a true freshman in 2021 Branson batted .339 with 25 runs, 10 doubles, two homers and 23 RBI. And for two summers Branson played for the Jupiter Wave of the Collegiate League of the Palm Beaches, a developmental collegiate summer baseball wood bat league.

He transferred to Pittsburg State after his sophomore campaign at S&T, in large part to get more looks from pro scouts with the tradition-rich Gorilla program.

But then the injuries began to kick in.

Branson endured three surgeries during a 2 1/2-year span by the end of the 2025 campaign. Knock on wood, he has stayed injury-free this spring.

In March of 2023 during his first year at Pittsburg State he had to have eye surgery, due to a sinus infection draining out of his eye, causing his vision to go from 20/20 to 20/80. He got a medical redshirt, then was able to play summer ball that year. However, he broke the hamate bone in his left hand a week before the first game in 2024. It was an injury that required two surgeries, the second in December of 2024.

He ended up playing 29 games in 2025 - with 17 starts - as an infielder or DH and batted .273 with 18 hits, 14 runs scored, 14 RBI, three doubles and three homers.