No. 17 hits home for Owens brothers

They could just arm wrestle.

But this is a baseball family, with the Owens brothers (Brayden and Kaleb) playing baseball together next season at Anderson University. The monkey wrench of the whole thing is that they have both have worn the same number (17) throughout their baseball careers.

So how will they settle it?

The older brother, Brayden, took some time to reflect on it.

“We kind of joke around about the number and about how we both wear it,” Brayden said. “He’s been kind of on me about it and that he’s supposed to wear it.”

Continued Brayden, who started wearing No. 17 his freshman year of high school at Easley, “I told him that if he keeps me below .300 in the fall when we match up against each other, then he can have the number for the spring and I’ll switch with him. We’ll see how that goes.”

It should be interesting how that pans out.

Brayden was supposed to graduate this year and then start his coaching career. However, a season-ending injury allowed him to come back for another season at Anderson University.

Despite the injury, Brayden still put up some solid numbers this past season.

He started 43 of 45 games this past season and batted .321. He tied for third on the team with 13 multi-hit games and had a 10-game hitting streak during the season. Plus, he was named CSC (CoSIDA) Academic All District.

Neither one of these standout athletes dwell in the past. Remember, Kaleb just received Player of the Year honors and All-State recognition.

“We’re getting to play together (next season) by a little luck and that’s really cool,” added Brayden.