Brandon Bagwell joined the Central Oklahoma baseball team in 1996, quickly inserted himself into the starting lineup and went on to enjoy a sensational career that ended with him ranked among the program's all-time greats.
A prep star at Guthrie High School, the multi-talented Bagwell showcased sprinter speed along with a variety of other offensive skills in helping lead the Bronchos to three 30-plus win seasons and the best national finish in program history.
Brandon was the main shortstop as a freshman in 1996 and batted .267 with four doubles, three home runs and two triples.
Bagwell was back as the starting shortstop in 1997, with UCO making it all the way to the NCAA Division II finals before losing a heartbreaking one-run decision. He hit .307 with 13 doubles, a school-record eight triples, four home runs, 45 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases for a 42-21 club.
The Bronchos captured the Lone Star Conference and South Central Regional championships in advancing to the Division II World Series for the first and only time. Brandon batted .342 in nine national tournament games and hit the tie-breaking homer in an extra-inning win over top-ranked Tampa that got UCO in the national finals.
He scored the go-ahead run to give Central a 12-11 lead in the top of the ninth inning of the title game, but Cal State-Chico scored twice in the bottom of that frame to steal a 13-12 victory.
Bagwell moved to center field in 1998 and had another stellar season, earning first-team All-LSC North Division honors after hitting .317 with seven doubles, five triples, four homers, 37 RBI and 31 stolen bases for a 37-14 team.
He was a repeat first-team All-LSC North pick as a senior in 1999 despite missing 14 games in the middle of the season after getting cleated in the face while sliding into third base in a game and spending two weeks in the hospital. Bagwell batted a school-record .478 with five doubles, five homers, 24 RBI and 14 steals as the Bronchos went 32-13.
Brandon finished his outstanding career with a .334 average and still holds single-season school records for average (.478) and triples (eight) along with the career mark for triples (16). He also still ranks in the top 10 in six other career categories – second in games played (183), third in stolen bases (71), sixth in runs scored (143), ninth in RBI (118), ninth in at bats (512) and 10th in hits (171).
In this week's installment of our look back at some of Central's past athletic greats, here's a brief conversation with Brandon Bagwell.
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Degree earned at UCO:Â Â Bachelors in Communications
How did UCO prepare you for success: Being a student-athlete was a full time job and then some. Becoming successful in both areas required levels of commitment, time management, organization and communication that I learned and developed during my time at UCO.Â
Favorite memory at Central: Playing in the World Series my sophomore year (1997). We were in Montgomery, Alabama for two weeks due to games being rained out and eventually played in the National Championship game. It didn't turn out like we'd hoped, but I have so many great memories both on and off the field from that time. And during my senior year, Justin Knowles and I hit back-to-back home runs with the UCO football team lined up along the fence down the first base line. They were going crazy, climbing the fence and letting the other team hear all about it. I think the umpires had to stop the game to get a couple guys off the field!
Best thing about going to UCO: The best thing for me about going to UCO was being part of such a close-knit athletic department. There was a family atmosphere you could feel when walking into Hamilton Field House. I remember stopping to shoot baskets with Eddie Robinson and Dax Johnston on my way to the training room. I can picture Johnny Luter walking around the weight room yelling and laughing and motivating people…it didn't matter what sport you played. Our athletic trainer, Dave Gonzales, would run with us and throw BP in the batting cages. I hope the current teams and student-athletes have similar experiences working together as the campus and facilities continue to grow.
Who were your favorite professors, coaches, etc: Coach Simmons, Zac Robinson and Todd Kelly were coaching, teaching and mentoring me from the first day I set foot on campus to the last day of my senior year. I didn't always appreciate it at the time, but I definitely do now. I want to give a quick example of the type of professors we had and why Jill Kelsey was my favorite: I was injured my senior year, developed a bad staph infection and spent almost three weeks in the hospital or in bed hooked up to an IV. This was during a critical time for a public relations project I was working on in Professor Kelsey's class. After each class or meeting I missed, she would stop by to check on me, deliver the work I missed and keep me updated so I wouldn't fall behind. She was awesome.
If you could give advice to a current student-athlete at UCO, what would it be: All the little things matter. Everyone focuses on the results (GPA, wins and losses), but all the habits you create and skills you develop to deliver those results will be invaluable as you move on from UCO. Create and develop good ones!
Career path: I've worked for Ovintiv in the oil and gas industry the past 12 years. I'm currently the Operations Superintendent in our Permian Basin field.
Where do you currently live:Â Midland, Texas
Family: Two kids, Lily (17) and Lincoln (13).
