“We have a lot of new faces, and it’s obvious we lost a lot of leadership, but we definitely have enough people in the program to take the place of those individuals we lost, it’s just a matter of them making a solid commitment.” This is what Prairie View A&M head baseball coach Michael Robertson said when looking out at the upcoming season.
Robertson’s demeanor is serious, yet professional and respectful. With a program that won back-to-back conference championships, it’s obvious the apples didn’t fall far from the tree. This season, due to eligibility exhaustion, the Panthers lost a number of key players. The year has also brought in a slew of new players to a program that Robertson said, “has endured, consists of commitment, hard work, and discipline.”
Robertson considers his quiet leaders to be Brandon Whitby, who was recently voted as SWAC Preseason Baseball All-Conference Second Team selection, Oscar Goldman, and Brandon Kendricks. In addition to Whitby’s All-Conference selection, Wrandal “Title Game” Taylor was selected as the SWAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, and Wilford White was chosen as a SWAC Preseason Baseball All-Conference First Team infielder.
When speaking about how the team will fare after replacing the ineligible players, Robertson said, “It’s too early to tell, we are still trying to find the right chemistry. We have a young team and an interchanging lineup, so this season will bring opportunities to a couple of players who see the field as much as the starters, and it’s up to them to take advantage.”
The Panthers have a busy weekend, a doubleheader for their season and home opener against Texas College on Feb. 22 starting at 2 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m., and another doubleheader against Huston-Tillotson, Tuesday, Feb. 26 beginning at 1 p.m. Robertson says, “The best players in the program are the players you will see on the field, and we will do whatever it takes to represent Prairie View.”