BE’s Brusman to play baseball at The Citadel

Campbell Brusman says he’s ready for the discipline that a military lifestyle — and college — offer. And that’s just not a passing fancy.

 

Brusman, a middle infielder/designated hitter for the Bishop England Battling Bishops, has wanted to attend a military college since he was 12 years old. He was more than willing to say yes when The Citadel Bulldogs offered him a spot on their team.

 

“The military is something I’ve always wanted,” said Brusman, a Richmond, Virginia, native who moved to the Lowcountry nine years ago. “I have always been fascinated by the military life. That was too much to give up when they offered. It’s been a wild process, but it’s been worth it.”

 

He also says the crewcut, the structure, the strictness and The Citadel uniforms are worth it. He even knows that he could get yelled at.

 

But the camaraderie, the ring and the networking Citadel grads are afforded present a promising opportunity.

 

Brusman began his high school career at Oceanside Collegiate Academy where he played on the junior varsity team for two years. He transferred to Bishop England for his junior season. He had the starting shortstop locked up and played well for a handful of games until the COVID-19 pandemic shut down high school sports last March.

 

That’s when Brusman shifted gears and went full force.

 

“That was the whole turning point,” Brusman said. “I don’t want to say I wasn’t ready (last year), but I wasn’t in my best physical shape so it was a blessing in disguise. I had the perfect setup because we had just about every type of weight in our garage, so I started to work out to get better, faster and stronger.”

 

He added 10 pounds to his frame during the pandemic and continues to get stronger and faster. He said his plans at The Citadel will probably include redshirting his freshman year.

 

Coach Mike Darnell said it was a good fit for Brusman and the Bulldogs.

 

“He is a good kid,” Darnell said. “He wanted to go the military-school route so it is a good fit for him.” 

 

The Bishops dropped a close encounter to Hanahan Saturday in a game that decided the Region 8-AAA championship. Bishop England was scheduled to play James Island Tuesday night in the regular-season finale. Brusman will take part in Senior Night before the game. Another BE player, Chase Loggins will also take part in Senior Night. He’s headed to The Citadel as well.

 

“It was a great experience playing with Chase at Bishop England and I can’t wait to play with him at the next level,” Brusman said.

 

Brusman said he is proof that good things can happen with hard work. He should know. He was ranked 12th in his class at the end of his junior year with a 4.67 GPA.

 

The Bishops begin the Class AAA playoffs with a home game Friday against Georgetown. The Bishops are attempting to win their 11th state title in the program’s illustrious history. The Bishops won three straight titles: 2017, ’18 and ’19, but did not get a chance to defend their title last spring because of the COVID-19 shutdown.