Starting pitcher Kyle Brenner '15, picked up his third win of the season Sunday with a dominating pitching performance in the first game of a doubleheader against Framingham State University. He then transitioned smoothly to his second role as batter in the second game, scoring a run that would eventually allow Brandeis to come away with another victory.

Brenner is not an average college baseball player. Just take a look at his overall season statistics: they fill up the stat sheet in just about every category possible.

When Brenner is not collecting strikeouts and wins as the ace of the baseball squad, he is compiling runs batted in and hits as a middle-of-the-order hitter.

Brenner has been an athlete since he was young, playing a variety of sports ranging from baseball at six years old to basketball and football later on.

After graduating high school and receiving recruiting interest from a number of Division I programs, he considered pursuing a collegiate athletic career centered on football.

Brenner's decision to play baseball at Brandeis instead of Division I football ultimately came down to three key advantages: its baseball program, its academic rigor and the proximity of Brandeis to his hometown in Brookfield, Mass.

"[Brandeis] was potentially one of the best schools that I could get into and it was close to home and [had] a rich baseball tradition," Brenner said.

Although Brenner's pitching statistics are impressive-he has pitched 48.2 innings this season with 35 strikeouts and an ERA just above 3.00-he actually came into Brandeis as a catcher.

"I pitched a little bit in prep school, but I was a catcher when I came in freshman year," he explained. "So coach said 'no more catching because it's too much on your body' so I originally was in the outfield, then I hurt my leg and moved to the infield. Now it's first [base] and pitcher."

Still, Brenner managed to secure a spot in the pitching rotation as a first-year.

Then, as a sophomore, he was voted as a captain of the squad by his teammates. Brenner said he still knew his place as an underclassman but embraced his position of captain to help the team succeed.

"It was such an honor...that people older than me voted for me to be the captain," he said.

"Being on the mound and having that much trust from your teammates makes you feel just that much more comfortable out there."

Perhaps the only thing more impressive than Brenner's pitching performance is his ability to produce with a bat. This season, he has a .298 batting average to go along with a .365 on-base percentage. Brenner said that hitting has not inhibited his pitching or vice versa.

In fact, Brenner thinks that being a two-way player has helped him succeed in both areas.

"Because I hit, I see people's approach to the plate, so I think, 'where would I be the weakest?' [which is] where I like to throw," he explained.

Brenner looks to compete in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament this season and move on to the NCAA tournament next season.

He will do his best to help the team achieve that goal one pitch-and hit-at a time.