ROBERTSDALE, Ala. —Isaac Bradford, a starting pitcher for the Robertsdale High nine, has plowed through the opposition on numerous occasions. Perhaps that explains his love of farming and membership in the Future Farmers of America.

“I’ve been playing baseball since the age of five when I began playing city league ball,” the junior hurler said. “Although I played first base, when I got to the majors I switched to pitching only.”

During his high school years Bradford has bore down on his pitching.

“It’s taken me several years, but I finally learned how to throw a change up in addition to a split-fingered fast ball, and a very nasty curve,” he said.

Bradford throws in the mid-80-mile-per-hour range, but his goal is to hit the 90’s.

“I know how important it is that I have a really good junior season,” he said, “especially if I expect to get on some collegiate or professional radar screens.”

“Isaac has really good control,” said Andy Benton, an assistant baseball coach. “That’s really hard to coach as some players either have it or they don’t.”

Bradford doesn’t bat during ball games as a designated hitter goes to the plate for him.

“The thing is,” he said, “is that I really like to hit. I can watch another pitcher and unless he’s disguising his pitch awfully well, can tell what he’s fixing to throw. I love the feel of the ball making connection with the bat.”

Although he played basketball and football, in addition to baseball, at Central Baldwin Middle School, Bradford said the experience convinced him that baseball was the route to go.

“That’s when I began to concentrate on baseball,” he said. “I also went to the University of South Alabama.”

Bradford said he intended to attend camps at other schools this summer.

At RHS he is active in the National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes during his sophomore year. He also participates in the Future Farmers of America,

“I take classes at the South Baldwin Center for Technology,” he said, “so that’s how I was able to get involved in FFA. Besides, we live in Rosinton, which is out in the county.”

The son of Keith and Debbie Bradford, Isaac has two older sisters, Becky and Bonnie.

“You might say I’m the baby of the family, but that doesn’t mean a thing to my sisters,” he laughed.

Each afternoon Bradford and his father pitch and catch for a while.

“My father finally had to breakdown and get some shin guards as he was going around with bruises all over his leg,” Bradford said. “We take a month off during the year, but we get back to it during the other 11 other months.”

Bradford said the family had a really large garden to tend during the spring and summer.

“Last year I raised a 103-pound watermelon,” he said, “but to be honest, it didn’t taste all that good. If anything, it was terrible.”

For fun, Bradford said he enjoyed fishing, hiking in the mountains and going to the beach with friends.

“As for college, I’d like to go to a university where I could get a degree in either Geology or Earth Science,” he said. “I realize that one day I’ll throw my last pitch, so I’ll need something to fall back on.”

Bradford, who has a 4.125 grade point average, said he had sent letters of inquiry to all of the Southeastern Conference schools and some from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“Only Tennessee and Florida State have responded so far,” he said. “Both schools invited me to their camps this summer so they could see me work from the mound. Although I’m a big Crimson Tide fan I haven’t heard any thing from them yet.”

His favorite professional team is the Atlanta Braves.

“We’ve been to Atlanta to watch the Braves four or five times,” he said. “I always enjoy watching the pitchers at that level of play.”

At 6-3, 200 pounds Bradford knows it would help if he were to grow some more before graduation from Robertsdale High.

Bradford’s personal philosophy about baseball is, ‘One pitch at a time.’

“I believe you should live in the present,” he said. “Just throw one pitch at the time, and concentrate on throwing strikes. To me, baseball is a lot like life. You win some and you lose some and some just get rained out. The important thing is to move on with your life.”