Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
MSU Baseball Feature: Baseball Farm Club
5/12/2024 12:06:00 PM | Baseball
Baseball players often dream of their chance to play in the big leagues. For Michigan State freshman pitcher Garrett Brewer, there are additional dreams for big things in the future.
His sights aren't centered on his future on just the baseball diamond, rather, fields for farming.
"I'm staying around the farm and I can go back to it when I'm done with this," said Brewer, a freshman agribusiness major about his plans after baseball.
The four-year high school letterwinner from Berrien Springs High School committed to MSU with an impressive career behind him. He amassed 93 strikeouts in 38.2 IP with a 0.91 ERA as a senior, but it was the farm that made him pick MSU.
Brewer grew up on a hay farm in Eau Claire, Mich., a small town in the southwestern part of the state. His life revolved around baseball and the farm, as Brewer spent most of his days playing ball and then coming home to work.
"Getting to go to a baseball tournament was fun," said Brewer. "Then we'd do hay, have to go to practice, and then most of the time come back and do more hay."
Brewer, who stands 6-3, was a multi-sport varsity letterwinner in football and basketball, in addition to baseball. He said it can be a lot of work, especially when he is in season, to be an athlete and work on the farm.
"The summer was probably the worst, because you get home from baseball practice or something, they'd call you over to the hay field, so you'd have to drive over there and start doing hay," Brewer said.
It's not the hay that keeps him motivated, it's the animals. Brewer said that they are one of his favorite parts.
"We have cows, horses, we have some goats now, and two pigs," said Brewer. "The cows are my favorite. They're cute when they're little. And then they grow up. I mean, they get to be a hassle when they're older, but I probably like them the most."
Brewer loves doing what he knows. He has been on the farm his whole life and plans to stay.
"My favorite part is probably the pasture," said Brewer. "As a kid, we'd run around out there, play with the horses, play with the cows, and it's just a nice place. And there's a creek down below we always used to fish in."
Coming from a town with a smaller population than students at MSU can take time and effort to adjust. Brewer said it's a big change from seeing tractors daily to freeways with speeding cars.
"We'd be driving around, there's no traffic, and then here you get to it. There's crazy traffic here. It's a lot different and then the atmosphere is crazy too," said Brewer.
Brewer has had to adapt to not just the bigger population and traffic, but has adjusted to college baseball nicely, as he entered the weekend among the team leaders in ERA with a 3.12 ERA in eight appearances and was part of shutout in a 9-0 Victory for MSU over Niagara, ringing up three strikeouts without a hit in his 1.0 IP of work to preserve the shutout.
Even though Brewer grew up working on his family farm baling hay every day, he said that farming is in his blood. His parents are what inspired him to continue this passion.
"My parents like that I'm doing that, because I'm staying around the farm," said Brewer.
He even plans to spend some of his time off in the summer back at the farm helping out his family.
"I'll play baseball for probably a month and a half and then I'll go back and help them with hay and just help around the farm when they need it," said Brewer.
He said he has had first-hand experience on the farmland and is excited to expand his farm with one of his friends.
"One of my buddies, he's a farmer, and I plan to take over the family hay business and then kind of branch off his business to help him out," said Brewer. "He does apples, peaches, and then a couple of other small things, but he does much of that."
Brewer said working on the farm helped his baseball career, by keeping him well-conditioned and ready for the game.
"Being in the hot sun, just lifting all the hay bales all day, then going to practice kind of helped you out a little with all the conditioning," said Brewer.
Brewer has spent all his life on the farm and looks forward to spending his time after MSU in the countryside.
"Being around there it's relaxing, here there's a lot of stuff to worry about, school and baseball, but then when you're back home, it's just nothing really to worry about," said Brewer.
Brewer and the Spartans are currently in Minneapolis for a weekend series at Minnesota,wrapping up with the series finale on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT.
MSU then returns home for its final four games of the 2024 regular-season, opening with a non-conference match-up with Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, May 14 in a 6:05 p.m. first pitch at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
The Spartans then host Nebraska in a three-game B1G weekend series, Thursday-Saturday, May 16-18 to wrap up the regular-season. Thursday and Friday's game are 6:05 p.m. start times, while Saturday's is slated for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Saturday is also MSU's Senior Day as the Spartans will honor their senior players and managers in a pre-game ceremony, so fans are encouraged to arrive early to join in the celebration.
Fans can follow MSU baseball action with "Tickets," "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
His sights aren't centered on his future on just the baseball diamond, rather, fields for farming.
"I'm staying around the farm and I can go back to it when I'm done with this," said Brewer, a freshman agribusiness major about his plans after baseball.
The four-year high school letterwinner from Berrien Springs High School committed to MSU with an impressive career behind him. He amassed 93 strikeouts in 38.2 IP with a 0.91 ERA as a senior, but it was the farm that made him pick MSU.
Brewer grew up on a hay farm in Eau Claire, Mich., a small town in the southwestern part of the state. His life revolved around baseball and the farm, as Brewer spent most of his days playing ball and then coming home to work.
"Getting to go to a baseball tournament was fun," said Brewer. "Then we'd do hay, have to go to practice, and then most of the time come back and do more hay."
Brewer, who stands 6-3, was a multi-sport varsity letterwinner in football and basketball, in addition to baseball. He said it can be a lot of work, especially when he is in season, to be an athlete and work on the farm.
"The summer was probably the worst, because you get home from baseball practice or something, they'd call you over to the hay field, so you'd have to drive over there and start doing hay," Brewer said.
It's not the hay that keeps him motivated, it's the animals. Brewer said that they are one of his favorite parts.
"We have cows, horses, we have some goats now, and two pigs," said Brewer. "The cows are my favorite. They're cute when they're little. And then they grow up. I mean, they get to be a hassle when they're older, but I probably like them the most."
Brewer loves doing what he knows. He has been on the farm his whole life and plans to stay.
"My favorite part is probably the pasture," said Brewer. "As a kid, we'd run around out there, play with the horses, play with the cows, and it's just a nice place. And there's a creek down below we always used to fish in."
Coming from a town with a smaller population than students at MSU can take time and effort to adjust. Brewer said it's a big change from seeing tractors daily to freeways with speeding cars.
"We'd be driving around, there's no traffic, and then here you get to it. There's crazy traffic here. It's a lot different and then the atmosphere is crazy too," said Brewer.
Brewer has had to adapt to not just the bigger population and traffic, but has adjusted to college baseball nicely, as he entered the weekend among the team leaders in ERA with a 3.12 ERA in eight appearances and was part of shutout in a 9-0 Victory for MSU over Niagara, ringing up three strikeouts without a hit in his 1.0 IP of work to preserve the shutout.
Even though Brewer grew up working on his family farm baling hay every day, he said that farming is in his blood. His parents are what inspired him to continue this passion.
"My parents like that I'm doing that, because I'm staying around the farm," said Brewer.
He even plans to spend some of his time off in the summer back at the farm helping out his family.
"I'll play baseball for probably a month and a half and then I'll go back and help them with hay and just help around the farm when they need it," said Brewer.
He said he has had first-hand experience on the farmland and is excited to expand his farm with one of his friends.
"One of my buddies, he's a farmer, and I plan to take over the family hay business and then kind of branch off his business to help him out," said Brewer. "He does apples, peaches, and then a couple of other small things, but he does much of that."
Brewer said working on the farm helped his baseball career, by keeping him well-conditioned and ready for the game.
"Being in the hot sun, just lifting all the hay bales all day, then going to practice kind of helped you out a little with all the conditioning," said Brewer.
Brewer has spent all his life on the farm and looks forward to spending his time after MSU in the countryside.
"Being around there it's relaxing, here there's a lot of stuff to worry about, school and baseball, but then when you're back home, it's just nothing really to worry about," said Brewer.
Brewer and the Spartans are currently in Minneapolis for a weekend series at Minnesota,wrapping up with the series finale on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT.
MSU then returns home for its final four games of the 2024 regular-season, opening with a non-conference match-up with Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, May 14 in a 6:05 p.m. first pitch at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
The Spartans then host Nebraska in a three-game B1G weekend series, Thursday-Saturday, May 16-18 to wrap up the regular-season. Thursday and Friday's game are 6:05 p.m. start times, while Saturday's is slated for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Saturday is also MSU's Senior Day as the Spartans will honor their senior players and managers in a pre-game ceremony, so fans are encouraged to arrive early to join in the celebration.
Fans can follow MSU baseball action with "Tickets," "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
Monday, May 19
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | April 17, 2025
Thursday, April 17
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 25 2025
Tuesday, March 25
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 11 2025
Tuesday, March 11