It was opening day of the 2026 college baseball season and University of Michigan’s Brayden Jefferis was starting at third base for the first time in his collegiate career against then-ranked No. 12 Oregon State.
Jefferis, who’s a Hart High graduate, has commanded the hot corner before but never at the Division 1 college level, and grew up as a middle infielder playing shortstop and second base as his preferred positions.
It wasn’t until Jefferis made a sliding play to his left at third base and threw across the diamond for an out on opening day that he really thought that third was meant for him.
“I was really nervous that day because I never played third in a regular season Division 1 baseball game,” Jefferis said in an interview with The Signal. “I think that was the biggest thing for me, was just making that play and I kind of reacted saying, ‘Maybe I can do this and I’m going to be all right.’”
Over the course of the season, Jefferis started in 57 games in his sophomore year for the Wolverines at third base and sported a .979 fieldingpercentage. Jefferis ranked eighth in fielding percentage among third basemen with at least 30 games played there and third with 50 or more starts.
After the end of the season, Jefferis was awarded the American Baseball Coaches Associations/Rawlings Sporting Gold Glove award at third base and became the first winner in University of Michigan history.
“Michigan means everything to me and there’s so much history with that school,” Jefferis said. “Being able to be a part of it is really special and being able to be the first to do something is really hard. So, it’s very special to be able to set that foundation for future winners.”
With the first gold glove award for the Wolverines, Jefferis became the seventh player from the Big Ten Confrence to earn the honor.
At third base, Jefferis totaled 474.2 innings played and ranked 36th for most innings across Division 1 college baseball.
Jefferis said that being able to represent the Big Ten is an honor but that the journey to claiming the award didn’t come without its challenges
With the West Coast expansion from the Big Ten Confrence, Michigan’s schedule saw a lot more travel across the country.
“I remember taking a lot of red-eyes when we played out on the West Coast, and you know, it’s just part of the grit aspect,” Jefferis said. “The biggest part from our team, especially this year, is accepting those roadblocks and adversity you’re going to get throughout the year and figure out a way to succeed through it.”
Despite the travel, Jefferis still found time to work on his game with the coaching staff while in Ann Arbor. And when Jefferis was back home, he worked with his older brother Cody, who played at Michigan in 2023 after four years at San Diego State.
Jefferis said Cody pushed him and provided guidance during the fall and winter months as he prepared for the season at third base.
“Him helping me out is a big deal because watching him play when I was younger … I always felt like he was a gold glover,” Jefferis said. “He was one of the best infielders I’ve ever seen. So, having him by my side helping me out was everything, was honestly one of the biggest helpers in that aspect.”
With the gold glove award, Jefferis adds to the list of names of notable award-winning and collegiate standout players from Hart High School.
The soon-to-be-junior Wolverine spoke on the amount of support he got from his former Hart teammates and coaches who grew him into the player he is today.
“I had four great years there and a ton of great people that shaped me into the player I am right now,” he said. “It’s great. I feel like I made them proud because they were a huge aspect of my life.”
As Jefferis prepares for his junior season, the Hart grad is looking forward to growing not only as a player but also as a leader.
After the Wolverines ended the season with a 34-24 overall record, Jefferis and the University of Michigan were quarterfinalists in the Big Ten tournament.
For Jefferis’ junior year, he’s eyeing a big 2027 season on and off the field to lead his team to victory and ultimately a NCAA tournament appearance.
“I think the biggest thing for me is to just continue to keep working hard and buy into the team,” he said. “I think going into my junior year, I’m going to step into a little bit more of a leadership role, so kind of taking young guys under my wing and try to lead the team.”
