The Making of an Ace: Inside Ty Brachbill’s Breakout Journey

From early struggles to ONSL Pitcher of the Year, Brachbill is now emerging as a force at High Point

As the 2026 Old North State League season approaches, it’s worth taking a look back at the standout talent from 2025. 

Ty Brachbill of the Lexington Flying Pigs made his mark in a big way last summer, including taking home the 2025 ONSL Pitcher of the Year Award and striking out 21 in a game last year for the Flying Pigs. “You know, as crazy as it sounds, I didn’t know how good of an outing it was until they were having talks in the dugout about getting 20,” Brachbill said. “I try not to get caught up in what’s going on because a perfect outing can turn horrible very quickly in baseball.” Now, Ty shifts his focus toward leading High Point through a pivotal stretch of the season. “This team we have at HPU is very special and has everything it needs to make a postseason run,” Brachbill said. If the Panthers are going to make noise this postseason, they'll likely lean on one of the nation's most battle-tested pitchers.

So far this year, as a junior at HPU, Ty has continued his dominance from last summer. In 83 and ⅓ innings as the Saturday starter for the Panthers, he has a 3.56 earned run average and has struck out 76 hitters. However, Ty’s path to success hasn’t been without challenges. In his two years at Northern Illinois University, his ERA sat at almost 8.00 in over 140 innings. However, the strikeout stuff has always been there for the right-hander out of Shelbyville, Illinois. In his 144 innings at NIU, he struck out 134 batters, including 75 in his 70 innings as a sophomore.

While the numbers at Northern Illinois may not have reflected it, Brachbill never lost belief in his ability. Last summer in Lexington helped reignite that confidence. “Last summer was some of the most fun I’ve had playing baseball since I was 12, and it sparked a new sense of confidence that has carried over for me into this year at HPU,” Brachbill said. Since arriving at High Point last fall, this confidence has turned him into not just a reliable weekend starter, but a dominant presence on the mound that has begun to attract attention from many, including professional scouts across the country.

Ty’s 21-strikeout performance this past summer may not even be the most impressive outing of his career. As a senior at Shelbyville High School, he threw a perfect game against Shelbyville’s rival, St. Theresa High School, in a pivotal game against the conference’s top team. Brachbill also played three sports in high school, lettering in track, football, and baseball, and still holds several pitching records at Shelbyville High School, including single-season strikeouts, career strikeouts, and career wins. 

While Brachbill’s growth on the mound is evident over the past year, he credits much of his journey to people who supported him long before the accolades arrived. 

“My biggest influence is my grandpa,” Brachbill said. “He’s worked with me for as long as I can remember and has shaped me into the player I am today. I am so thankful to have someone who has been one of my biggest supporters by my side for my whole life. Still, even if he’s hundreds of miles away, he watches every game he can and will text me after each and every outing.” 

Brachbill has endured many highs and lows throughout his baseball career, but that support has remained consistent and allowed him to grow into the pitcher he is today.

As the Panthers continue their postseason push, Brachbill’s performances have begun to draw attention from professional organizations ahead of this summer’s MLB Draft. Still, the right-hander stays focused on the task ahead. “The draft is something that I’ve dreamt of my whole life, but my focus stays on this team and what we’re doing,” Brachbill said.

From Lexington to High Point, Brachbill’s transformation has quickly become one of the most intriguing stories in collegiate baseball.