‘Never had a Plan B’: Sears signing with Atlanta Braves

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) – Brett Sears had his mind set on becoming a professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher admits he didn’t have a back-up career option.

“I guess I never had a Plan B,” Sears said. “I said ‘I’m just going to do that.”

Sears’ single-track focus has resulted in a major payoff. The Big Ten Pitcher of the Year signed with the Atlanta Braves this week after being drafted by the club in the 7th Round. Sears said he didn’t watch the MLB Draft and expected to be a Day 2 or 3 selection. He, in fact, was swimming with friends near his hometown when the 221st pick was made by the Braves.

“Its really a dream come true,” Sears said. “(Its) a goal of mine that I can check off.”

Sears plans to travel to Florida this weekend to begin training with the Braves. He joins three other Nebraska starting pitchers in the Braves organization (Spencer Schwellenbach, Aaron Bummer, and Shay Schanaman). During the 2024 season, Sears recorded more than 100 strikeouts while helping the Huskers reach the NCAA Tournament. His 2.16 ERA ranked fifth nationally.

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