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Kolby, a junior shortstop for Georgia, will welcome his younger brother Kyle, a freshman second baseman for Oklahoma, to Foley Field on Thursday for a three-game series between the 10th-ranked Bulldogs and 14th-ranked Sooners.
By: Olivia Sayer
When Kolby and Kyle Branch were growing up, they settled their arguments like many brothers do — with a pair of boxing gloves.
“When we would fight and get real mad at each other, [we would] put on the boxing gloves,” said Kolby, laughing. “That’s something we did that was kind of fun. You handled it right there.”
Now, the two brothers will have a chance to settle their debates on the baseball diamond. Kolby, a junior shortstop for Georgia, will welcome Kyle, a freshman second baseman for Oklahoma, to Foley Field on Thursday for a three-game series between the 10th-ranked Bulldogs and 14th-ranked Sooners.
“It’s going to be unreal,” Kyle told Dawgs247. “It’ll most likely be the only time I’ll ever get to play against or with him at a level this high, so it’s really cool. It’s like all of our dreams [are] kind of coming true.”
Oklahoma second baseman Kyle Branch on April 15, 2025 during Oklahoma baseball’s game at Oklahoma State. (Oklahoma Athletics)
A competitive nature
Thursday’s series-opener will be Kolby and Kyle’s first time playing against one another but far from their first time competing.
Kyle is two years younger than Kolby, but that never stopped him from challenging his older brother. The elder Branch said Kyle “came out of the womb” competitive and “always wanted to beat” him. Kolby also shared that it is what he admires most about his younger brother.
“You respect that out of him,” Kolby said. “That’s what any little brother should do, and he’s mastered it. If you let him hang around too much, he’ll steal your friends because that’s the kind of kid he is. He’s such a good dude. Everybody loves him.”
The Branch brothers, who are two of four, never missed a chance to compete, whether it was a best-of-seven ping pong match that ended around 12 a.m. on a school night or eating the last piece of food on the table.
“I remember my mom telling us we were always best friends up until about age 10, and that’s when we realized there’s a winner and a loser to everything,” Kyle said. “That’s when things started to get a little chippy, and ever since then, it’s been really healthy competition. We battled with [everything]. We could look at a piece of food on the table, and a brawl would ensue.”
Kolby and Kyle’s competitive spirit is what drove them towards the game of baseball, as it was the first game they found that kept score. However, according to their parents, the two brothers portray their desire to win in different ways.
“[Kyle is] more outwardly competitive,” said Kari Branch, Kolby and Kyle’s mom. “Kolby is absolutely competitive, but he is more quiet about it.”
Kolby agreed with his parents’ assessment, claiming he is more laid back than his “energetic” younger brother.
“He’s very energetic,” Kolby said of Kyle. “He’s not the loudest person in the room, but he’s one of them. He’s a competitor, and he wants to finish first. I’m a competitor myself, and I kind of save that for the field. Off the field, I’m pretty reserved, a little more laid back.”
‘He idolizes his brother.’
The brothers may be quick to a challenge, but they still have each others’ backs.
When Kyle struggled less than a year ago during his final season of high school baseball, one phone call with Kolby got him back on track.
“I had a really bad couple weeks, and then I called him, and I talked it out,” Kyle said. “He [said], ‘You don’t have to be perfect. Just go play your game.'”
After the words of wisdom from his older brother, Kyle’s season turned around. The younger Branch had what he described as a “really good playoff” performance, and he accredits it to Kolby’s advice.
“I think a lot of that was him, and I don’t even know if he knows that,” Kyle said. “I realized — like a whole world lifted off my shoulders — I don’t have to be perfect, and I can just go play this game.”
The message likely meant more coming from someone that Kyle idolizes, such as his older brother.
“Kolby and Kyle, for a good part of their lives, were inseparable,” said Rusty Branch, their dad. “Kyle idolizes Kolby [and] puts [him] on a very high pedestal…”
“…and Kolby truly respects Kyle for the man that he’s turning into,” Kari continued.
Their parents said the two were “each other’s best friends” throughout their childhood, and the relationship continued to grow as they began to relate to one another again.
“[Kyle’s] now seeing all the hard work that Kolby had to put in,” Kari said. “I think he’s gotten a new appreciation for Kolby because he’s seen what he’s had to do — go to school, go to practice, be on time, not miss anything, work hard, get there early. I think Kyle has learned to appreciate that about Kolby, and I think Kolby appreciates the fire of Kyle.”
Kolby, who is the oldest of all his brothers, embraced the responsibility of setting the standard for his siblings to follow.
“You’ve got to set the standard. You’ve got to set the path that’s followable for your younger siblings,” Kolby said. “And hope you’re picking the right stuff and acting the right way, off the field as well. When they come to see you, give them the time of day. Be their friend.”
‘If the man is right, the world is right.’
In the Branch household, baseball was not only a way for Kolby and Kyle to satisfy their competitive desires. Every ballfield was a training ground for life, as their parents used each pitch, at-bat and game to instill principles like hard work, goal setting and attitude within them.
“We used baseball to help raise boys, and we used the lessons of baseball to build character,” Rusty said. “Baseball was just our vehicle.”
The fact that Rusty and Kari cared more about who their sons were off the field than how they performed on it allowed their boys to play freely, according to Kolby. The results showed their freshman seasons. Kolby was unanimously named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, and Kyle is on his way to earning a similar recognition in the SEC.
“That’s what freed up a lot for me,” Kolby said. “I hear a lot of people [whose] dads want them to do good so bad [that] it might affect some things. That’s just human nature, but for him, it was always — no matter the outcome, no matter how well or or bad I played, you’re humble when you win. You’re gracious when you lose. It’s a helpful hand when your parents are always saying, ‘I love you no matter what happens on the field.'”
Neither were highly-touted recruits, but their behavior away from the field gave them an opportunity they have since embraced.
“When the man is right, the world is right,” said Rusty, referencing a story he told his boys. The story involved a child that quickly completed a 1,000 piece puzzle by putting the pieces resembling a boy together — getting the boy right — before moving on to assembling the rest of the puzzle, which was in the shape of the world. “The difference between getting cut and starting are very fine details, [and if] the fine details are what matter, maybe character does win.”
The right fit
Both universities are perfect fits for Kolby and Kyle’s personalities, according to their parents.
For Kyle, Oklahoma is built on “chaos” baseball. The Sooners lead the SEC with 96 stolen bases, and the freshman has 12 of them.
“Kyle loves to create chaos,” his parents said. “Kyle’s a chaotic human. If Kyle walks through this door, within 10 seconds, there’s either going to be a fight or there’s going to be a game.”
Kyle has yet to be caught stealing a bag, and his older brother hopes the perfect record makes him test his luck against the Bulldogs.
“I hope he tries to steal,” said Kolby, looking towards the catchers going through drills behind home plate. “If he ever gets on first and he wants to steal, I can’t wait for Henry, D-Jack or Huddy [Henry Hunter, Daniel Jackson and Brennan Hudson] to toss him out.”
Oklahoma also embraces being an underdog, which Kyle thrives at due to his experience as a younger brother.
“I’m not going to go out and hit a bunch of home runs and just bully people,” Kyle said. “But we are going to work every single day and be that quiet team that nobody really expects. I love being the underdog.”
For Kolby, Georgia’s staff instills belief in its players, which was evident from his first recruiting visit. His family ran into Kirby Smart during the tour, and the first words out of the head football coach’s mouth were, “You look like a [freaking] dog.”
“That’s what did it,” Rusty said. “You need to come here because you are good enough. That is what [head baseball coach Wes Johnson] has been about since the beginning.”
Plus, the Bulldogs, who lead college baseball with 105 home runs, like to hit.
“Our brand of baseball is we’re going to try to fast break you on offense and score as many runs as possible,” Kolby said. And stick to our game. Then on the pitching staff side, we’ve got a bunch of guys that can really throw it, so it’s a good fit for both of us.”
A brotherly battle
Thursday’s game, which is scheduled for a 7:02 p.m. first pitch on ESPNU, will mark the first time that Kolby and Kyle play on opposite sides, with the exception of scrimmages. The series will be exciting for the brothers but challenging for their parents. If they show favoritism to one child’s team, the other will certainly call them out for it.
“Neither misses anything,” Rusty said. “Mom and dad will be on our P’s and Q’s because I don’t even think we’re going to be allowed to clap.”
For the brothers, it will be three competitive games that will likely involve some trash talking.
“They will both slide cleats up on a double play a second if the other one is covering the bag,” said Rusty, laughing. “I would tell both of them to duck when that ball’s being thrown from second to first.”
However, it will also be a moment of Kolby and Kyle’s dreams coming true.
“I admire his work ethic and his passion,” Kyle said of his older brother. “I get to see his work come to life. It’s cool to watch, because I’ve known that guy my whole life, and now he’s on the big stage.”