Pascagoula baseball family remembers and honors ‘energetic’ teammate
Pascagoula baseball coach Colton Caver got the call at 9:19 p.m. on Saturday night. One that he hasn’t and doesn’t expect to shake anytime soon.
Junior pitcher Braylyn Knowles had passed away in an ATV accident in Mobile County. He was 16 years old. Caver gathered the team at Richie Tillman Field that night to inform them.
“It was a tough night, as you can imagine,” Caver told the Sun Herald of that meeting. “A lot of emotions, a lot of feelings and a lot of frustration, to be honest with you.”
Knowles was beloved by many, and he left a hole in the Panthers’roster that can’t easily be filled. His rare spirit toed the line between competitive fire and a nature of cheerfulness that brought light to every situation.
“He was definitely a goofball,” Caver said. “He loved to push buttons. But he always did it with a smile on his face. That’s him to a T. He’s also probably one of the most confident players I’ve ever coached in my career. Usually guys like that are guys that throw 95 or hit the ball 500 feet. He wasn’t blessed with that. But he was blessed with confidence and competitiveness.”
Knowles had become a valuable and reliable member of the Pascagoula pitching staff. He pitched in 12 of the 23 games he was available for.
He had just worked his ERA below 3.00. Baseball was Knowles’ primary sport and had played it since childhood. His experience, maturity on the mound and ability lift everyone around him represent a combination of traits Caver doesn’t have a replacement for.
“His smile, his behavior and how he handles things, that’s what we’re truly going to miss here at Pascagoula,” Caver said.
The Panthers wore black pants, black shirts and black lids during Thursday night’s game against Gautier. The only outlier throughout pregame was Sean Norvel.
Norvell, who wears No. 13, couldn’t be missed in Knowles’ white No. 4 jersey.
Knowles was Norvel’s close friend. He’s worn his jersey throughout the week to honor him and the spirit he brought to those around him.
“He was very energetic, he always brought good vibes,” Norvel said of Knowles. “You could never be sad around him. He was going to make you smile.”
Norvel roams center field for Pascagoula, but his first play Thursday came behind the plate when he caught the ceremonial first pitch from Knowles’ father, Carlos Knowles.
It was one of a couple bright moments that shone through on the diamond during a difficult week. The other came in the series opener against the Gators on Tuesday.
Norvel stepped into the box in the third inning with a bases-loaded opportunity to blow open what was a two-run lead at the time. He capitalized, blasting a grand slam for his second home run of the season. Knowles met him halfway around the bases.
“When I first hit it, I was just excited that I hit it,” Norvel said. “When I got to second base, that’s when all the pain hit me. I got emotional because he wasn’t here to see it happen. But I knew he was looking down and smiling.”
Because that’s what Knowles did and who he was. He left a legacy of bringing joy into life that his teammates and coaches are keen to hold onto to honor him.
“Every time I saw Braylyn, he was smiling,” Norvel said. “If I was upset, he would make me smile because I saw him smiling. His smile brightened a lot of people’s days.”
