Seven innings on the mound were only part of Brenner Battiest-Moore’s contribution to a junior-year baseball win over Valliant. He allowed two hits without a walk and went 4 for 4 at the plate.
It is the athletic memory the Idabel High School senior is proudest of, but his experience in football and baseball also includes learning how to handle disappointment.
“Sometimes things don’t turn out like we want,” Battiest-Moore said.
To Battiest-Moore, resilience means giving his all on the field and finding a way to be better the next game. He describes that drive as “the want, the need, the hard fight to be the best.”
He appreciates having people around him who encourage that effort. Teachers throughout his education have helped him believe obstacles do not have to keep him from succeeding. Teammate Davion Byrd stands out as a close friend whose spontaneous personality and leadership Battiest-Moore values.
Family is what he loves most about living in Idabel.
“There isn’t much to do around here, but it’s home,” he said. “My family is here, and I love that.”
His 2 1/2-year-old twin nephews are already getting sports lessons from their uncle. Battiest-Moore also belongs to Honor Society and helps older adults and people with disabilities whenever he can.
His mother has encouraged him to focus on what he can control. Her fight against cancer gave him another reason to admire her.
Battiest-Moore helped her daily through chemotherapy, but he gives her credit for the strength it took to get through treatment.
“She was the strong one that fought hard through chemotherapy,” he said.
His mother beat cancer. When Battiest-Moore thinks about the people who have helped him reach his senior year, her name comes first.
“If it wasn’t for my mother, I wouldn’t be here today,” Battiest-Moore said.
