30-05-2025
‘Friendly rivalry' to ‘good friendship': How these two Brebeuf baseball players formed a bond
INDIANAPOLIS — Anthony Suscha and Andrew O'Brien found themselves outside uncontrollably screaming and yelling. Just moments prior, while sitting in Brebeuf teammate Nick Sobek's basement, the two friends watched Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hit a game-tying shot that sent Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks to overtime.
'It was one of the coolest moments we had as friends," O'Brien said. "We were jumping up and down like we had won state.'
Brebeuf (13-12) got one step closer to state Thursday after beating Danville 5-3 in a IHSAA Class 3A baseball sectional quarterfinal. Brebeuf scored four of their five runs in the first inning. Suscha's one-out triple drove in Sobek, who walked at the leadoff spot. Suscha then tagged home on a sacrifice fly by senior Ethan Norris to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. The Danville pitcher hit two straight batters, allowing a single from sophomore Nate Marcus to drive in Brebeuf's final two runs of the first.
O'Brien and Suscha lead the team in home runs, RBIs and batting average and their numbers in each category are similar.
Akin to their numbers, O'Brien and Suscha's friendship is just as close. The two met at 8 years old while playing in Broad Ripple Haverford Little League. Through grade school, O'Brien and Suscha competed against one another in baseball, chess, soccer and basketball.
'They started out wanting to beat each other when they were young in all these different sports, but as they got older, they were big supporters of each other. So, it's been cool to see the friendship evolve over the years,' O'Brien's father, Matt, said. 'It was a friendly rivalry that has now become a really good friendship in high school.'
Suscha said he and O'Brien began to bond when they played together on their local Under-12 team but didn't get closer until they joined Brebeuf, where they both made the baseball team as freshmen. Matt said the two were 'happy and relieved' when they were again teammates.
O'Brien, who hits second in the Braves' lineup, and Suscha, third, shared hitting notes throughout high school and gave each other tips on their swings. O'Brien credited Suscha for encouraging him to stay positive and 'keep a good approach at the plate' when he struggles to hit.
Swinging at baseballs started and maintained their friendship. Swinging at tennis balls strengthened it.
O'Brien joined the tennis team this school year after he began playing the sport in 2024. Alongside Suscha, who has played tennis since age 2, the two seniors earned Brebeuf tennis its first state championship in 51 years.
From the fall: Brebeuf boys tennis wins first state title in 51 years, beating Center Grove
When asked how he would rate O'Brien's tennis skills, Suscha looked at his teammate, and the two laughed.
'He's working, he's getting better,' Suscha said.
In addition to improving his tennis skills, O'Brien began prioritizing his spiritual life in recent years. He incorporates prayer and Bible reading into his daily routine and attends church services regularly.
'He leads such a great life and enjoys every aspect of it,' Suscha said. 'He is always fun and energized but knows how to focus, which is cool to observe and put into my own life. I get to learn from his joy and how he boosts everyone up.'
Brebeuf coach Wes Neese praised both seniors for their composure this season following Brebeuf's defeat in last year's state final and applauded their relaxed on-field spirit.
'They behave like no moment is too big and that rubs off on other guys. Play every pitch, every at-bat, like it's the same,' Neese said. 'There's not much harder to do than hit a baseball, so to be able to take a deep breath and control your heart rate, you get to think more clearly. When you reach this point, you're facing pitchers who throw in the upper 80s, so you don't have to do much. If you try to do more, the worse it gets for you.'
Brebeuf will play Guerin (15-12) at 1 p.m. Monday in the sectional semifinals. As the year draws to a close, bittersweet emotions arise for O'Brien's mother, Heather. Heather and Suscha's mom, Liz, played on the Brebeuf softball team together in 1991.
'It's fun to have it come all full circle with the boys playing together. It's crazy how we both had boys at the same time and now both are playing,' Heather said. 'That's what it's all about, the people. And we are going to miss that the most.'
Elsewhere: Luke Baker's extra-inning homer lifts Roncalli to sectional win over Shelbyville
As Suscha continues his baseball journey at Trinity College, he can expect an occasional text message from O'Brien checking in on his season. O'Brien will stay closer to home and attend Notre Dame but doesn't plan to continue baseball.
Two separate colleges. Two separate career aspirations.
However, the pair can give thanks to little league baseball, to the poker games that lasted eight hours straight on a team trip to Memphis at the start of this school year, to chaotic screaming and yelling over their hometown basketball team doing the miraculous, to making a miraculous comeback of their own in semistate in 2024.
Thanks to 10 years of moments carved by friendship through sport, O'Brien and Suscha's bond will remain formidable.
'We weren't always super close when we were back in little league because we were rivals, but because we've gotten to know each other, we've come to know we're both fun people,' O'Brien said.
O'Brien and Suscha plan to reconnect during Thanksgiving break and text about the Pacers and Colts while in college. For Suscha, no future experience with O'Brien will ever top the past four years.
