Charlotte Jewish News Oct 2026 | Page 17

The Charlotte Jewish News- October 2026- Page 17

Charlotte Pitcher Brings Chai T-shirt to Life

By Michael Murra

University of North Carolina at Charlotte( UNCC) redshirt sophomore pitcher Andrew Alberts loves the support and camaraderie he enjoys with his teammates and coaches within the 49ers Baseball Program.

Alberts, 21, heard that his teammates planned on wearing the popular“ Jesus Won” warmup shirts that Texas Rangers rookie Evan Carter debuted in 2023. Alberts completely understood, and there’ s a mutual respect between himself and his teammates, who are predominantly Christian. But he wanted a shirt that represented his faith tradition.

To bring the idea to life, Alberts partnered with Jeremy Moses, cofounder of Tribe NIL, the nation’ s first Jewish-focused name, image and likeness( NIL) initiative, and Yonatees, a Jewish lifestyle brand, to produce the shirt. Alberts, who is also a member of Tribe NIL, said the organization helps Jewish student-athletes maximize NIL opportunities while celebrating Jewish identity and pride in collegiate athletics.

The shirt’ s design features the Hebrew word“ Chai” above the English spelling. Alberts proudly wore it to the ballpark during his redshirt season last spring and plans to continue wearing

it throughout his playing career. He also wears a Star of David necklace whenever he plays, another visible expression of his Jewish identity.

“ This“ Chai t-shirt” would not have been possible without Jeremy and Tribe NIL,” Alberts said.“ I ultimately want to see as many Jewish athletes as possible rocking it. It would be pretty sweet to see a guy like Alex Bregman( of the Chicago Cubs) walk out in one of our“ Chai t-shirts.” It is also a conversation starter because people ask questions and learn more about Judaism when they see it.”

Alberts shared his connection to Judaism deepened after the Oct. 7 attacks. At the time, he was playing junior college baseball outside Seattle.“ It seemed like everyone, on both the left and the right, wanted to turn against the Jews,” he said.“ The level of misinformation was astonishing.” Faced with that reality, Alberts felt he had a choice to make.“ I had two options. I could hide and conceal my Star of David, or I could wear it proudly and show that I’ m not going to back down. I decided to speak out and stand up for who I am and for the Jewish people. That led me to the“ Chai t-shirt. I’ m on a pretty special journey and excited to see where it leads.”

Born in Dallas, Texas, Alberts’

UNC Charlotte pitcher Andrew Alberts sports his“ Chai” t-shirt. childhood was defined by frequent moves. He attended middle school in Greensboro, North Carolina before relocating to Arizona for high school. While his family observed the High Holy Days, they never stayed in one place long enough to join a local synagogue.

His path to Division I baseball followed a similarly distinctive course. Instead of playing high school baseball, Alberts trained independently and competed for club teams before earning a roster spot at Manhattan University in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx.

He enjoyed his time in New York but decided that Charlotte – which plays a more competitive level of Division I baseball – was a better fit. The 49ers are members of the American Athletic Conference and hope to contend with instate rival East Carolina for the conference title.

After his playing days are over, Alberts is considering a career in physical therapy or coaching. He recently completed a summer internship with Prime Performance, a baseball training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

“ I was able to help with the program’ s routines, training and data,” Alberts said.“ The most rewarding part was having the opportunity to make a positive impact on the athletes. I’ ve benefited from so many amazing people throughout my life, and this experience only strengthened my passion for coaching and mentoring.”

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