Ethan Petry reveals how he handled ups and downs of South Carolina's season
South Carolina baseball has been a rollercoaster this season. Freshman Ethan Petry is trying to make the most of the ride.
The Gamecocks lost nine of their 11 final games of the regular season. The Gamecocks went 3-0 at the NCAA Tournament Regionals to advance. These statements shouldn’t be able to co-exist. Yet, here we are. Petry discussed the rare situation on Wednesday.
“What I learned when I was little was just stay the course and stay a happy medium. You never want to be too high. You never want to be too low. Just stay medium if you’re doing bad, and stay medium even if you’re doing good,” Petry told the press.
Petry has been anything but “medium” for the Gamecocks this season. The budding star is batting .374 this season, contributing 75 RBIs and 23 home runs. For his impressive performances, the conference named Petry SEC Player of the Week in April, SEC Freshman of the Week three times and named him All-SEC First Team.
Now, the Gamecocks need Petry’s talents again. South Carolina will square off against Florida in a best-of-three series to advance Men’s College World Series. The Gamecocks were dominant in their last meeting against the Gators.
In April, South Carolina swept Florida in a three-game series, outscoring the Gators 25-10. Petry was dynamic in the three victories. The 6-foot-4 infielder recorded five hits and two home runs in the three contests. Nonetheless, Petry isn’t letting his prior success get to his head.
“It doesn’t matter if we swept them,” Petry said. “It’s a new season. They’re going to come out hungry, they’re going to come out hungrier than ever, and we will too.”
Petry has a little extra motivation to perform in Gainesville, Fla. His high school is barely 100 miles away from the University of Florida. Petry isn’t entering a scary swamp with the season on the line. He’s strolling into his backyard.
“I’m really excited for this series. It’s right near my home, and I’m real excited to be back in Florida,” Petry said. “I’m just feeling more confident and feeling like better about myself, knowing the team has my back. Enjoying the game every day.”
Watch Petry hit the field as South Carolina takes on Florida in Game 1 of the Gainesville Super Regional at 6 p.m. on Friday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN 2.