Cole Messina's big performance gains attention from Alabama head coach in SEC Tournament
A high-level player since high school, Cole Messina has made a name for himself as a Gamecock. The South Carolina native has recorded 34 home runs and 122 RBIs in his three seasons in Columbia.
Recently, the catcher was named second team All-SEC after batting .320 and slugging .675 so far this season. Alongside his dynamic skills, Messina has caught coaches attention from his attitude and perspective.
“The hard thing with Cole, he’s one of my favorite kids in the league. His demeanor is awesome,” said Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn. “Like, he’s a competitor. He does a great job behind the plate. But he’s just a likeable kid. I didn’t like him much today, obviously. But likeable kid.”
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The Alabama pitching staff were unable to put a stop to the powerhouse batter. As a result, Messina finished the day with three hits, two runs and three RBIs. He also hit a solo homer in the fifth, his 17th of the year, tying his output from 2023.
“The hard thing with a guy like Cole is the way you get him out is the same way that he does a lot of damage. Like you can get him on a good breaking ball, but if that breaking ball stays up, he’s going to hammer it. And you saw that against Davis in the middle innings,” Vaughn said. “We had first base open, and he’s got two strikes, and it was kind of like, ‘Hey, bury everything.'”
After the day he had against Alabama, Messina continues to prove why he is on opposing coaches radars.
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“I think it speaks to the parity of this league and, shoot, Cole’s heck of a player. I hope we don’t have to see him again until we get to Omaha, that’s for sure. But good player, savvy player, and he was good,” Vaughn said. “But that’s what’s tough.”
As not only an offensive threat, Messina has gained attention for his ability to stop the ball behind the plate. Messina and the Gamecocks defeated Alabama 10-5 in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
“The way you get him out is — you know it, you know how you can pitch to him, but if you make a mistake you better duck and cover, and he got us today,” Vaughn said.
