For several Gamecocks, baseball returns soon. What it means to play again
There’s a date now — an actual date — and Brett Kerry couldn’t be more thrilled.
For two months, the sophomore South Carolina pitcher has been waiting through the COVID-19 crisis, hoping and praying for any opportunity to step back on a baseball field.
On July 1, barring any virus-related setbacks, Kerry will have that chance.
Last week, the Lexington County Blowfish announced that Kerry, along with Gamecocks teammates Wes Clarke, Brady Allen and Andrew Peters, will play for the collegiate summer league team when their season kicks off in July.
The Blowfish belong to the Coastal Plain League, which is one of several college summer leagues throughout the country that aims to play baseball this summer. Several other leagues, like the prestigious Cape Cod League, have canceled. With Major League Baseball still ironing out the logistics of its return, it’s possible that college summer ball could provide the public with its first glimpse of America’s pastime.
“It’s exciting for sure,” Kerry told The State. “I was going a little crazy. Not so much that there’s nothing to do and you’re inside all the time, but just not knowing. It’s so relieving now that we actually have a date set and we get to get things up again.
“That’s the best part about it, knowing something’s set in stone now — hopefully.”
Waiting has defined most of Kerry’s sophomore year at USC. After a stellar freshman season in which Kerry compiled a 4-1 record and 2.62 ERA, Kerry didn’t have the chance to pitch last summer or last fall, sitting out for precautionary reasons due to minor injuries to his oblique and arm.
When the 2020 season began in February, Kerry showed few ill effects from the layoff. He struck out 12 batters in the second game of the season against Holy Cross, and he posted a 3.60 ERA in his 15 innings before the shutdown. Like last year, the Gamecocks featured Kerry in a variety of roles, relying on him as a crucial, versatile piece of the pitching staff.
Two months ago, Kerry was feeling encouraged by his own progress and the progress of the team. After going 28-28 in an injury-plagued 2019 season, the Gamecocks opened the 2020 slate with a 12-4 record and had won five straight games before COVID-19 cut the season short. For Kerry, having to clean out his Columbia apartment and move back home to Clemmons, North Carolina in the middle of March was a shot to the gut.
“It was kind of heartbreaking; I’m not going to lie,” Kerry said. “I felt, coming off last year, the year that we had, going into this year, I felt like we had so much to prove, and I felt like we were going to prove it. It just felt like we had such a special team and I just loved being with the guys.
“When it all finished, it’s almost like I missed just being with everyone else, just being a team with everybody there, almost more than playing. It’s kind of weird. I guess just because we had such a good group.”
In the subsequent weeks, Kerry has had to rely on group texts to stay in touch with his teammates. Working out has required some creativity, from borrowing weight racks to connecting with high school friends in Clemmons to play catch. Kerry never stopped throwing after the season ended and isn’t concerned about ramping his arm back up for the summer.
When Gamecocks pitching coach Skylar Meade approached Kerry about playing summer ball, Kerry immediately jumped at the opportunity. For one, he knew he needed the innings, but he said he also loved the idea of playing for the nearby Lexington County Blowfish. He’ll be able to commute from his Columbia apartment, which he shares with teammates Clarke and Allen.
“All three of us will be living together and playing,” Kerry said. “It’ll just be a really fun experience.”
While having an official return date is reassuring, for now that date is the only information Kerry and his teammates have. Kerry said he doesn’t know what the practice schedule might look like or when exactly he’ll make the trip back to South Carolina. Kerry also said he realizes that the unpredictability of the virus could complicate matters, but he has no qualms about playing during a pandemic.
“I don’t think it concerns me too much,” Kerry said. “From what I’ve seen, it’s more pre-existing conditions or elderly people. So I think it’s more of a concern for the people in the stands than the players. I feel like most of the players playing here are pretty healthy individuals.
“As long as everybody is smart about it, I think we can do this the right way.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 7:58 AM.