John Gilreath thought about this one before, from the first pitch to the celebration.
The 2018 South Carolina commit will lead Northwestern Trojans in the third and final game of the state championship series Saturday, taking the mound in an effort to bring the school its first state title.
“It’s something you dream about as a kid,” Gilreath said of pitching in the biggest game of the year. “It’s one of those things where you replay it hundreds of times in your head — the dog pile and all the fans screaming and everything like that.”
Before he gets to the celebration, Gilreath will have to topple the River Bluff Gators, something he was unable to do in the series opener, pitching six innings before the Trojans suffered a 10-inning road defeat. Northwestern bounced back with a 10-4 win at home Tuesday, setting up Saturday’s rubber match at Blythewood.
“It was shocking,” Gilreath said of last Saturday’s 4-3 loss. “We’ve had the mentality all year that we can just go out there and dominate teams. To see some adversity like that, especially in the heartbreaking fashion that it was with a walk-off, we were just trying to mentally prepare for that Tuesday game.”
Gilreath, who doesn’t play when he’s not on the mound, looked on from the dugout Tuesday, studying the River Bluff hitters and gaining confidence in his team. Northwestern’s bounce-back win has the southpaw feeling good for game three.
“The entire game I was just observing their tendencies and what they did at the plate,” Gilreath said when asked about Tuesday’s contest. “But it was good getting to throw some pitches out there [Saturday]. I know it wasn’t my best stuff, and I got to see them hit against what wasn’t my best stuff.”
Gilreath, who’s 11-0 on the season, said he’s confident Northwestern will win if he brings his best stuff Saturday.
Throughout the postseason run, USC coaches have been keeping up with Gilreath, as well as his teammates Cameron Reeves and Wesley Sweatt, who are also part of the Gamecocks’ 2018 class. Gilreath said some coaches have been attending the Trojans’ playoff games and that he’s received encouraging words from head coach Chad Holbrook and assistant coach Sammy Esposito.
Beyond the increased exposure and repetitions, Gilreath said he’s gained the most from the added pressure of the postseason, which has helped him with his mental preparation. Northwestern saw crowds of roughly 1,200 people at each of the first two games of this series, and the deciding game isn't expected to be any different.
“Once you get into the playoffs and you start experiencing the rowdy fans from the opponents and the atmospheres and knowing that game means a lot for your season, it means a lot for me as far as developing because you get to develop mentally,” Gilreath said.
“There’s more preparation that goes into the playoffs mentally than during the season,” he added.
Gilreath will look to complete his childhood dream Saturday, when he takes the hill for Northwestern at Blythewood High School. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.