Matthews, Marzilli offer veteran leadership for young squad
While much of the talk about this year’s team has been about filling voids and integrating new, young players, the outfield will look remarkably familiar. The Gamecocks will rely on veterans like Evan Marzilli and Adam Matthews to steady the team.
“I wouldn’t say we put too much pressure on ourselves,” Matthews said. “Some of the infield guys are junior college guys so they’ve got some experience in the college ranks, but we like to go and make an impact and kind of get a foot ahead and show guys the ropes. We’ll show them how it’s done and they’ll follow right behind us.”
Having been selected as a team captain, Matthews, now a senior, is both humbled by the title and aware of the leadership responsibility he now possesses.
“It’s an honor to be voted as captain for this team by these guys,” Matthews said. “I’m really going to take the time to use my ability and use what I’ve learned in my four years here to kind of teach the guys the ropes here. I’m looking forward to being a part of it and having a good year.”
The Lexington native has been a mainstay of the Gamecocks’ lineup for four years, though he missed the second half of last season with a pulled hamstring.
“First off, I just want to stay healthy,” Matthews said. “That’s something that I haven’t been able to do too well in the past couple years, so I want to stay healthy, contribute and teach these young guys how to play the game the right way ... Just, going about their business in the right way. As long as they play the right way, hopefully we can have a lot of success.”
As a senior, Matthews has taken on the roll of mentoring the younger players on the squad.
“When I was a freshman I learned a lot, just because of the transition you have to make from high school,” Matthews said. “I’ve kind of taken them under my wings and just shown some of the younger guys how to go about their business and how to contribute.”
With the loss of star center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Gamecocks will slide Marzilli over, having mostly played left in the past.
USC coach Ray Tanner also felt good about having his veteran outfielders at the front of the batting order with their combination of experience and speed.
“We’ll probably lead off Marzilli,” Tanner said. “I like where he is right now ... I like him as a table setter. A guy that can run a little bit. I’ll probably go with the older guys at the top right now, give Matthews a shot in the two hole to see if he can move some runners along and get back to his running form.”
As the final 34-man opening day roster was finalized, one name was noticeably absent: senior outfielder Jake Williams. Tanner addressed the matter, but didn’t elaborate on any details.
“He’s not going to play, as has been reported already, for personal issues. That’s really all I can say about it,” Tanner said. “He and I have met numerous times, had conversations now for a few weeks, and we both came to the decision, more so him than me, that it would be the best thing for him right now.”
Williams, who played in left field last season after injuries plagued the outfield, will see his shoes filled by freshman Tanner English. The speedster is highly regarded as a base runner, but is still developing his game at the plate.
Tanner praised both English’s ability and work ethic, saying that he can’t justify having his type of talent not on the field.
“I think Tanner is probably the fastest guy [I’ve coached],” Tanner said. “He’s just fun to watch ... I’ve never seen a guy run like that, but as we all know, you can’t steal first. He’s got to show he can get the ball out of the air and bunt a little bit and those kinds of things. He’s worked real hard. He’s worked tirelessly.”
As the Gamecocks embark on their quest for a third consecutive national championship against VMI this weekend, veteran leadership will be more important than ever. With so many new pieces to incorporate, players like Marzilli and Matthews will have to lead the way.
Though the expectations have continued to rise with the program’s success, players appear remarkably unfazed. Perhaps this is to be expected though — taking things in stride has been a signature trait of the championship teams.
“I mean, obviously there’s expectations here, which is what we want,” Matthews said. “We want people to want us to win. The crowd that we have, the Gamecock fans that we have; it’s just a blessing. But, we know, we don’t try to look in to that too much. We just come out here every day and play how we know how to play. If we do that, then the everything else will take care of itself.”