Beau Hollins shares his role models within, outside South Carolina baseball program

Freshman infielder Beau Hollins hails from a family of South Carolina baseball players.

His father, Dave, played with the Gamecocks from 1985 to 1987. Dave went on to have a 12-year career in Major League Baseball, which included an All-Star appearance and a trip to the World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993. Beau’s uncle, Paul, also spent four seasons with South Carolina from 1978 to 1981.

It was natural for Hollins to develop an affinity for baseball, and for relatives to serve as his early idols, with these familial ties to the sport. While Beau did not focus much attention on college baseball until he moved to South Carolina from Buffalo, New York, at an early age, he said he remembers cheering on his father’s alma mater during its trips to back-to-back College World Series championships in 2010 and 2011.

“I just remember those couple plays by (Scott) Wingo,” Hollins said during a Jan 7. edition of the Gamecock Club Hour on 107.5 The Game. “I go back and watch them a couple times and just get the chills.”

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As Hollins has grown older, he has found contemporary role models who are among the sport’s best at the professional and collegiate levels. Some have ties to Gamecock baseball, while one player in particular has connections to his father’s former professional club.

That player is Bryce Harper – a two-time National League Most Valuable Player, eight-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year who serves as the Phillies’ starting first baseman. Hollins said he met the slugger this past year and made the most of the opportunity.

“Bryce Harper’s probably my favorite player, actually. I got a chance to go meet the Phillies team in August when they had their ’93 World Series reunion. So, I got to spend some time in the clubhouse with them,” Hollins said. “Bryce Harper’s my guy, so I spent a lot of time with him. Just to see what those guys look like, how they treat the game, it’s cool.”

Another player Hollins said he looks up to – Christian Walker, who signed a three-year deal with the Houston Astros this past offseason – is not only a first baseman in MLB, but also a South Carolina alumnus.

“Christian Walker’s hard to beat. That’s my guy. He used to hit with my brother a lot, and he treated him really well. I’m a huge fan of him. He’s a great guy,” Hollins said. “I love watching him play. Gold Glove, plays my position – he’s a good guy to look after. And he’s a Gamecock, so that’s pretty cool.”

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Not all of Hollins’ role models reside in the professional ranks, though. As he undergoes his transition from playing high school baseball at River Bluff High School to potentially facing off against SEC opponents in a matter of months, he has found himself under the wings of the Gamecocks’ clubhouse veterans.

“Ethan Petry was my teammate when I was in eighth grade for a little bit. I’ve known him coming in here, and he’s my locker buddy – him and Blake Jackson. So, I’ve been doing things through them,” Hollins said. “Me and Nate Hall – Nate’s from Lexington, so we hit a lot together this fall. I kind of follow those guys and learn from them, and Ethan teaches me things. He’s my guy to go to when I need something.”

Hollins and South Carolina are now less than one month away from the start of the regular season. The Gamecocks will open the campaign with a three-game series against Sacred Heart, beginning on Feb. 14 and lasting until Feb. 16.

Hollins said he is not focused on statistics or accolades during his debut season. Rather, his time and effort will be dedicated towards the team’s overarching goal – winning enough baseball games to bring South Carolina back to the College World Series for the first time since 2012.

“Since we’ve gotten here, we’ve really put that work in, and we’re going to continue putting the work in,” Hollins said. “Nothing’s given, so we know we got to go out and work for what we want and earn Omaha.”

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