Beau Hollins showing why 'he deserves to play' in starting opportunity at first base

Riding the bench was foreign to South Carolina first baseman Beau Hollins. Before coming to college, he had always been a starter and nothing less.

But because the Gamecocks already had their starter with junior slugger Ethan Petry helming those duties at the beginning of the season, this didn’t give Hollins much of a choice but to watch and learn.

“I mean, Ethan’s one of my best friends on the team. I’ve known him for a while. Just working with him every day is just a blessing, really,” Hollins said. “I mean, a true All-American first-rounder. That’s something I got to take advantage of, whether it’s in the batter’s box or first base, whatever it is, is just learning from the best players and using that to my advantage.”

While first base wasn’t an everyday option for Hollins, head coach Paul Mainieri saw how he could use him. He liked what the freshman brought to the table with his “premier, elite” defense that he could put him in late-inning situations.

To open the season, that was Hollins’ main role on the team. He’d get some occasional at-bats or come in to play defense whenever South Carolina took a big lead. But as injuries have taken their toll on others, it’s allowed Hollins to see more time on the field.

“When I put Beau Hollins in on Tuesday, I was really giving him a chance because (Dalton) Mashore was hurt,” Mainieri said. “I looked at different options. I could have put (Blake) Jackson in right field and stone and left or whatever, but I decided to put Petry in right and let’s play Hollins and let’s see what the kid’s doing because he’s been doing good in those little brief moments when I put him in.”

Be in the know about all things Gamecocks for just $1 for 7 days—lock in this special offer!

For the last two games, Hollins has been the Gamecocks’ starting first baseman, as Petry moved into the outfield. Knowing this was his chance to prove himself, he took full advantage of his opportunity. He’s gone 4-for-9 (.444), highlighted by a three-hit game against The Citadel on Wednesday.

“Hey, for two games, the guy shows me like he really wants to play, you know, like he deserves to play,” Mainieri said. “And I love that stuff. That’s the stuff that, even as I’m talking about it right now, my body goes numb because that’s the exciting thing for me as a coach.”

As South Carolina begins a weekend series with Morehead State on Friday, Mainieri has no plans to take Hollins out of the lineup. Especially not with his strong defense at first base.

“He made that tremendous diving stretch on the throw from (Henry) Kaczmar when he made that great play,” Mainieri said, referencing a play made in the eighth inning of a 9-1 win over The Citadel. “… So yeah, I’m gonna keep playing him until he gives me a reason not to.”

Hollins has been hitting lower in the order, bouncing between the six and seven hole spots. He brings something different that none of the other hitters on the team can. He’s a switch-hitter.

“It is a benefit. I don’t have to look and see if it’s a lefty or righty throwing,” Mainieri said. “He’s a natural right-handed hitter, actually. I mean, traditional thought would be that he’s a better right-handed hitter than left-handed. But he didn’t show that (Wednesday) night. He showed that he can really swing the bat left-handed.”

For as impressive as Hollins has looked, it’s still early, and the currently injured players will eventually return to action. Mainieri said he doesn’t want him to become overwhelmed thinking of what he has to do to keep playing every day. But the moment hasn’t been too big for Hollins so far.

“Honestly, I just keep my faith in Jesus. I mean, through the ups and downs, he sticks with me,” Hollins said on where his confidence comes from. “So I just got to go out there and play for him, play for our team, and do whatever I can do to help the team win. And I’m just going to give it my all and be hard working. You shouldn’t lack confidence. You should always have that confidence.”

Discuss South Carolina baseball on The Insiders Forum!