Catching up with baseball signee Ethan Petry

South Carolina baseball signee Ethan Petry had a very interesting senior season.

Not only did he blossom as a two-way player at Cypress Creek (Fla.), but saw his draft stock begin to gain traction in what was a very good final high school season.

“It’s at one of its highest right now,” Petry said about his game. “I feel like I’m working hard but a lot of room to grow and a lot more work to put in.”

Petry slashed .479/.632/.915 this season with six homers and 18 runs driven in this season while hitting leadoff for his high school team.

It allowed him, he said, to still hit for power while still developing some of the traits needed as a leadoff hitter that should help him once he arrives at South Carolina.

“It was a lot of fun. I hit leadoff for my high school team. I was expected to get on base and steal every bag but be that scrappy, tough hitter,” he said.

“But I’m a power hitter so it worked well. They had to pitch that first pitch fastball to me at the beginning of the game. I just tattooed it every single time.”

He also threw 42.2 innings this season in 11 appearances with a 1.97 ERA and 60 strikeouts to 36 walks. He allowed 26 hits as well.

Petry didn’t rule out being a two-way player at South Carolina if the coaching staff wants him to pitch and hit.

“I didn’t expect myself to pitch this year but I did and did exceptionally well,” he said. “Just from throwing bullpen and throwing in games my mechanics got better, my pitches got better, my fastball got better.”

The biggest question now is if Petry will ultimately end up on a college campus playing for the Gamecocks.

Prep Baseball Report considers him the No. 40 player in the country and Petry could receive some draft looks as it approaches in mid-July.

“It’s been not that bad. I’m trying to have fun. I’m focused on going to South Carolina,” Petry said. “Anything that comes before that is a cherry on top. Everything in my basket is South Carolina. But if anything comes before that I have to make a decision.”

Petry projects as a third baseman at the collegiate level. He would like to hit in the middle of the order if he’s in the lineup.

The goal this summer, he said, is to make sure he’s agile and athletic enough to play third at the next level.

“Probably my fielding,” he said. “I want to see myself be a lot more agile…I played shortstop for my team so I improved a lot on that exceptionally well just by playing shortstop and I move well and got better reading the ball off the bat.”