Michael Braswell delivers 'surreal moment' in first major opportunity
Michael Braswell was honestly shocked when heard his name called.
With a right-hander on the mound and a lefty due up, he figured he would see how South Carolina’s SEC opener against Georgia would end from the dugout.
But in an instant, it was Mark Kingston calling his number as a pinch-hitter. And four pitches later, as Braswell stood on second, the hero of the day, there was nothing but euphoria.
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“Man, it didn’t even feel real. After everything that’s happened this year with playing time, being in my home state,” Braswell said. “Getting the opportunity to beat the Dawgs–cause I hate the Dawgs–in this moment didn’t feel real. It was a surreal moment.”
Braswell provided the game-winning double Saturday afternoon to give the Gamecocks a 5-4 win over Georiga, a moment building long before Matthew Hoskins hung a two-strike slider to the Georgia native.
The sophomore spent all of last season as the Gamecocks’ starting shortstop, slashing .284/.365/.378 en route to all-freshman honors.
But to start this year, he found himself on the outside looking in from the starting lineup. Braylen Wimmer was going to anchor the shortstop job and with Talmadge LeCroy hitting at a high level, there were no spots in the lineup for Braswell.
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It’s something the right-hander, who got over 200 at-bats last season, had to reckon with internally.
“You have to step back and realize this team is really good. Me not playing isn’t a testament to me. It’s a testament to how good this team is and how well the staff put together this roster where I don’t have a place to play,” Braswell said.
“Wimmer? He’s a star. (Will) McGillis is a star. Sometimes it works out like that. I’m laying back, improving and trying to get ready for next year or even later this year. Who knows.”
So Braswell got to work, trying to tweak his swing to the point where he was delivering more line drives and productive at-bats.
The corner started to turn and Braswells started showing progress in practice, just needing an opportunity to show it in a game.
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He finally got his opportunity, delivering in what was the Gamecocks’ most drama-filled win of the season to date.
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“You’re starting to see the swing that’s a line-drive swing that allows him to make solid contact and gives him a chance for success. We hadn’t seen that in a while,” Kingston said. “The last two weeks we’re started to see that. He’s got a great attitude and worked hard at it. We felt like that moment is when we needed a contact hitter. He really came through for us.”
And he picked up a great defensive play in the ninth inning, snagging a ball for the second out and preventing the potential game-tying run from scoring.
“He’s quiet but you know he’s locked in always. He takes tons of swings before and after practice,” Ethan Petry said. “He’s ready to go. He’s one of the hardest workers on our team and he’s always ready to go whenever his name was called.”
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What Braswell’s role continues to look like could evolve as the season goes along, although LeCroy and Wimmer right now are the most consistent infielders on the left side of the infield.
But whatever it is, Braswell seems ready to help however he can. Saturday was just the first instance of that.
“Really just embrace what’s going on,” he said. “Admittedly, when I first wasn’t starting cause I started last year it was an adjustment period on and off the field. Just embrace that it is what it is and I have to get better.”
