2016 CWS: Parrett Powers Coastal With Career Night
OMAHA—Coastal Carolina closer Mike Morrison jokes that if catcher David Parrett’s name weren’t printed on the official roster, you’d never know he was on the team bus. Parrett is the quiet type—a calming, steady presence. Usually, on road trips, he’s the guy sitting near the back, with his Bible cracked open, studying devoutly.
Head coach Gary Gilmore calls him Sergeant. “Because if there’s ever been a Navy SEAL that’s played for me, that guy is it,” he said. “He’s the most fit guy, the hardest-working guy, the most positive young man.”
Parrett doesn’t say much about himself—certainly doesn’t dole out any self-praise. He’s quick to deflect to others—preferring to work quietly and diligently behind the scenes. He came into Thursday night’s College World Series elimination game against Texas Tech with only nine hits in 69 bats this season as a platoon catcher, batting in the nine-hole. Yet Parrett’s teammates knew he was waiting to erupt. They knew just how valuable he could be.
Now, everyone else knows, too.
In the highest-scoring game of the Series thus far, the Chanticleers extended their season by outslugging the Red Raiders, 7-5, setting up a semifinals matchup Friday with Texas Christian. And the man at the center of that loud performance was the same man who barely makes a sound on the team bus.
| GAME AT A GLANCE |
| Turning Point: Holding a tenuous one-run lead on Texas Tech in the fifth inning, Coastal Carolina loaded the bases with an error and back-to-back walks. Tyler Chadwick supplied a sacrifice fly, and David Parrett followed with a two-run single to give the Chanticleers all the breathing room they would need Thursday.
The Hero: Freshman starter Jason Bilous didn’t have his best command Thursday and was knocked out in the third inning. Coach Gary Gilmore called upon righthander Mike Morrison, more typically accustomed to pitching at the back end of games, to escape a bases-loaded jam and carry the Chanticleers through the middle innings. He threw 4 1/3 innings, holding Texas Tech to two runs. You Might Have Missed: Righthander Ryan Moseley threw four scoreless innings to finish the game and keep Texas Tech within striking distance. He struck out two batters and scattered three hits and two walks. It was likely the final outing of his college career, as he was drafted in the eighth round by the Orioles. |
Parrett drove in the first run of the game, for either team, with a two-out single in the second inning—only his 10th hit of the season and his 11th RBI.
That was only the appetizer.
In the fifth inning, with Coastal Carolina up, 5-3, Parrett provided the Chanticleers with crucial padding, hitting a two-run single to establish what ultimately stood as the game-winning margin. And he didn’t stop at first base. Knowing that Texas Tech lefthander Parker Mushinski was notoriously slow to the plate, Parrett stole second, then stole third—his fifth and sixth steal of the season—to press the issue even further.
The night was, in many ways, the crowing moment of Parrett’s college career so far, and the senior was quick to credit his faith for it after the game. He along with teammates Zach Remillard, Connor Owings and catcher platoon-mate Matt Beaird participated in a Bible study before the game. It’s something they do often before games, especially on the road, but Parrett said this one felt different—it felt like a precursor to something bigger.
“We were having a quiet time, and the Lord just kind of spoke to me,” Parrett said. “And he kind of gave me the words to write down, and so I did that, and I honestly couldn’t recite them right now because I don’t believe they came from me.
“That was big. There was definitely a feeling in my heart that something big was going to happen tonight. I just didn’t know what it was.”
That something big came in the batter’s box, where Parrett has struggled to find a rhythm this year, playing primarily against lefthanded starters. Where Parrett hasn’t struggled, however, is behind the plate, where he’s an excellent blocker and thrower.
“Notice how many runs he saves, blocking all those absolutely terrible offspeed pitches we throw,” said righthander Bobby Holmes, laughing.
On Thursday night Parrett helped guide three Chanticleers pitchers, including Holmes, past a potent Red Raiders lineup. The bulk of that pitching load belonged to Morrison, typically the Coastal closer, who entered in the third inning for starter Jason Bilous (2.1 IP, 3 ER), and went on to throw a season-high 83 pitches in 4 1/3 innings of work before letting Holmes finish it off.
Morrison said after the game that he battled through fatigue and “some nagging stuff” in his back, but Parrett, the calm force that he is, helped the righthander navigate through it.
“I was just trying to keep him mentally still focused,” Parrett said. “I looked up at the screen and saw he was at 70-something pitches, and I thought, ‘Oh man, he probably hasn’t thrown this much since probably summer ball a couple of years ago.’ But seeing him fight through that was really cool.”
Parrett was right there helping him fight.
“He came out there and talked to me one time and cracked one of the worst jokes in history,” Morrison said, laughing. “But it made smile. That’s probably his one biggest fault—he’s not very funny. He tries to be funny sometimes, and his jokes are the worst.
“It’s fun when he’s out there. He’s always calm, cool and collected.”
Because his opportunities are limited, Parrett said it’s been difficult this season to stay sharp at the plate and find consistency. The key, he said, has been trying to maintain his confidence. He does have a track record of hitting in his college career. A season ago—his first with the Chanticleers after transferring from Iowa Western CC—he batted .239/.317/.460 with 10 home runs in 163 at-bats while playing right field (an arm injury kept him from catching).
Though Parrett admits the season has been a fight, his teammates certainly don’t lack in confidence in Parrett’s offensive skill set.
“Honestly, we played with him last year, and we know that he can hit, man,” Morrison said. “We do a thing where we throw a home run card in the dugout, and I’ve probably thrown home run cards on Dave Parrett about 50 times this year because that’s how much confidence we have in him.”
But whether Parrett has a night like he had Thursday and leads his team to a CWS win or if he goes hitless or he doesn’t play at all, Morrison said he’s always the same even-keeled, humble, hard-working, reading-the-Bible-on-the-back-of-the-bus type of person.
“He’s one of the most strong kids I’ve ever met in my entire life, whether it’s his religious beliefs or just his everyday work ethic,” Morrison said. “Honestly, he’s one of my best friends in the world—one of those guys you can just sit there with and it’s a fun time. He never wants to start fights with anybody. He’s just a very upbeat, happy kid all the time.
“Those are the kind of people you want to surround yourself with, and a lot of people in that locker room learn a lot from Dave Parrett that they don’t know that they’re learning. How that kid handles himself day in and day out is very, very special.
“I wish I was little bit more like Dave Parrett.”
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