Rockledge's Parrish hot as 'Noles open in Omaha

Thirteen months ago, Drew Parrish was a Rockledge High baseball player, helping the Raiders battle to the regional final round of the FHSAA playoffs.

In 72 hours or so, he will find himself on the mound in Omaha, Neb., the starting pitcher for Florida State in its second game of the College World Series.

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When the Seminoles play LSU at 8 p.m. Saturday in the College World Series opener for both teams, Parrish will be watching, but he expects to be the Monday starter.

The Florida Gators will open CWS play Sunday at 7 p.m. against TCU.

Parrish's expected start will be the second game for FSU, either at 2 p.m. Monday against the loser of Saturday's Oregon State-Cal State Fullerton game or at 7 against the winner.

It will be the biggest moment in the college freshman's career, but he has been building toward it.

Since a May 14 start against Wake Forest when he allowed six earned runs in a 10-9 loss, Parrish has dropped his earned run average more than a run to 4.40. In those last four games, he has struck out 29 batters, a third of the strikeouts he's recorded in 18 appearances.

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"I definitely think I've been progressing all season," Parrish said. "When it first started, it was kind of shell shock."

He threw 21 pitches in his first outing, on Feb. 18 against Virginia Commonwealth. After that game, he carried a season-starting ERA of 9.00.

He credited his improvement in the interim to his own competitive personality and the influence of the talent and coaching around him.

"I've been working with (pitching coach Mike) Bell on my off speed and location," Parrish said. "In high school, I never really thought about location or anything, but when you're at this level with this talent, if you just throw it up there, you'll be in trouble."

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In his final season with the Raiders, Parrish's dominant pitching earned him a spot on the Louisville Slugger High School All-America team. His ERA was 0.35, and his 119 strikeouts dwarfed the 16 walks he allowed.

It was exactly what had been expected of a player coming from the Rockledge team that won the Junior League World Series in 2012. That early success, and his experience with a perennially strong Raiders high school program, accompanied him to Tallahassee.

A key moment in Parrish's late-2017 emergence came in relief during the ACC tournament final against North Carolina. He entered the game with the bases loaded, striking out three to end the inning and turn the tide against the Tar Heels.

In the deciding game of the super regional against Sam Houston State, won 19-0 by FSU, Parrish got the start and struck out nine of the 20 batters he faced in five innings. His record improved to 6-3 for the season.

Even in a 3-1 regional-opening loss to Tennessee Tech, Parrish had done his part. In 7 ⅓ innings, he struck out 12, walked one and gave up two hits. 

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The starting pitching staff is expected back next year, but Parrish's own expectations have already risen.

"No one really knows what's going to happen next year," he said. "My expectations definitely have risen, knowing that I've improved myself this much in my first season in college."

Mike Martin, in his 38th season as the Seminoles head coach, wasn't ready to bestow leadership status to Parrish when he spoke after the super regional win Sunday, but he did compliment his freshman starter.

"I'll tell you one thing, when he's got the baseball in his hand, I'm very comfortable."

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.

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