FAYETTEVILLE — Grant English is a little older and a lot wiser than he was when he started his college baseball career four years ago at Winthrop University.
“The older I get, the more patient I get,” the Scotland High alumnus said after the Eagles lost 13-5 to Campbell on Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the Big South Conference Tournament at Segra Stadium.
Winthrop yielded four home runs to the top-seeded Camels. Campbell took a 5-0 lead in the first inning with the help of back-to-back homers, and the Camels stalled Winthrop’s comeback attempt after the Eagles closed the deficit to 5-4 in the top of the sixth inning.
An all-conference honoree during his senior season at Scotland, English became Winthrop’s first baserunner on Friday when he drew a walk in the second inning. The senior later plated the team’s second run when he drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded in the third inning.
English reached base again with a single in the seventh inning. He was stranded at third base. English finished 1-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.
English added another chapter to what has been the most productive year of his collegiate career. He has a team-high 50 RBI this year. He also has 14 doubles, three triples and six home runs.
English said he focused on being more selective at the plate this year, and his efforts paid off. But his offensive output is just a small part of the picture. The Laurinburg native said he’s trying to make the most of every inning as his time at Winthrop comes to a close.
The infielder has been a routine contributor for the Eagles for the three years. As a sophomore English was among Winthrop’s top five performers in several categories, including doubles, slugging percentage, hits and RBI. He posted a .277 batting average with 16 RBI as a junior.
English is now playing some of the best baseball of his career. Is he going to play at the next level once his time at Winthrop is over?
“I hope so,” English said with a smile.
Winthrop recovered from the loss to Campbell by defeating High Point 6-2 in a late matchup on Friday night. The Eagles will face Campbell again in the Big South championship game at noon on Saturday.
