Sumter Sports Talk - Bryce Coulter

In this episode of Sumter Sports Talk with Jenkins Dwight, I sit down with Bryce Coulter, a Sumter High graduate and pitcher for The Citadel, to discuss his baseball journey from Sumter to the collegiate level and his experience this past year 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:10

This episode is brought to you by Charles Bostick with State Farm Insurance. Whether you're looking for auto, home, renters, or life insurance, Charles Bostick and his team are there to help you find coverage that fits your needs and your budget. The State Farm, you get reliable coverage and personal service you can trust. Reach out to Charles Bostik State Farm today to get a quote and make sure you're covered. And again, that's Charles Bostik. He's on the corner of Wise Drive and Boltman Job goes C and he's the best there is. Welcome into another episode of Summer Sports Talk with Jenkins Dwight. I'm Jenkins, I'm your host, and today we have Bryce Coulter, pitcher at the Citadel. Bryce, welcome in, man. How you doing?

SPEAKER_02 0:47

I'm doing great, man. Glad to be here.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Yeah. So Bryce, I mean, y'all's season, y'all just at the Citadel, and we're gonna start back from like the high school in the younger days, but for now we'll go right into the Citadel. Y'all just won the Sokon title, got to play in a regional. Just how was that whole experience as a team?

SPEAKER_02 1:06

You know, man, it it was it was pretty pretty exciting, pretty, pretty thrillful. Um, we started off the season pretty pretty slow. Everybody knows that. And then we we did a lot of Bible studies, did a lot of team bindings, started to click as a unit, and seeing each other wanting to be there and wanting to win made us play a little bit better. We we heated up around the right time. And it was just pretty awesome seeing all the alumni come down and and watch us play, cheer us on. Um, yeah, it's pretty pretty electric.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Yeah, it w the Sokon tight or the tournament was at four field, is that right?

SPEAKER_02 1:39

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

It was that's what I thought. Yeah, I mean, uh you hear it all the time, but as long as you can just get in or whatever, it's all about getting hot at the right time in baseball, and that's exactly what y'all did. It was fun to watch. I was watching, and you know, that was really cool to see. So let's kind of backtrack here. So, like I do with all my guests, just how if you can remember when, what got you into baseball?

SPEAKER_02 2:04

My father got me into baseball.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:07

So I've been I've been around the game for a while. My grandfather used to play uh Bush League, you know, my older brother used to play baseball, but I kind of really grew up around grew up around with any type of ball in my hand: football, basketball, soccer ball, baseball, tennis, golf ball. I just I was always trying to be outside doing something athletic. And since a young age, my dad had me in that. Nice.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

So, and did you did you grow up in Sumter? I know you went to Sumter High, which we'll get into.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

So I grew up, I grew up in Bishopville. I went to uh Lee Academy from fourth through eighth grade, and then I transferred and I moved to Sumter, and I transferred to Sumter High from freshman year to senior year.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Okay, so you all your high school was at Sumter High. So I was gonna ask, like, were you into middle school and stuff, but you just answered that. So um, yeah, I graduated in 19 from Sumter High, so I don't I don't even know if you would have been there when I was there. I'm trying to, I don't I can't even keep up with anything more because I'm getting older. But yeah, so how how was your time and how was the Sumter High baseball experience for you?

SPEAKER_02 3:12

You know, it was it was pretty it was pretty bumpy to begin with, you know, COVID to get uh start off. We had COVID year. Um got to play a little bit on varsity, and then COVID shut us down, and then sophomore year, we had some uh coaching issues, had a different coach, um, couldn't make playoffs, pretty, pretty bumpy season. Junior year, we started turning around a little bit. Um, got another head coach, continued to uh grind a little bit, and then uh my junior year, I dislocated my knee uh beginning of the year, and then I rehabbed, then I did it again middleway through the season, and then uh senior year uh we started to play some ball, started to get a little hot, started to play a little bit. Um, we were a game away from districts for the first time in a while, and you know, we kind of paved the way and Sumter High's coming back up a little bit, I see.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

Yeah, I've I've been keeping up with it. They definitely have. And that was your was that your senior or junior year? I kind of my senior year. That was your senior year, okay. Yeah, and your freshman year was during when all the covet stuff was going on. Yep, okay. So that was I graduated the year before then, so yeah, yeah, you wouldn't have been there when I was there. So did you do Legion Ball P15s?

SPEAKER_02 4:32

Yeah, I played Legion from eighth grade summer till senior or freshman year, college summer.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Nice. How was that for you?

SPEAKER_02 4:42

I loved it, loved every moment of it. I wish I can go back and play, but too old.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Yeah, I have everyone I talk to says they love playing Legion Ball, and it's always a fun little summer. And they got they got a new coach. Um God was his name. I forgot his name. Oh, it's gonna bother me. Something to Bose, maybe T to Bose, T to Bows, yeah. T to Bows. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, I had my first guest on the show was uh Coach Twitty last year, so that's good. And uh all right, so you go to Florence Darlington. How how long when you were at Sumter High? Like, how was that process like? When did you know you were going there? And what was just that whole process like of figuring out what you're gonna do after high school?

SPEAKER_02 5:27

So at Sumter High, I had a couple D1 looks. Uh Citadel actually reached out to me during high school, CSU reached out, Erskine reached out, and then Winthrop reached out, but then I hurt got hurt, and all my recruiting kind of like slowed down a little bit. Yeah, and but Coach P-Mac at Flodar always stayed in touch with me, always checked in, didn't even really ask any baseball questions, really, just good human. And that kind of really set my decision on wanting to go there and become a better baseball player, so I committed there.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Yeah, I had a bunch of buddies at Sumner High who went to Florence Darlington. They've always they said they had a good experience, like the coaches and stuff. And I heard nothing but positive stuff about that program and stuff. And tell me if I'm wrong here. Did y'all won the the big one with them, right?

SPEAKER_02 6:15

So we won the region 10 tournament my freshman year, then we won East Districts my freshman year, and then we made it to the World Series, finished Final Four, and then my sophomore year, we did it, we did the same thing. We repeated, went back to back, and uh made it to the final four, but lost out. Freshman year we lost to Blyn, who ended up winning the whole thing, and then sophomore year we lost to Salt Lake, who also ended up winning the whole thing. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 6:43

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SPEAKER_02 7:37

So my freshman year, I was really nervous, not gonna lie. But I mean, I'm going from high school to college with uh junior college at that, where you have guys who you can transfer in from D1s to get better, but it was also a learning experience. I had really good leaders in front of me at uh the position I was playing. I was playing third base at the time. I was playing third in pitching. I had uh this guy, Michael Gibbs, who just got drafted by the Pirates. Yeah, who's also was at the Citadel with me. He was there my freshman year. He was a really good mentor. Ethan Plyler, Rom Kellis. Uh I can go on and on Mac James, Jake Badoglio. They they kind of paved the way and made it a little bit easier on me for freshman year. And I I when I got the opportunity, I tried to take it and run with it, which I did. And then sophomore year kind of I tried to be that leader and help the freshman and uh try to keep it going, you know. Freshman year uh sophomore year, I got going. Uh, I started off as a closer, um, that became a game through a game three starter, and I just got the ball when I got the chance, I took it and ran with it.

SPEAKER_00 8:42

That was gonna be my next question. Were you I was gonna ask, were you always a starter at one point, but you said you started as a closer, or were you?

SPEAKER_02 8:49

I started off as a closer my sophomore year. Okay, and then sophomore and freshman year, I was basically a closer, and then uh middle way through sophomore year, they were just like, you know what? Let's try at the starter, and I was like, Yes, sir, you won't regret it. And then you just you took it and there, yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

So after that, then you picked up the citadel and went there, correct?

SPEAKER_02 9:13

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

Yep, and this was you just finished your first year at the Citadel, and before we get into the postseason, which we taught briefly earlier. How was just how was the start of that for you? Was that felt like a bigger jump from Florence Darlington to Citadel or high school to Florence Darlington? What was what felt like a oh crap kind of moment? Like at first, you said you were nervous. Honestly, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:39

I was also nervous coming to a division one program. I bet you were. Who wouldn't? But I think it was a bigger jump going from Florence Darlington to the Citadel, even though um I was playing guys who were going to the D1 level, some guys getting drafted, some guys going pro. It was more of the fact of it was a culture shock. Like everyone knows the citadel. Yep. Um, you know, I'm transferring in, so I'm not really, I don't get to do the military stuff like everyone else. So it's just like I feel like everybody looks at you differently, but nobody really does. So it was just like I felt like I had pressure on me when I didn't need to have pressure. Yeah, but everyone welcomed me in. Yeah, everyone just welcomes you in, and you know, like the alumni that just welcome you in, and you gotta take it around with it.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

So I had when I had JP Sears on here, I I kind of asked him, I was just like, so I I mean the joke or whatever is like the non-athletes always say they get out of everything, and the athletes say no, we still do the stuff. We actually have extra work. What was your if you can say, what was your honest opinion on that? How like I mean, how different is there a big difference between an athlete and a regular student there? Is it still the full citadel experience?

SPEAKER_02 10:50

It is still the full citadel experience, even though I'm a transfer student. Um, we're really close with the cadets. And when they have to do their PT, we go in and we work out at 5 a.m. When they have to be up at 5 a.m. to go do their PT stuff. So we're we're trying to make them feel like they they can see us trying to um not make them seem like they're the only ones working or doing the things to make them feel bad about themselves or anything like that. But they're they're on top of it, they never miss anything, um, unless we're on the road or we have other things to do, they never miss anything. Um, our coach is heavy on it. That class and academics become like come first. You have a lab. Um, you can show up to practice a little late if obviously your class goes over. But they they they put the work in.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Ken, do you think that could ever translate? I guess in any sport at the Citadel on the field as well, like kind of that mindset of like you're at a military school.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Yeah, I I I truly believe so because even our football team, our football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, everybody works hard. And it's just like that grittiness that the citadel has translate into some into the sports, honestly, because everybody works their tail off. I've never seen anyone just not attempt to try their hardest.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

Yeah, JP was telling me he he kind of used that mindset when pitches in the MLB, kind of that citadel mindset that you were just saying. So, yeah, that makes a lot of sense, and that's a good advantage. So I know we mentioned it earlier, but kind of go ahead and take me through. Well, you talked about y'all season, how it went this year. Y'all started slow and obviously ended up winning the SoCon, going to the big dance. How was your season from start to finish? We all know you had the great in the SoCon tournament, you had the um complete game that you look really good in. But how was from start to finish? How was your junior year?

SPEAKER_02 12:43

So start off in the fall. I started off kind of shaky when we played coastal. Um, not really what I wanted, but also was my first ever D1 game. So I had I had the jitters a little bit. Yeah. And then um I earned a start opening weekend uh Saturday, and it went good. You know, I went five, five innings maybe. Um, we got we got the win. And then uh a couple weeks go by, we're playing Florida State. I go eight innings shutout. Um, and then the following weekend, we're in Kentucky, I believe, and then I uh sprained my older nerve, so it kind of set me back. Yeah, it set me back a little bit. But great training staff at uh Evan Harper, you know, he helped me out, got me back to what I was at, and then I just had to slowly work my way back to the role I was in.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

Um yeah, that's basically it. So for those who just like for those who are listening who don't know you at all, like what what kind of pitcher are you? Like, are you a hard-hitting strikeout guy? Are you a contact ground out guy? What would you consider? What kind of pitcher are you?

SPEAKER_02 13:52

So sometimes I'm a strikeout guy, but most of the times I I get like I have really good sync on my ball. Yeah, so I get a lot of ground outs, a lot of pop-outs, a lot of guys that are trying to like launch the ball nowadays. Um, my ball just like sinks past her barrel. Um, some say I have a plus plus change up, which I kind of learned from living in Sumter. Shout out Coach Todd. Um just, you know, I just try to live in the zone. You know, I I got I wouldn't say a big league, like high 90s fastball. I got a low nines fastball, but yeah, it plays when your defense make the plays behind you, you trust them, so you just fill up the zone and they they get themselves out.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

Yeah, you said you went eight innings versus Florida State shutout, right? It was like did you have do you remember how many K's you had, or was that one of those games?

SPEAKER_02 14:37

I have four K's, four K's.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

So there's a good example. Like, you were getting a bunch of grandlaws, and I guess that can help you go late in the games, too, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:45

Yeah, especially if you like when you attack the zone, you know, first pitch swingers, um, not getting behind in the count and just trusting the pitches that are being called. So it's just it's nice.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

Now tell me if I'm wrong, the game you pitched in the SOCON tournament, was that the semifinal?

SPEAKER_02 15:04

That was the semifinal, yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

Semi-final. So take me through that. What did you feel any added pressure? Or did you get kind of set your mind, or it's just another game? How was that?

SPEAKER_02 15:15

So going into it uh the night before we had team dinner, I was talking to one of the alumni, Colonel O. He was just like trying to, you know, get me to relax myself, tell me that there was no pressure. Um, and he was just made a made a little joke saying, I saw Florida State Bryce, now I'm trying to see Greenville Bryce. And I was like, Yes, sir, you got it. You know, I'm gonna I'm gonna work my tail off for these guys. And uh waking up that morning, I had a little nervousness to me. And then I I get downstairs, I eat breakfast with the guys, and seeing everybody just smile and live in the moment made me relax a little bit and trust myself. So when I got out there, I just trusted the pitches that Coach Reeves were calling, attacking the zone and just letting my guys work.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

At what point? I guess y'all got when did you really think y'all turned the season around? I know you said y'all started slow, like was it specifically in that tournament or was it later in the regular season?

SPEAKER_02 16:12

So towards like the back half of I would say Socon play, we we started swinging the bats pretty good. Um, but we weren't clicking, we weren't pitching and doing at the same time. So we were either pitch good and not hit too good, or we would hit really good and then not pitch too good. And then against VMI, our last SoCon uh region play, um, against VMI, we kind of we saw it. Uh our pitchers attacked the zone, we filled it up, the hitters hit the jobs, all this, and then that's when I really believe we started to heat up.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

Yeah, nice. And then y'all ended up eventually getting eliminated or so clone. I know that wasn't the way I wanted to go out, but that still, and I know you're probably not thinking it at the time, like leaving on the bus or whatever, but that still had to be a pretty cool experience getting to play there.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

It really was, especially like I said, the alumni, man. It just makes it seem so much more uh seeing all them show up for us all the way in Atlanta, seeing the sky of blue out there, you know, it's just it just means more.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

Yeah, I've citadel fans, I've I've experienced it. They are loyal and they will support their team when y'all are doing good. So give us kind of a preview of how you're gonna attack your offseason. I know everyone has it different, and what can we expect from next year's squad?

SPEAKER_02 17:36

I believe we are going to be better than we were last year. Um, we were getting some guys, you know, we're attacking guys to get like speed guys, try to play the citadel way, hard way. And then then the offseason for me, I'm more focusing on my fastball and change up command again, you know. Yeah, wouldn't say it was too bad, but it wasn't what I could be. So I'm just trying to trying to get better each day in the weight room, running, because in my factor, uh, my dad always says that sprinting leads to athleticism, and athleticism leads to throwing the ball harder and moving your body better, trusting yourself. So I think that's what I'm attacking this offseason.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

Do y'all have like kind of end-of-the-year meetings, like when y'all meet with the coaches? Yes, sir, we can talk talk about what y'all are gonna work on, kind of until because I know y'all can't just go go practice every day. There's rules, so I'm assuming y'all do have kind of those end of the year meetings. So you got the stuff you needed to work on, and you're gonna get it. Well, last but not least, I asked all my guests uh this question what does it mean to you? And I know I guess you you came from Bishopville, that's still close. Uh, what does it mean to represent Sumter in this communic community being successful like you have been this past year at the Citadel going into next year?

SPEAKER_02 18:54

You know, it means a lot, especially after seeing like everyone reach out and just checking in and you know, cheering on. It's it's bigger than the name on the back of my jersey. It's also the name on the front, the C on the back, um, the people in Sumter, people in Bishopville, the alumni. It just means a lot. Because Sumter, Sumter's a little citadel town, and it just definitely means a lot. It just means a lot.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

Now, do you actually well I meant to ask you this earlier? Uh do you what so y'all do play some false stuff? I know all D1 colleges do that. So when will y'all start doing stuff as a team again?

SPEAKER_02 19:33

So we report August 17th. August 17th is our first our first meeting, and then the 18th is our first practice or individual work, individual work, as I might say.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

So is baseball, dude. I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_02 19:48

Baseball put that work in.

SPEAKER_00 19:50

Yeah. Well, Bryce, I really appreciate you taking the time and I look forward to having me, man. Yeah, I look forward to watching you play next year. Good luck to y'all and keep building on this.

SPEAKER_02 19:59

Yes, sir. Thank you.