Marietta College’s Brett Carson feels at home in pinstripes
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Marietta College senior Brett Carson considers himself just one of the guys and wants to do whatever he can on the baseball diamond to help the Pioneers win.
Following Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Heidelberg University, I had a chance to talk with the two-way player in the pressbox postgame.
"It's awesome having them out there," Carson said of the 1975 team which was honored between games. "You know, like, we've heard every great story there is to tell almost, but it's one thing to just actually see the legacy with your own eyes."
The experience of being around the former players is something Carson doesn't take for granted.
"It's huge," he said. "Coach (Brian) Brewer asked some of us seniors to go to the alumni dinner (on Friday) and it really put it into perspective.
"I knew when I wanted to come here that I wanted to be part of a tradition, and also like being able to see that and also feel it firsthand, it's very awesome to be a part of."
Carson spent his first three years at Muskingum University before finding his way to the friendly confines of Don & Sue Schaly Field at Pioneer Park.
"This is my fifth year of college and second at Marietta," admitted Carson, who leads the Ohio Athletic Conference with 50 runs-batted-in and is tied for second in average (.410), home runs (11) and doubles (19).
During the twinbill sweep of the Student Princes, Carson recorded his 250th career hit, which would rank him fifth all-time at Marietta College if they'd all came in an Etta Express uniform.
"That's just crazy to think about," said the two-time first team all-OAC selection, who has swiped eight bases, is second in the conference with 46 runs and has walked 18 times while going down on strikes 18 times. "When you go in as a freshman, I mean, even when I was at Muskingum, you know, I mean everything is up in the air.
"I'm not looking four or five years ahead. At that point it was four years down the road before COVID happened. I thought I was going to spend my career there, but God placed something else in my life and told me to come here and I did. I can't be more happy for it."
When he's not tracking down balls in center field, Carson has been more than solid on the mound. In 11 appearances and six starts, Carson is 3-2 with two saves and a 2.56 ERA. He's also punched out 51 batters with 18 walks in 38 2-3 innings.
The Pioneers are back in action at 4 p.m. today when Capital invades for a doubleheader.
Carson ended Saturday's second game with a dramatic opposite-field walk-off homer
"Capital, I mean, they are bottom of the OAC right now, but we have to come out and play our game," he said.
"It's baseball man. The worst team can beat the best team any day of the week."
With his Pioneer career heading toward its final stages, the Asheville, Ohio native and Teays Valley graduate is just thankful for his time at MC.
"It's been very remarkable," Carson added. "Last year, coming in knowing I had success at my previous school, I think that's what helped me kind of fit in with the guys last year as well. I came in and I was like I'm going to be part of you guys. I don't care what I'm doing in the past, I want to help do what I can to help us.
"I think it allowed me to get into a click right away. Even this year it's a repeat now. It's funny. Some of the freshmen this year when they first got to campus they were asking me where I roomed my freshman year. I was like I didn't room here. I wasn't even here."
Although Carson's career only will span the two seasons, he's done more than enough for Marietta College fans to remember him for years to come.
"It was very special when I got to meet all the alumni today," Carson continued. "They all keep up. I was talking to like three or four of them and they were like we're very happy you came here, and you made the right decision, and we're very happy for you to be a part of it. It's a funny thing because it's like man, they know about me.
"We see these numbers that we play in front of every day and even like the '70s team, I mean there is no championship, but they were some really good baseball dudes. Hearing them say, you know, that you're part of us, it's very special. I can't even put into words how special that feels to me."
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com