Saluki Baseball Conversation | Brad Harrison - Southern Illinois University Athletics

Brad Harrison was a breakout star on the mound last year for the Salukis, earning All-MVC honors and finishing fourth in the MVC in strikeouts. The O'Fallon native sat down to discuss being a two-way player at SIU, mental adjustments, the 2019 Salukis and more.

Background

I'm from O'Fallon, Illinois. It's about 20 minutes east of St. Louis. I have one brother, Jacob, who is 23. My parents are Rich and Debbie Harrison. My mom played DI basketball at Western Illinois. My dad is from Bushnell, which is right next to Macomb. My brother was a band guy and didn't play any sports. He's finishing up a computer science degree at Missouri S&T. He's a genius.

How did you get into baseball?

I've been playing since I could walk. Neither of my parents really played baseball, and I don't really know how I started getting into it. I played soccer a little bit, and I played basketball up until my senior year, when I decided to focus on baseball and put everything I had into that. I was just better at baseball. In the winter, I loved basketball; and in the summer, I loved baseball. It was a tough decision to make, but I think it was the right one.

What was the recruiting process like?

SIU saw me at a camp the winter of my sophomore year. They had me on a visit; and as soon as I stepped foot on campus, I knew it was going to be home. It was my first offer and the first place I visited. Talking to Hendu, I knew it was a place I could have success at and thrive at. There was a good relationship between my high school coach and Hendu. I committed right away. It's a place I've known I would be for a long time, and it's a place I'm proud to say I'm at. After my junior year, I played select ball in the summer, and we played at some big tournaments. There were some other schools that were interested, but I didn't pursue anything. My coach would tell me about other schools that were interested and asked if I wanted to hear what they had to say. I told him, 'No. I'm going to Carbondale.'

How did your two-way process go in high school?

When I committed, it was mostly as a hitter. Hendu told me they wanted me as a two-way guy but would be more beneficial as a hitter. After that, my junior and senior years in high school, I really started to progress on the mound. I still had a ways to go on the mound, but there was definitely more upside and potential on the mound. Eventually, that just took over. Those other looks that I had my junior year were as a pitcher only. That turned into the priority. Once I got here, I still wanted to do both and succeed as both. My freshman year, I wasn't ready to hit. I wasn't in the right state of mind mentally to hit. I knew that I could make a difference on the mound. Last year, and continuing into this year, I knew I could make a difference in both. Pitching has definitely turned into the priority; and if I have a future after college, it will definitely be on the mound. The emphasis every day is to make sure my pitching stuff is taken care of. After that, I can put everything else I have into hitting.

Last year, it wasn't decided if you would be in the bullpen or a starting pitcher until late.

I knew I wanted to start, and I knew I had what it took. I was shooting for Sunday or Tuesday starter. I was preparing myself to do either, but starting was definitely the goal. Once I got into it and proved to myself that I could succeed as a starter, it really started to take off for me.

Did you have any expectation to have the success you had? You were dominant early in the season.

I didn't expect it. I knew the potential was there. Fin (associate head coach P.J. Finigan) would tell me how filthy some stuff was and what pitches were good. In the fall, I was getting shelled in the scrimmages and sat down with him, and we talked about my pitching plan. We talked about my approach and how I wanted to attack hitters. As soon as I did that, we really started to see a difference. That translated into the spring, and that was huge. My stuff was was better than my freshman year, but my pitching plan and the way I was attacking hitters was what made the big difference.

Were you prepared to throw that many innings?

I don't think I was in the shape I needed to be. I didn't prepare to throw that much. I wasn't ready physically. So over this summer, I stayed here and lifted all summer. I put as much into the weight room as I could so that I could have the physical strength and endurance to start and go six or seven innings every time.

What's the mental adjustment to going from a Tuesday guy last year to a top-of-the-rotation guy this year?

It's a little different. Every year, I'm going out there with something to prove. Last year, I was trying to prove to other people and prove to myself that I could start and handle it and have the success. This year, it's the same, that I have the stuff it takes to be successful as a weekend guy and continue to win games for us. There's a little different preparation. This whole year, I'm preparing as a starter. The approach is a little different. I'm making sure my mechanics are really good and really clean so that when I get tired late, it doesn't wear down and stuff doesn't break down. Mentally, it's the same process. Every day, go out there with something to prove.

What do you expect from yourself as a hitter this year?

Physically, I wasn't strong enough to throw a lot of innings every week, so DHing every day wouldn't have helped that very much. I thought pinch hitting was a good opportunity to get some at-bats and help the team there. This year, I fell like I'm ready to DH every day if I produce and hit the way I know I'm capable of hitting. I'm OK with pinch hitting, too. I know my role on the mound is more important, so any way I can help with the bat is a huge plus.

What have you seen from this year's team?

Our new guys have been great. Everyone this fall has made huge jumps. It doesn't matter if they're a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. Everyone has stepped in to a role that can really help the team. Everyone knows what they need to do to get better. We have leaders that have stepped up and taken charge, and helped push everyone else, which is something we have lacked for the last couple years. The new guys will step into spots very nicely and help complement the team and put us in the place we need to to change the culture. The goal is always a tournament championship. I think we have what it takes. Our pitching has been great, as good as it's been the last couple years. Offensively, I think it's better. Our approach is good and our speed is good. As a team, we know we have what it takes to win the conference tournament.

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