Virginia Baseball has quite the character closing out their games on their trek towards the College Baseball World Series in Omaha. Pitcher Stephen Schock took care of business in the ninth inning of their 3-2 victory over South Carolina on Sunday, and he stole the show in the postgame interview on ACC Network.
Schock discussed the outsized importance people place on sports amidst the Cavaliers’ first trip to the regional final since 2015.
“This is just a game,” Schock said in the interview. “There’s going to be way harder things in life than striking out the side or not walking somebody. I don’t really get too caught up in all the jibber-jabber and all the mean things people might say to me. You know I think I’m a cool guy, my dogs think I’m awesome, my teammates like me, and my friends like me, so I’m going to attack and go win.”
Schock’s easygoing attitude and scruffy demeanor have drawn some famous comparisons to Kenny Powers. The “Eastbound and Down” character played by Danny McBride on HBO was also a closer but he ended up out of the big leagues due to “personal decisions.”
“I think ‘damn I’m doing a good job!'” Schock said when asked about being compared to the fictional character. He then showed off his deep knowledge of the show’s mythology. “If dude took 86 [MPH pitching] to the big leagues after being out of the big leagues, are you kidding me? He did that and turned that into a winner.”
Schock assured the audience that he won’t be dabbling in the drug use that led to Powers pitching in Myrtle Beach but he never wavered from the infectious, honest personality UVA fans have come to expect from their closer.
Virginia Baseball takes on Old Dominion, Monday at 7 p.m. ET. The winner punches their ticket to the 2021 Super Regionals.