Oregon club baseball’s new transfer Peter Phillips is something of a rarity among collegiate athletes. The pitcher from Southern California baseball factory Pepperdine is a former Division I athlete.
Phillips grew up playing baseball in Hawaii and didn’t learn how to pitch until he was a sophomore in high school. He then became one of the key players on his high school baseball team, which was a major contender in the state championship tournament.
Because of his team’s success, Phillips and his teammates had collegiate scouts ranging from Pepperdine to a couple of East Coast schools watching his games. Phillips and two of his other teammates ended up going to Pepperdine as part of a scholarship package deal that allowed the three of them to continue playing baseball together.
Phillips also chose Pepperdine because of its academic prowess.
“I knew that I wanted to go to a good college academically and I never really thought that baseball would be the changing point that would (allow me to go where I wanted),” Phillips said.
During his experience at Pepperdine, Phillips learned more about baseball and became an even better player.
“I learned how to be a complete pitcher,” Phillips said. “Before, I had a decent arm and I would just throw the ball and hopefully nobody would hit it. My freshman year in college I found out that players were a lot better than they were in high school; they were a big all-star team. You can’t miss right down the middle or miss inside; you have to paint your spots.”
Phillips had to adjust to the collegiate level the hard way. His first appearance during a game, he was called out of the bullpen with the bases loaded.
“I had a big head. I thought I was really good,” Phillips said. “I missed up (in the strike zone) and he hit a double off the wall, scoring three runners, and I was miserable.”
After his freshman season, Phillips began to change his pitching habits. Most notably, he figured out he needed to keep his pitches in the lower half of the strike zone.
“I realized you cannot miss in college,” Phillips said.
Now with four years of Division I experience, Phillips brings his passion and knowledge of the game to Oregon baseball, hoping to help lead the Ducks deeper into the World Series tournament.
“The competition is a little different, but on any given day any team can beat you. Doesn’t matter if they’re club or Division I or major leaguers, it’s all about how you perform,” Phillips said.
Despite facing less pressure, because he isn’t on a scholarship, Phillips doesn’t plan on altering on how he sets up a batter, aside from throwing an occasional knuckleball.
Phillips is capable of throwing his fastball close to 90 miles per hour and if the batter is able to catch up to it, he’ll start to change speeds or throw his curveball and slider.
“You always gotta keep hitters guessing and have them off-balance,” Phillips said. “I think the best combination in baseball is the fastball and the changeup. Just take 10 to 15 miles an hour off your fastball and you’ll get guys every time.”
Phillips plans on being at Oregon for the rest of the year as he is currently applying to law schools along the West Coast.
Although he has drawn interest from Major League scouts, Phillips has not yet been drafted by a team. While he would like to play professional baseball, its not something he’s relying on.
“I’m not putting all of my eggs in that basket, of course,” Phillips said. “If the option shows itself, I’ll take it, definitely.”
For now, Phillips is expected to help lead Oregon back to the World Series, beginning Thursday against Humboldt State at 3 p.m. at a tournament in Mesquite, Nev.
“I expect a lot of numbers out of him,” Oregon coach Bradley Ficek said. “Maybe not so much with the long-ball, but I think his average is going to be outstanding and I think he’s going to end up driving in a lot of runs as well. He’s going to be fun to watch. I hope people come out to watch him play.”