For 59 games this year Clemson\u2019s Chris Okey squat down, caught the ball, popped back up again, threw it to the pitcher and then started it all over again.
\nOkey, who took over as the Tigers\u2019 starting catcher the last half of the 2013 season, has caught just about every inning this year. You might think because of the wear and tear that puts on a catcher\u2019s knees Okey is ready for a day off or two or maybe three. But that\u2019s not the case.
\nOkey will make his 60th start behind the plate when the Tigers open up the Fullerton Regional against Arizona State at Goodwin Field in Fullerton, Calif.
\n\u201cEvery time I think about that I step back onto the field again and my adrenaline pops right back up,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel like a little kid again. I have fun with it. I enjoy it. I love being out there with the guys and running around with them. It has been a blast.\u201d
\nWith the exception of a normal slump or two, it really has not hurt the 5-foot-11, 195-pound sophomore at the plate either. He has raised his batting average from .248 last season to .320 this year. He leads the team in home runs with 12 and has 55 RBIs, which ranks second on the squad.
\nAt times you have to wonder what Okey\u2019s numbers might have been this year if he was able to take a day or two off.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s baseball. I was not hitting the ball very well early in the season. I kept saying I\u2019m playing the game, I\u2019m playing baseball. It\u2019s a game where it is tough to stay on a hot streak for a long time,\u201d Okey said. \u201cYou have to bring it every day. You have to keep having fun and hopefully the cards will fall in your favor.\u201d
\nOkey will have to wait for the summer to end before he finally gets a break. He has accepted an invitation from USA Baseball to play for the 2015 Collegiate National Team this summer.
\n\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to having some fun with that,\u201d Okey said.
\nBut first, he is looking to have some fun in the Fullerton Regional as he and the rest of the Tigers try to find a way to get out of regional round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. The Tigers will be making their first trip to Cal State Fullerton, and it\u2019s the farthest west a Clemson team has played since 1993.
\nCal State Fullerton is the No. 1 seed in the regional, while Arizona State is No. 2 and Pepperdine is No. 4.
\n\u201cIt is refreshing to get to play new teams. We never get to play an Arizona State until now, which is what makes this time of the year awesome,\u201d Okey said. \u201cFour teams play against each other so it is a fun time and I can wait to get it going.\u201d
\nClemson will leave for California on Wednesday morning and will practice at Goodwin Field at 1 p.m. pacific time on Thursday.<\/p>\n