University of North Carolina Athletics
Derrick DePriest Talks About His Carolina Career
May 4, 2000 | Baseball
May 4, 2000
Derrick DePriest came to Carolina as a scholarship kicker in football and a wannabe baseball pitcher. He's leaving Carolina as one of the top relief pitchers in college baseball.
The 6'8" Homestead, Fla. native had a steady career on the gridiron, but has blossomed on the mound after undergoing a drastic change in his delivery during the 1997 season. Depriest switched from an overhead delivery to a submarine style pitch, and the results have been impressive.
DePriest led the nation with a 1.71 ERA in 1999, then gave up no earned runs in Cape Cod League play last summer. This year he has a 1.33 ERA in 30 appearances while picking up 12 saves.
Derrick DePriest should be a high pick in this year's Major League draft.
y: Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue.com
TarHeelBlue: When did you change from an overhead delivery to a sidearm delivery, and why?
Derrick: "Coach (Mike) Roberts had me change. We had a two-week road trip to Clemson and Florida St. during the '97 season, and before our first practice at Clemson he told me he was turning me into a submariner. I said OK, because it was pretty much that way or the highway. It sounded like he was kind of giving up on me a little bit, so I went ahead and did it.
"He (Roberts) taught me himself. He caught me himself down at Clemson when we worked on it before the games. The more we worked on it, the more consistent I became. He had told me before the road trip that I wouldn't get into a game, but before we went on to Tallahassee he told me I better be ready to pitch.
"I went 'oh, my gosh, I have no idea where this thing's going.' He put me in in the third game of the FSU series. Actually, he brought me in by mistake. He thought Michael Horney was coming in, but there was some miscommunication with the bullpen coach, and in I came. I was afraid I wouldn't get to throw a pitch, but he left me in.
"I ended up striking out the first guy I faced, and I did allright. Then I pitched again in the ACC Tournament to face one hitter. I ended up hitting the guy in the shin, and that was it for me in the tournament.
"I worked on it during the offseason and then in the preseason the next year. I ended up getting 44 appearances that season, and it's really worked out well since then."
TarHeelBlue: How long did it take to get comfortable with your new delivery?
Derrick: "To get comfortable to the point where I felt I could consistently get the ball over the plate, I'd say two or three outings over that summer in the summer league games in Miami in the Homestead League. By about the fourth game I not only felt comfortable, but I'd starting getting more velocity on the ball than I did when I threw overhand."
TarHeelBlue: What's your fast ball been clocked at?
Derrick: "I was clocked at 87 mph over the summer, but I'm usually somewhere between 83 and 86 mph. I don't really try to throw hard, but sometimes the ball will really take off on you.
"I rely more on ball movement than I do speed. The fastball and slider are my two main pitches. Sometimes I'll mix in some changeups, or surprise them with an overhand curve."
TarHeelBlue: As a closer you come into the game in some pretty tough situations. Do you ever get nervous?
Derrick: "No. I just think about what I need to do. Last year we played Nevada in the NCAA Tournament, and I got out of two of the toughest jams I've ever been in.
"Because that happened in the regionals, no matter what situation I come into, I think that if I could get out of that, then I can get out of this."
TarHeelBlue: Do you always throw what the catcher calls, or do you ever shake him off?
Derrick: "Almost always, but I did shake him off against Duke (a 5-3, 10-inning UNC win) against the last batter, and he almost hit it out to tie the game. That was only the second pitch I've shaken off all season.
"Coach (Roger) Williams calls the pitches and gives the sign to the catcher, who gives it to me. I shook off a fastball and changed it to a slider. When he hit that ball I thought, 'oh no, it's out of here, he's tied it up,' but he didn't quite get under it enough.
"After that I thought I'm never shaking him off again, unless I'm absolutely sure of what I'm doing."
TarHeelBlue: Did you play any other position in high school?
Derrick: "I also played first base when I didn't pitch, and sometimes I would DH. I like to hit."
TarHeelBlue: Which would make you feel more pressure. Coming on in relief in a tight situation, or holding for the placekicker on a crucial field goal attempt?
Derrick: "In baseball, once that ball leaves your hands, no matter how well or how poorly the pitch is thrown, it's out of your control. Even if you throw a great pitch, there's nothing that says the batter can't hit it, because he can.
"With football, once the ball leaves the center's hands, it's all up to me. I either get it down right or not, then it's all up to the kicker.
"There's probably a little more euphoria running out onto the football field because there's so many people, but I think baseball's more enjoyable, especially this year. We've had some really great crowds who've really gotten behind us. The U-Rang when I come in really gets me going.
"Coach (Carl) Torbush has also been great these last couple of years. He's been very supportive of me playing baseball and not having to worry about spring football."
TarHeelBlue: You came to UNC as a kicker. When did you start kicking?
Derrick: "Probably in the 7th or 8th grade. I enjoyed it and fooled around with it a lot, but I didn't even try out for football my freshman year in high school because I was in the marching band. I played percussion instruments.
"My band director told me I could either be in the band or on the football team, but I couldn't do both, so I chose the band that year.
"The next year I made the JV team, but Hurricane Andrew wiped out the JV schedule, so I went back to the marching band. Then our last varsity football game was played about three hours away, and the band wasn't going because it was too far, so I dressed out with the football team for that game.
"I got to kick off one time. I was so nervous I forgot to wait for the referee to blow the whistle for me to kick. I felt like everybody was looking at me. I sort of panicked and just went ahead and kicked the ball. We were getting killed, so the referee didn't bother to make me kick it again. Also, it was a terrible kick, I really got under it.
"I got over my nervousness the next season."
TarHeelBlue: Who's the toughest hitter you've faced in the ACC?
Derrick: "Well, Corey Slavik (Wake Forest) hit two home runs off me, so I'd have to say he's pretty tough. He definitely had the best game against me this year.
"Mark Teixeira of Georgia Tech is another really tough one. Teixeira is a manchild, he's huge with great power. I threw him a perfect fast ball, low and away, and he just ripped a seed up the middle with basically one hand. He's a very good hitter."
TarHeelBlue: Do you feel like you have an advantage when you're throwing to a righthanded hitter?
Derrick: "It just depends on the hitter. If there's a lefty who has a good approach against me, and I really don't know much about him, he may have a better shot than a righty.
"With a righty I feel I always have a chance, because I've got a slider that runs away from them, and maybe I can get them to chase it."
TarHeelBlue: If the Major Leagues don't work out, what would you like to do?
Derrick: "Well, there's always the chance to try out as a kickoff guy in the NFL, but I don't know about that.
"I really hope I'll go in the baseball draft this spring. I'm really looking to be playing pro baseball this summer. If I don't advance rapidly, I'm not going to quit trying.
"I didn't give up when I got to college and faced adversity, so if my first couple of years in the pros don't go well, I'm just going to keep working and find a way to get there.
"I'm going to keep trying until they tell me they don't want me anymore, but right now I'm not thinking of doing anything else.
"I get my degree in exercise science this month, and I'll have that in my back pocket while I try to make it to the big leagues.
"I've been so fortunate at Carolina, getting to dress out and play two sports. It's been like a dream come true."
