Blake Beck

Ten games into my senior year at Mississippi State — about a month into the season — and I still hadn’t pitched. The previous year, I logged only 4 innings. I spent the entire fall and most of the spring preseason dealing with an injury, and quiet frankly walking on thin ice on even staying on the team, if you’re not able to be productive in any way you’re gone, that’s how the SEC works, & I knew everything would have to go perfectly for me to even have a shot. This is something young players at any level should pay attention to: what to do when you’re not playing much — and how to handle it. During that time, I worked relentlessly. Every day, I prepared like my opportunity was coming tomorrow. I knew that when my name was called, I needed to be ready — not just ready to pitch, but ready to prove I belonged in the SEC. Then it happened. We were up 19–2 at Tulane in the 9th inning. They told me to get hot. I treated it like Game 7 of the World Series. I went out there, went 3 up, 3 down, 3 strikeouts. My stuff was sharp. After the game, Coach made a comment in the team meeting about how locked in I looked. He noticed. And that was all I needed. Fast forward 24 hours — we’re in a 4–4 game in the 7th, bases loaded, two outs. He puts me in. Surprised? Maybe others were. I wasn’t. I had been preparing for this moment for two years. I got to a 1-2 count and I got a flyout to right. From that point on, I went on to lead the team in ERA and appearances out of the bullpen. It became the best season of my career. The takeaway: always be ready. You don’t know when your shot will come. But when it does, you can’t afford to be surprised. You’ve got to be prepared — mentally, physically, emotionally — like it’s the opportunity you’ve been waiting your whole life for. If I hadn’t been locked in during that 19–2 game and shown Coach what it meant to me, I may have never gotten another chance. Make the most of yours. If you’re not there yet, don’t give up. Keep showing up. Stay ready. Your moment’s coming. I’ll attach a few clips of the game that changed my career.