June 13, 2007

By Kathlyn Clore, The Hilton Head Island Packet

His talent and work ethic prompted scouts, coaches and opponents to take notice of Brian Harrison a while ago. This year, the senior won over even the little kids bellied up to the backstop, their fingers wrapped around the chain-linked fence as they cheered the Hilton Head Island High School baseball team.

"It's a community thing," Harrison said. "Especially when you make a good run like this and you get to have all the community support, you get letters and stuff and people saying how they follow you. It's cool. We'll be in the on-deck circle and there will be little kids sitting and talking to you and stuff. It's a lot of fun."

And a successful one. Harrison set a single-season school record with 46 hits, including a clutch postseason triple, and is the Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette Baseball Player of the Year. The versatile 6-foot-2 senior hit .450 with 45 RBIs and was 6-1 on the mound with a 2.81 ERA.

He played shortstop and pitched for the Seahawks, which finished 27-9 and went to the Class 3-A State Championship Series for the first time in 20 years. He also plays third base and outfield for the Diamond Devils, the Charleston-based summer travel team he joined during his junior year.

"I like to be in control of the game, have a lot of responsibility, that kind of thing," Harrison said. "I just like the challenge of it. ... And the more positions you can play the better chance you have to get on the field."

The right-hander last November signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Furman University, where he plans to declare a math- or science-related major. Harrison was the Seahawks' salutatorian and scored a perfect score on the math portion of his SAT. He was also named Scholar of the Year and was part of the all-academic team selected by Diamond Prospects, a Web site that covers state high school baseball.

"He's the No. 1 student-athlete I've met in my 10 years here," Seahawks coach Chris Wells said. "He's made me a better person just being around him. He's a role model for a lot of these kids."

Harrison helped put the Seahawks into the Class 3-A Lower State Championship when he hit a ninth-inning triple to the right field corner off Brookland-Cacyce starter Adam Westmoreland. Sean Ferda, running for Harrison, scored on the game's only error, by the catcher and the Seahawks won 1-0.

"That was probably my biggest hit of the year," he said. "We had no outs in the bottom of the ninth and won 1-0. That was probably the most thrilling."

Harrison was the biggest hitter on a team wont to play small ball, with four triples and six homers, including two in one game, March 17 against Timberland.

Harrison's success seems unsurprising given how often he practices. He and brother Greg Harrison -- himself a first-team All-Area selection as both a third baseman and right-handed pitcher -- are at the ballpark all year, hitting off the tee or playing long toss. Wells said he could not recall Harrison missing an off-season weight-lifting or running session.

"I try to work my hardest and try not to set limits for myself," Harrison said.

Hilton Head High lost the first game of the playoffs, in District 5-AAA competition, to Myrtle Beach, but battled through the losers bracket to advance. Harrison struck out seven to help the Seahawks beat Lake City in five innings in the opening round of the Lower State Championship tournament. After that came the 1-0 win against Brookland-Cayce, which the Seahawks beat once more to win the Lower State Title.

A.C. Flora swept the best-of-three State Championship Series.