University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Emerson Hancock
April 22, 2019 | Baseball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Shortly before sitting down for a Quick Chat in the Georgia baseball dugout at Foley Field, sophomore pitcher Emerson Hancock was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week. Understandably so after throwing eight scoreless innings and striking out 11 last Thursday night against No. 21 Missouri.
That stellar performance was just the latest in the 6-foot-4 right-hander's superb season. In 10 starts for the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs, Hancock, from Cairo, Ga., has a 7-2 record and a 1.04 ERA, with 77 strikeouts and only 15 walks.
During our chat, he talked about his hometown, playing other sports, his favorite baseball movie and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: If you could be great at anything for a day, just to experience it, what would it be?
Hancock: The Sunday round at Augusta (during The Masters). That would be cool. Especially after watching it last week, that would be awesome. If I could be great at one thing, it would be that (laughs).
Frierson: What other sports did you play growing up?
Hancock: My dad was actually a really, really good football and basketball player in high school, so in middle school I played basketball and played also football for him in the seventh grade. He was like a retired P.E. teacher and they let him help out (coaching) in the middle school, so I played for him.
I really, really like basketball, but growing up it kind of overlapped with baseball in high school, so we were just like, let's focus on baseball.
Frierson: Given your size, do you remember your first dunk?
Hancock: Not in a game, never in a game. Sometimes if I palm it I can dunk it, other times, I don't really have that good of hops.
Frierson: Cairo is a little town of about 10,000 but it has a really rich athletic history, both with Georgia and with baseball and other sports. How aware are you of all the different great athletes that have come from Cairo?
Hancock: Growing up you always hear about the names. When I was growing up it was Willie C. Harris, who was an outfielder that played for Kennesaw (State) and played for the Braves for a couple of years and scored the winning run for the White Sox in the World Series.
There's Ms. Teresa Edwards, Bill Stanfill, it's just a rich history, like you said, and in different sports. It's kind of cool that it's that small of a town but you have these people that have come from this community and have gone on to do some great things. I'm proud of where I come from and definitely proud of those people, and those people paved the way.
Frierson: If you could pitch against anybody in history, who would it be?
Hancock: Mike Trout, right now.
Frierson: That was a quick answer.
Hancock: He's the best player in the game and I think it would be cool to pitch against him.
Frierson: Well, he just signed a monster contract and he's going to be around for a long time, so that just might happen one day at the rate you're going.
Hancock: (Laughs) It could, possibly, one day. That would be really cool to pitch against him one day.
Frierson: You go from 6-4 with an ERA just over 5.00 last year to 7-2 and an ERA around 1.00 this season — is there a short answer to how that kind of improvement has come about?
Hancock: I don't think it's short at all. It's a combination of all the experiences I went through last year, what we did this summer with Coach Gearheart in the weight room and how good of a pitching coach Coach Kenny is and the staff that we have here.
Also, I'm surrounded with talent, just all around the field; I have the best catcher (Mason Meadows) ask to throw to, the best defense. When you think about that, it's not just me, it's a team thing and they've really helped. It's been a long process.
Frierson: It's also got to feel good to be going up there and striking a ton of guys out and walking off the mound with a lot of zeroes on the scoreboard.
Hancock: It's something that I've worked for; I've put the work in and a lot of people don't really understand all the work that goes in, week by week, and especially to be successful in the SEC. It's a lot of film work, a lot of recovery and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Hancock: Mmm. my mom makes bacon-wrapped shrimp that are really good. That meal that she does, that bacon-wrapped shrimp, that would be really good.
Frierson: Have you ever had bacon-wrapped quail? That's really good, especially the ones with the jalapeño on the inside.
Hancock: No, sir, I have not. I like dove, too, dove's really good. My dad loves hunting so we grew up on dove.
Frierson: If you could go anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you like to go and who would you take with you?
Hancock: I think I'm going to be kind of basic and just say the Bahamas, and I'd probably take my brother. Me and my brother could just have a getaway.
Frierson: What's the best baseball movie?
Hancock: I really like "Moneyball" — I really like it, I like the concept behind it, I like seeing how the guy went in and kind of changed the team philosophy and had success with it.
Frierson: Who is the glue guy on this team? Is there one guy you can think of that just keeps everyone together and is a leader on and off the field?
Hancock: I think we have a lot of those guys. Not to not single one out but I think all the experienced players that we have; you think about the core class we have with Cam (Shepherd), with (Aaron) Schunk, with LJ (Talley), Pat (Sullivan), Riley King, Mason, (Zac) Kristofak, Tony (Locey) — I think it's a combination of all those guys.
And as much as they've been around each other and as much as they enjoy watching each other succeed, I think it's that core class that's really special.
Frierson: Last one, if you could spend an afternoon with Coach Stricklin doing anything, what would it be?
Hancock: I'm going to take him hunting and I'm going to take him hunting in South Georgia. We're going to go on a dove hunt and we're going to have dinner that night.
Frierson: Eating what you shot?
Hancock: Yes, sir.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
