University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Kari Hodges/UGAAA
Bulldog Spotlight: Getting To Know Dillon Carter
October 12, 2023 | Baseball
Graduate Dillon Carter is no stranger to the big lights. The Flower Mound, Texas native won back-to-back state championships before making three postseason appearances with Texas Tech. Last season, the 6-1, 215-pound outfielder hit .267 with six home runs, nine doubles and 23 RBI with a .981 fielding percentage, registering 101 putouts and three assists in 106 total chances.
With a degree in agricultural leadership, Carter now attends the University of Georgia. He said he believes his experience of playing longer seasons and working to get 'one percent better every day' has prepared him for success when he dons the Red and Black in the spring.
When did you discover your love of baseball and what was that moment for you?
"It was a really young age. I have been playing, like everybody else here since I was probably five or six. I wouldn't say I really started enjoying it until I knew I was alright at it. That 11- to 12-year-old range was when I really started to enjoy playing it."
You earned a pair of state titles in high school. How do you think you have built a strong foundation to get your game where it is now?
"In high school, learning how to play, pitch and hit, helped me with the mental side of the game. Through high school, I didn't understand how big of a mental part baseball takes a toll on. I learned in college that to go late in the year, it is not really a physical game, it is more mental. I would have learned that in high school."
You played on Texas Tech teams that made it to two regionals and a super regional. What was that experience like?
"It was incredible. My sophomore year, we were at home for both the regional and super. That was a really fun time except that in Lubbock in June it is really hot. We ended up playing Stanford for the super, and it was about 112 degrees. That was brutal. Playing at home in front of that crowd was incredible as it always was. Last year, in Statesboro, it was a lot different. I like the state of Georgia, and it kind of came full circle now that I am here. It is a lot of fun playing postseason baseball."
How do you think you can bring your experience of playing on that stage to Georgia?
"This year, especially with all the transfers, a lot of experience is on the team now and in the roster. That is going to play a big part of having these younger guys be around it and see what it takes to go long in the year. I hope to be a big part of that this year."
What drew you to Georgia, and how have you seen aspects of your game improve since you have started here?
"Every day, getting better on the offensive side. The past four years have been an offensive struggle for me. Having Coach (Will) Coggin and everybody around pushing in the same direction has been really good. The old saying, 'one percent better every day' is definitely working for me this year so far, knock on wood. What drew me here was the new coaching staff, too. I knew Josh Simpson prior to him being here. Obviously, what Coach Wes (Johnson) and Simpson did at LSU was pretty remarkable last year. It was a no-brainer to come here. It is a beautiful state."
You earned an Agricultural Leadership degree at Tech. What are your plans after you finish playing?
"It was really a leadership degree. I got a lot of background in diversity, equity and inclusion. I know a better foundation of how that works in the real world. I want to be in timber distribution. I will be in this region of America, northern Alabama probably. Hopefully, if that works out, that will be what I do after baseball. That is my plan to get into timber distribution. I would like to start a timber corporation in an area of East Texas. That might be some time. We will see. I would love to end up in Texas in the long run, but if that is not where I start, that is not where I start."
What do you like to do when you're not playing baseball?
"I like to hunt and fish. I like hunting more than I like fishing. I prefer catching. Hunting is probably my biggest hobby. If I am not playing baseball or watching film, I am watching YouTube on hunting. The Outdoor Channel is always on. Watching college football is definitely up there too. I like hanging out and grilling. Nothing wrong with a good steak on the grill after a long day. Anything that is quiet where I can be alone, I like doing it. Back home, in Lubbock, it was the mecca for bird hunting. We got to do the crane, geese, dove, duck, everything. West Texas is my favorite place to hunt because it is a melting pot of free-range elk, white tail mule deer, quail. You name it, it is probably in West Texas."
What is the biggest change moving from Texas to Georgia, and what do you miss the most?
"The biggest change is definitely the humidity. Lubbock was like the Sahara. You come out here and can't really go anywhere without sweating. That has been a big change. It is hilly here and there are trees. In Lubbock, there wasn't any. The scenery is a lot better. The food in Texas is way better. I haven't found a good Mexican restaurant to eat at yet. I haven't found a good barbecue joint. That is the biggest thing, but there is a lot more to look at here than there was in Lubbock."
The Texas fast-food chain Whataburger is now in Georgia including Athens so what is your go to order?
"Patty melt and I get it on a regular bun. I love Texas Toast, but I started getting it on a regular bun like three years ago and haven't looked back. I get the jalapeno ranch with it. It is to die for. I don't enjoy ketchup. That is one thing everybody grills me on. I like mustard. If I am going to choose a condiment, it is either mustard or ranch. I don't like ketchup."
Some baseball players are known to have superstitions or certain routines, do you have any?
"Not really, to be honest. I like sticking with my same underwear. I will wash them, obviously, but I like sticking with the same ones. That is really the biggest one. I don't care how I tie my shoes. I don't like having a new grip tape. That is probably my biggest superstition. If someone changes the grip tape on the bat I am swinging, I don't like it. I am not really a superstitious guy at all."
What has been your favorite memory playing baseball?
"I don't want to go back to high school, but winning two Texas High School State Championships in a row was sweet. In college, I haven't won a national championship yet. It would have to be the Covid year of baseball. That was probably the best team I have been on. It stinks that it got cut short. There will be four or five kids off that team that will be in the big leagues in the next three years, so that was cool. For a week straight, we got to be No. 1 in the country at Texas Tech, which is kind of cool. That would be my favorite college memory."
(Bulldog Spotlight written by Julia Maenius, Georgia Sports Communications Graduate Assistant)
With a degree in agricultural leadership, Carter now attends the University of Georgia. He said he believes his experience of playing longer seasons and working to get 'one percent better every day' has prepared him for success when he dons the Red and Black in the spring.
When did you discover your love of baseball and what was that moment for you?
"It was a really young age. I have been playing, like everybody else here since I was probably five or six. I wouldn't say I really started enjoying it until I knew I was alright at it. That 11- to 12-year-old range was when I really started to enjoy playing it."
You earned a pair of state titles in high school. How do you think you have built a strong foundation to get your game where it is now?
"In high school, learning how to play, pitch and hit, helped me with the mental side of the game. Through high school, I didn't understand how big of a mental part baseball takes a toll on. I learned in college that to go late in the year, it is not really a physical game, it is more mental. I would have learned that in high school."
You played on Texas Tech teams that made it to two regionals and a super regional. What was that experience like?
"It was incredible. My sophomore year, we were at home for both the regional and super. That was a really fun time except that in Lubbock in June it is really hot. We ended up playing Stanford for the super, and it was about 112 degrees. That was brutal. Playing at home in front of that crowd was incredible as it always was. Last year, in Statesboro, it was a lot different. I like the state of Georgia, and it kind of came full circle now that I am here. It is a lot of fun playing postseason baseball."
How do you think you can bring your experience of playing on that stage to Georgia?
"This year, especially with all the transfers, a lot of experience is on the team now and in the roster. That is going to play a big part of having these younger guys be around it and see what it takes to go long in the year. I hope to be a big part of that this year."
What drew you to Georgia, and how have you seen aspects of your game improve since you have started here?
"Every day, getting better on the offensive side. The past four years have been an offensive struggle for me. Having Coach (Will) Coggin and everybody around pushing in the same direction has been really good. The old saying, 'one percent better every day' is definitely working for me this year so far, knock on wood. What drew me here was the new coaching staff, too. I knew Josh Simpson prior to him being here. Obviously, what Coach Wes (Johnson) and Simpson did at LSU was pretty remarkable last year. It was a no-brainer to come here. It is a beautiful state."
You earned an Agricultural Leadership degree at Tech. What are your plans after you finish playing?
"It was really a leadership degree. I got a lot of background in diversity, equity and inclusion. I know a better foundation of how that works in the real world. I want to be in timber distribution. I will be in this region of America, northern Alabama probably. Hopefully, if that works out, that will be what I do after baseball. That is my plan to get into timber distribution. I would like to start a timber corporation in an area of East Texas. That might be some time. We will see. I would love to end up in Texas in the long run, but if that is not where I start, that is not where I start."
What do you like to do when you're not playing baseball?
"I like to hunt and fish. I like hunting more than I like fishing. I prefer catching. Hunting is probably my biggest hobby. If I am not playing baseball or watching film, I am watching YouTube on hunting. The Outdoor Channel is always on. Watching college football is definitely up there too. I like hanging out and grilling. Nothing wrong with a good steak on the grill after a long day. Anything that is quiet where I can be alone, I like doing it. Back home, in Lubbock, it was the mecca for bird hunting. We got to do the crane, geese, dove, duck, everything. West Texas is my favorite place to hunt because it is a melting pot of free-range elk, white tail mule deer, quail. You name it, it is probably in West Texas."
What is the biggest change moving from Texas to Georgia, and what do you miss the most?
"The biggest change is definitely the humidity. Lubbock was like the Sahara. You come out here and can't really go anywhere without sweating. That has been a big change. It is hilly here and there are trees. In Lubbock, there wasn't any. The scenery is a lot better. The food in Texas is way better. I haven't found a good Mexican restaurant to eat at yet. I haven't found a good barbecue joint. That is the biggest thing, but there is a lot more to look at here than there was in Lubbock."
The Texas fast-food chain Whataburger is now in Georgia including Athens so what is your go to order?
"Patty melt and I get it on a regular bun. I love Texas Toast, but I started getting it on a regular bun like three years ago and haven't looked back. I get the jalapeno ranch with it. It is to die for. I don't enjoy ketchup. That is one thing everybody grills me on. I like mustard. If I am going to choose a condiment, it is either mustard or ranch. I don't like ketchup."
Some baseball players are known to have superstitions or certain routines, do you have any?
"Not really, to be honest. I like sticking with my same underwear. I will wash them, obviously, but I like sticking with the same ones. That is really the biggest one. I don't care how I tie my shoes. I don't like having a new grip tape. That is probably my biggest superstition. If someone changes the grip tape on the bat I am swinging, I don't like it. I am not really a superstitious guy at all."
What has been your favorite memory playing baseball?
"I don't want to go back to high school, but winning two Texas High School State Championships in a row was sweet. In college, I haven't won a national championship yet. It would have to be the Covid year of baseball. That was probably the best team I have been on. It stinks that it got cut short. There will be four or five kids off that team that will be in the big leagues in the next three years, so that was cool. For a week straight, we got to be No. 1 in the country at Texas Tech, which is kind of cool. That would be my favorite college memory."
(Bulldog Spotlight written by Julia Maenius, Georgia Sports Communications Graduate Assistant)
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