OXFORD, Ohio — Miami University redshirt junior Tommy Harrison took a seat on a McKie Field dugout bench Wednesday afternoon and smiled.
“I’d give the world for Miami baseball,” said the right fielder/utility player. “I would play here for 10 years if I could. This place is great. The field. The surrounding area. Just the vibe of Miami — it’s the place to be.”
Harrison has helped to lead the RedHawks (32-15) to a prime location as Miami opens a weekend series against the University of Massachusetts (17-24) Friday afternoon in Oxford.
It’s the final homestand of the season as Miami tries to catch Kent State (20-7) atop the Mid-American Conference standings. Miami is seeking its second straight MAC championship.
Watch to see Harrison and the rest of the RedHawks in action:
“We have a great group of guys,” Harrison said. “We don’t have anyone that no one likes. And every year it’s a different group, different personality and I think this year our personality is we like to have fun. We like to play hard. We like to work hard. And I think that’s just fun to be around every day.”
Harrison, a Cleveland native, is a MAC Player of the Year candidate. He’s hitting 393 with 13 home runs, 15 doubles and 69 runs batted in.
“Tom is a stud,” Miami coach Brian Smiley said. “He’s made himself into a good defender in right field. He is absolutely tearing the cover off the ball at the plate. He walks. He gets hit by a pitch. He’ll steal a base if you’re not paying attention to him. And he hits home runs and he hits doubles. But, most importantly he hits with runners in scoring position. He’s mature enough to take a single the other way if there is a runner at second base as opposed to trying to pull the ball.”
That versatility has allowed Harrison to enter Friday’s game atop the MAC in multiple offensive categories including slugging percentage (.697), on-base and slugging percentage (OPS) and RBI.
“There’s no volatility with Tom,” Smiley said. “You know every time he steps into the box — you know exactly the type of at-bat you’re going to get.”
The formula isn’t complicated for the fourth-year player who served as Miami’s first base coach two years ago due to an injury.
“I think just bringing a good attitude to the park every day,” Harrison said. “Being a good person outside of the field. Keeping your stuff together and then when you’re at the field giving it your all.”
Baseball has given Harrison a great deal over the years. This spring, Harrison and the RedHawks want to take the next step in the postseason this June after the MAC tournament May 21-24.
“Our vision is Omaha,” Harrison said. “It’s every year. That’s where we want to end up ultimately. But, last year we made a regional. We lost two games. So this year our goal is to go to a regional and win a game and put Miami baseball on the map.”
