Dominic Fritton: "I'm Just Trying To Do My Part"

NC State pitcher Dom Fritton met with the media to discuss the upcoming season, his development, and much more.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.

What is this year like for you taking a step forward from last year?

I think this year is just about growth for me. Last year, I went through some struggles and I'm past all that now. So I think this year is just kind of a fresh start for me and the goal is for this team to come together and play really well. So I'm just trying to do my part to be the best teammate and player on the field for everybody here. 
 

Where's the biggest area between you think you can go? 

I think mentally, last year was kind of hard with all the attention I had and then not performing to capabilities that I believed I could. So I think this year it's just a little bit more mental clarity and just being able to do what I want to do and just performing to the best of my abilities.
 

Does it mean anything that the coaches kept sending you out there, no matter what. 

That's a huge trust thing and shows that they believe in me. And I think when you have people that believe in you, it's hard to give up on yourself when you have that support system. So it means a lot to me that they were able to stick with me throughout the year, despite all the struggles, and made it easier to come back here, knowing that they're willing to work with me to get better. 
 

How much did pitching in Omaha help kind of motivate you after the year ended last year? 

Obviously, it didn't go the way I wanted it to. And I think it just makes me more eager to try to get back there and be able to compete and have the performance that my team wanted for everybody.
 

What do you think of this team? What's the strengths of this team? And maybe what do you guys possibly worry about a little bit? 

I think we're a young team. So the experience, there's gonna be a lot of guys that are playing college baseball for the first time or getting more opportunities than they did at previous schools, and I think this year is just about coming together and just playing the baseball that we can. 
 

You were young at one point and then you were in the same situation. What advice would you have to these young guys to try and get them acclimated? 

I think just going out and doing the best that you can. Don't put too much pressure on the moment, don't try to do too much. I think everybody here is talented, there's a reason that they're here. So I think if you can just put all the mental blocks by and just go out there and play, that's the best thing to do. 
 

Kind of feels not too long ago when you were stepping onto that mound the first time, now you're in your third year. How much are you kind of embracing that leadership role? 

It's been cool. I mean, the last two years I had Sam Highfill and Logan Whitaker. I've always seen those both veterans and older guys. So now I've kind of taken on that role a bit more. I think it's just kind of being that guy that is there for the younger guys. I know they're not going to play in college baseball for the first time. So I think it's being that support character for them, leading by example. Just going out there and doing what I can. 
 

Having that experience of playing a lot as a freshman, how much does it help you in kind of helping the younger guys that are going through that same situation? 

It's a culture shock for everybody. So definitely having that experience at a young age, it's helpful to kind of get guidance to them and help them to just not get too out of sync and do what they can.
 

What's it been like playing for Coach Avent? What has he meant to this program? 

Coach Avent's an icon, and he's the best out there. He believes in his team, and he does anything he can for our players. I know that he believes in all of us, and he's a great leader.
 

I know your career's kind of winding down here, but you look around at some of the things that are taking place facility-wise. How cool is it to see that getting done, even though it probably won't affect you much? 

I'll definitely have to come back and check it out when it's fully done. But I'm excited for the next phases of this program and seeing the stadium get built. It's a long time coming, so I definitely deserve it. 
 

How much have you seen Alex grow between his freshman year and his sophomore year? 

I know he went through some struggles last year, too, and I think he's just kind of embraced it. He's put the work in, and I believe that he's gonna have a really good year. I know that behind the play, he's been growing as well. As a teammate, he's a good guy, so that's the kind of guy you wanna root for. 
 

How great can this bullpen be behind you guys? And not just the back end of it, but the bullpen as a whole. 

I think we have a lot of options with the bullpen. I think we have a lot of guys that could go somewhat distance out of the pen. I think that's a good bridge for bringing in the closures that we have. It's gonna be interesting to see how our coaches utilize it and how we're able to kind of put the mix together and make it work. 
 

The leverage of having the two closers, like you said, that's really unique. How common is that in what you've seen? 

It's not too common. I mean, I know there's a lot of different college baseball programs that have different systems that they run, but I think us having several options to go to late in the game, I think it definitely helps us to keep the other team unexpected.