Baseball's Callil Tries to Stay Focused Despite Wildfires Back Home

South Carolina senior infielder George Callil has a lot on his mind lately. He’s not only juggling classes as well as the time demands of being a student-athlete, but the Melbourne, Australia, native is also keeping an eye on what’s happening halfway around the world as his homeland deals with widespread bushfires.

“For me and my family, we’re in a very lucky spot in Melbourne where we’re not directly affected by the fires,” Callil said. “We’ve got smoke and everything going across the whole country. I’ve got some friends and my brother’s girlfriend who have lost some property. It’s a pretty crazy time for the country right now.”

While he’s happy that his family is safe for now, he’s also concerned about the future.

“We still have the worst to come in February where we’ve got the dry and windy months,” Callil said. “We can just hope for the best at the moment.”

“I’m just hoping everyone back home is safe.”

While he tries to focus on baseball and his studies, he can’t help but want to stay on top of the latest information.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a distraction, but it is in the back of my mind,” Callil said. “I’m just hoping everyone back home is safe.”

Callil went home for the Christmas break and is getting constant updates from family and friends.

“The other day, we had a crazy hailstorm there that dropped hail the size of golf balls,” Callil said. “It’s a bit strange because a couple of hours earlier it was 85 degrees. Then this suddenly came down, but all the rain and anything we can get is a plus right now.

“We just have to hope for the best.”

As he turns to focus on baseball, Callil is anxious to make his senior year a memorable one. Playing in his second season for South Carolina after transferring from McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, Callil played in 43 games last year, starting 41. He earned a reputation as a solid defender at shortstop, and now he aims to bring up his offensive production after hitting .214 with four home runs last season.

“As an older guy, I need to lead by example,” Callil said. “We have a lot of new guys this year. Everyone is very comfortable with each other. I’m always working on my offense. Defensively, I just have to make every play that I can. I am confident I can do that.

“Offensively, I have to be more consistent throughout the year and get myself on (base) anyway possible. It’s simple things like shortening my swing. If I can do that, I’m sure I’ll do well to help the team. I tried a few things out in the fall. Some things worked, some things didn’t.

“I got with the coaches after the fall, and we figured out some things I can change. Since then, I’d like to say I’ve seen some improvements. I like what we’ve been doing with (assistant) coach (Stuart) Lake. I very much like the way we’re approaching things. It’s more of a consistency thing.”