Amp Phillips is Ready to Prove Himself

Amp Phillips created a pretty neat nickname for himself. Now the junior pitcher wants to make a name for himself on the diamond.

“My full name is Ashton Michael Phillips, and I go by ‘Amp’ because it’s much cooler and more memorable,” Phillips said with a grin. He transferred after spending one year at USC Upstate.

“I feel like I have the golden ticket. I’ve wanted to be here my whole life after watching them win the College World Series in ’10 and ’11.”

Phillips went 7-2 with a 3.64 earned run average in his lone year with the Spartans, striking out 81 batters in 84 innings with only 29 walks in 20 appearances. The Lancaster, South Carolina native started his career at Spartanburg Methodist College. He turned some heads last year in a couple of appearances against Clemson, including the NCAA Regional where he fanned nine Tigers in six innings of work with only one walk. He was the Big South Newcomer of the Year last year and helped the Spartans earn their first NCAA Tournament bid after winning the conference tournament. Not bad for someone who didn’t really start pitching until his junior year of high school.

“I figured I could throw pretty hard, so that’s when I started,” said Phillips, who was also an outfielder at that point. “I became a fulltime pitcher my freshman year of college. I was a two-way player at Spartanburg Methodist, and then I hit 92 miles an hour one of my first times throwing, and I decided I was going to just pitch from that point on.

“It’s awesome because I’ve got the ball in my hands, and I know I can affect the outcome of the game with every pitch. I just love being out there and competing on the mound. I topped 96 last year, so hopefully I can touch 97 or 98 this year. I just want to have another good season like I did at Upstate.”

He knows that the competition will be tougher every weekend in the SEC, but that appearance he had against Clemson last year gives him confidence that he can compete at the highest level of college baseball.

“I’ve always believed in my stuff and believed I could play at this level,” said Phillips, who is a services management major and noted he’d likely be an entrepreneur whenever he’s done with baseball. “It’s just a matter of having an opportunity. Having that chance to pitch in those games last year was probably the best opportunity of my life. I just want to continue to prove myself. I’m looking forward to having a lot of fans here and winning for the fans.

“My family is really important to me, so I’m glad they get to experience this with me as well. They’re one of the main reasons I’m here. They’ve always supported me.”

While his name is unique, like many baseball players, he has some superstitions, but he’s reasonable with them.

“I have to wear the same thing every time I pitch,” Phillips said. “The same underwear and a (tank top) shirt. I do wash them, though.”