Seton Hall pitcher Josh Prevost could be on the cusp of one of the most joyous days his life. And he insists that day of elation never would have been possible were it not for some profound heartache.
Josh’s father Bill died Jan. 15 at age 64, succumbing to a bitter three-year battle with stage 4 colon cancer.
This week, the Seton Hall flame-thrower is expected to hear his named called somewhere in the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
The 22-year-old Pirates flamethrower insists the two events — the loss of his father and hopefully realizing a lifelong dream on the heels of a memorable senior season — are interconnected.
“I wanted to honor my dad,” the Belle Mead, N.J., product said in a phone interview. “I’m sure a big rush of emotions will happen [when I get drafted].”
The 6-foot-8 hard-throwing right-hander’s first three seasons at Seton Hall were littered with ups and downs, one good outing followed by a mediocre one. Consistency eluded him. A walk, missed call or poor pitch stuck with him, ruining a solid start.
That changed this year, which he traces back to that sad January day. Josh dedicated the season to father. He wrote “DAD” on the inside of his cap. When he got into trouble, he looked up, saw those three letters and was able to exhale.
“He would help calm me down,” Josh said. “I would think about him, realize things could be much worse.
“It helped me mature as a person. When you’ve been through that kind of struggle, when you’re on the mound and you have the bases loaded and no outs or you’re down by four runs, it puts things into perspective.
“What is baseball in the grand scheme of things? What is one tough outing?” he asked rhetorically. “It’s not that important. I can put it in perspective, stop stressing and just worry about the next pitch.”
An All-American lacrosse player at Trinity College, Bill Prevost wasn’t a baseball player and never pretended to be an expert. He wasn’t a Little League coach, and he never meddled in high school. He would attend as many of his son’s games as possible, pacing the outfield as his son pitched. He always offered words of encouragement, whether his son had just thrown a shutout or was
knocked out in the early innings.
“My dad was always my No. 1 supporter,” Josh said of his father — a veterinarian, avid golfer, fisherman and lover of crossword puzzles. “He would just say, ‘Good game, I’m proud of you.’ ”
Bill and Josh were extremely close, Josh’s stepmother Anita Prevost said. The youngest of three brothers, Bill joked Josh was the “third son of the third son.”
“They had a real kinship,” Anita said. “It amazed me. My husband could rattle off the stats and tell you pitch by pitch for Josh. They would just talk baseball. Josh is not a real big talker. My husband would talk about it hours on end.”
Bill knew he wasn’t going to make it to this season. He made a number of trips during Josh’s junior year for that reason. He often talked about Josh’s upcoming season with optimism and what he needed to do.
“He was the one who said he was gonna have a big year,” Anita said. “He knew it.”
Indeed, Josh did, putting together a string of impeccable performances that elevated his draft stock. Prevost tied a Seton Hall record with 12 wins, and his 116 1/3 innings pitched were second all-time in a single season. Seton Hall’s first Big East Pitcher of the Year since 1992, he tossed three complete game shutouts while notching a microscopic 1.62 ERA, beating the likes of
Oklahoma, Arizona and Big East regular-season champion Creighton.
“His whole mental edge was completely different this year,” roommate and fellow pitcher Anthony Ella said. “It almost looked like he knew, ‘I’m better than this team, I can beat this team.’ ”
Josh said, “I wanted to prove to a lot of people that I don’t collapse when bad things happen to me. I rise to the occasion.”
Each start featured a series of radar guns tracking Josh’s every pitch. He worked out for the Rays recently and will throw for the Mets this weekend. Seton Hall coach Rob Sheppard said scouts were impressed by his consistency throwing strikes, his competitive nature and his ability to work deep into games.
“He can win at the next level with the stuff he has now, and I think he’ll continue to get better,” Sheppard said.
I wanted to prove to a lot of people that I don’t collapse when bad things happen to me. I rise to the occasion.
- Josh Prevost
One scout who recently saw Josh envisions him going in Rounds 7-10. The scout said Josh’s repertoire reminds him of former A’s and Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon McCarthy because of his long, lean build. His light workload prior to this past season, throwing a total of 73 2/3 innings, is attractive.
“He may just be coming into his own,” the scout said.
This was a make-or-break year for Josh, if he wanted to achieve his professional dreams. It began with that difficult January day. It was also a sense of relief, for the entire family.
Bill wasn’t in pain anymore. And Josh had something greater to play for, his father, who worried he was a distraction for his son when his own life was nearing its end. In fact, Josh felt
blessed — for the time he had with his father and all the lessons he imparted with him.
“He taught me things can always be worse, don’t worry about things you can’t control,” Josh said. “He didn’t want to be a distraction. He wasn’t. He helped me actually.”