There are some athletes on the field of play, no matter what sport, who become fan favorites because of their infectious personality. Class of 2014 outfielder O'Kevius Conway (Clinton/Clinton) is one of those players who is always smiling and can draw people in because of his persona and his high level of play.
Conway, a native of Clinton, sprints out of the dugout onto the field and back towards the dugout after the third out of each inning. The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder has a tremendous passion for the game and he shows it on the field at every opportunity.
“My dad always told me if you’re going to do something, go 100 percent and full speed,” Conway, smiling, of course, said. “If you make a mistake, shake it off and keep playing the game. Enjoy the game, smile, and have fun out there.”
Conway committed to the Gamecocks, over schools like North Carolina, College of Charleston, Presbyterian, and Charleston Southern, on July 18. He’s been to campus on a handful of occasions and cited the Dodie Academic Center as one of the primary reasons he decided to choose South Carolina.
Of course, the fact that the Gamecocks have been one of the best teams in the country the last few years didn’t hurt.
“South Carolina has always been a dream school,” Conway said. “It’s the number one school and my family loves it. I love the campus, I love the field, and I just enjoy being here.”
Conway, who plays shortstop for his high school team, moved to the outfield this summer playing with the Diamond Devils. He could play in the outfield or second base with the Gamecocks.
“I hit pretty good this summer,” Conway said. “I played outfield most of the time, played shortstop and pitched a little bit. I’ll play infield or outfield at the college level.”
Over the course of the summer, Conway hit in the middle of the order and showed line drive and gap power to go along with great athleticism and speed. He still has some fine-tuning to do on his swing, but he certainly doesn’t get cheated at the plate.
“I need to work on staying back on the ball and going backside,” Conway said. “Not such a pull hitter, hit the ball on the ground, and stop popping up so much.”
Conway, who is known as "Big O" to his friends and teammates, is in the throws of football season at Clinton High School. He plays safety, running back, wide receiver and both kickoff and punt returner. The Red Devils didn’t have a great showing in the season-opener against high-powered Gaffney on Friday night, but Conway had a dozen tackles.
While his football coaches try to get him on the field every way possible, Conway enjoys his time on the defensive side of the football a little bit more. It is playing defense where he can show his fire and passion just a little bit more.
“I really love defense,” Conway said. “I like to knock people’s helmets off. That’s what I like to do - hittin’.”
Be it on the baseball or football field, Conway’s coaches know that they’re going to get 100 percent out of him on every play. That’s the way his dad taught him and that’s the way he plays the game - every time out.
“I love playing the game, being able to support my family, and everyone else around me,” Conway said.
Want to learn more about Conway and his commitment to the Gamecocks? Check out TheBigSpur.com’s Insider Notes taking a behind the scenes look at his commitment and get a detailed scouting report.
Class of 2014 commitment list
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- John Whittle
- South Carolina Insider - TheBigSpur