Ozzie Pratt is superstitious.
If he has a bad game, he'll do anything to improve his fortune, even adjusting the flow of water from his shower head.
"I'll make sure if one showerhead is better than another shower head," Pratt said.
Pratt's superstition led him to change to his now synonymous walk-out song, Ratlin' Bog, which helped fuel Pete Taylor Park's crowd's rally around Pratt's three-hit performance in Southern Miss' 7-3 win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday.
"My buddies said they'd laugh at it if I picked it," said Pratt, who originally used Molotov by Bones as his walk out song. "I was like alright if y'all laugh at it then that's good enough for me. The other one kind of wasn't working as well. I'm very superstitious."
The song, which sung by Carlyle Fraser, is best known for being used in a drinking game for college kids, which Pratt admits he has played but assured not during baseball season.
"We all play it," Pratt laughed. "A lot in the fall, but not now because we have baseball to play. Other than that, yeah. It's pretty fun."
Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander had never heard the song until Pratt first used it back on April 5.
"It sounds pretty catchy, that's for sure," Ostrander said. "I like it. The fans seem to like it. I'd never heard it before until it played for the first time here. If it's working for him, and it looks like it is then I hope it continues."
Pratt's laid-back nature has helped develop him into a more confident hitter as he hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to extend Southern Miss' lead over Coastal Carolina. (27-19, 11-12) to 6-2. Although he didn't believe his big swing would leave the park.
"No not at all," said Pratt if he thought his ball was a home run. "I kind of just golfed it. If you go back and watch it, I assure you I was just on the fairway and it went. The wind probably helped it, but hey it went out and a home run is a home run."
The Golden Eagles' shortstop then later added an insurance run in the sixth inning with an RBI single.
"Before, I was a little more timid up there," Pratt said. "Like it was okay, let's not strikeout. Now it's I'm going to hit it hard. I feel like I have good enough eyes that I can see spin and I can see something. I'm really going up there and taking a hack."
Yet Pratt was quick to point out that the lineup's success has come from using each other's momentum at the plate. This was the case in the third inning, which helped Southern Miss (30-17, 14-9) overcome an early 2-0 deficit. The Golden Eagles plated five runs, including a three-run homer by Carson Paetow.
"It's building momentum through everything," Pratt explained. "Paetow hit that ball hard. Slade (Wilks) hits it hard. It's all about if it's just going to drop because we hit a lot of balls right at people. But they've been dropping lately."
Sunday's first pitch is set for 11 a.m.
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