Familiar Faces
Christian Franklin and Casey Opitz Start Professional Careers in Myrtle Beach
By Sam Weiderhaft
It had been a long day in Auburn, Alabama as the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Auburn Tigers met in the second game of a doubleheader. It was a matchup of two of the top teams in the country, with Auburn at number 15 and Arkansas ranked ninth.
With two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the 10th of a 4-4 tie, a Tiger catcher Matt Scheffler hit a single to left field. Razorback freshman Christian Franklin fielded the ball and fired it toward home with Steven Williams heading to the plate as the winning run.
Guarding the plate was Arkansas sophomore catcher Casey Opitz. The throw reached him in the air as he dove to put the tag on Williams. With the home crowd roaring, both teams awaited the call.
Safe.
Auburn stormed out of the dugout and dogpiled at home. Opitz argued with the umpire, who would take the play to a review. The call was reversed, and both teams would play five more innings before Arkansas ended up on top 9-6 in 15 innings.
The Franklin and Opitz connection was born on a 14-hour day in the middle of Alabama.
There are few college baseball programs like the University of Arkansas. Located in Fayetteville, the epitome of a college town, the Razorbacks are always in the conversation for the next College World Series champion. The stadium seat over 11,000 fans. They’ve made three trips to Omaha in the last six seasons and have won their regional three years in a row.
Naturally, MLB scouts flock to the SEC powerhouse to find the next top prospects. In 2021, the Chicago Cubs set their sights on two players who wore the cardinal and white.
Opitz was the three-year starting catcher for the Razorbacks. He was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the draft. Franklin was an All-American outfielder who just had a knack for getting on base. Franklin was taken by the Cubs in the fourth round, while Opitz was taken in the eighth.
“I was super pumped, man,” Franklin said, reflecting on draft day. “Just being able to play with my teammate and be able to be on the field with him again, I was just super excited to play with my teammate for some more years.”
Before joining the Cubs organization, Opitz and Franklin played together for three years at the highest level of college baseball. In 2019, they made the College World Series for the 10th time in program history. Rebounding from the COVID-shortened season, they won the SEC tournament for the first time ever in 2021 while holding the number one ranking for most of the season.
“There’s nothing like it,” Opitz said. “It’s something you might not be able to do again after college. I would tell every kid to go do it, it’s an experience that you’ll never forget.”
“Looking back on it, you don’t appreciate it as much until you’re gone,” Franklin added. “The whole coaching staff does a really good job of making you feel at home.”
After being knocked out of the NCAA tournament with a loss to NC State in the Super Regional, the attention turned toward professional baseball. Following the MLB draft in July, both were sent to the Arizona Complex League for a warmup before being added to the Pelicans roster.
“All the coaches are super cool,” Franklin said of the Cubs facility in Arizona. “I like how they take their time with each player to build a plan for you and do a lot of tests, so they know what to do moving forward.”
Franklin spent four games in Arizona while Opitz played in just one. Opitz made his Pelicans debut as the catcher in Fayetteville, North Carolina against the Woodpeckers on August 20. Franklin made his arrival at Pelicans ballpark a few days later on the 24th against the Columbia Fireflies.
While the two were a year apart at Arkansas, Franklin mentioned that this short time in the Cubs organization has strengthened their friendship.
“He usually hung out with more of the older guys, I usually stuck with the people in my class,” Franklin said. “Going through this whole process being from the same school and being together, we’ve definitely gotten a lot closer.”
As the 2021 season reaches its finale, Opitz and Franklin are still relatively new to the Pelicans roster. Through 10 games, Opitz has hit .267 while catching five runners trying to steal. Franklin has just six hits in his first 11 games but has drawn nine walks with a stolen base.
Playing high-level baseball in hectic environments during their college years has helped both players adjust to professional baseball.
“I couldn’t imagine going from high school to this level,” Opitz said. “That would be a huge adjustment. It’s been easier for us. Once you get into it, you’ve been around this level and this pitching for three or four years.”
Opitz and Franklin are the third pair of college teammates to reunite on the Pelicans roster this season. Matt Mervis and Adam Laskey played at Duke before putting on the Pelicans blue, and Jarod Wright and Walker Powell both pitched at Southern Mississippi and are currently in the Myrtle Beach bullpen.
“To have a guy that is coming from your background and where you came from to go through this change, it definitely makes it easier to have that,” Opitz said.
“Having someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of, someone’s who’s had the same experiences, that helps,” Franklin added. “It’s a grind and it’s always nice to have a friend who’s come along with you.”
The two former Razorbacks will play one more series in the 2021 season as the Pelicans close out the year hosting the Augusta GreenJackets from September 14-19.
Read more feature stories in our Beachbound & Down Blog linked below.
