NATCHEZ — If there’s one thing Cathedral baseball coach Craig Beesley likes, it’s a player that’s going to give 100 percent.

So with some of his upper classmen starting pitchers going through a period of arm soreness, Beesley has been letting some younger hurlers get a chance on the mound. And sophomore Thomas Garrity has stood out early, Beesley said.

“Thomas is going to give you’ve everything he’s got every time he takes the field,” Beesley said.

“He’s battling a leg injury from soccer right now, but he never complains. That’s one thing I like from kids. If he makes a mistake, he’s not going to blame it on something, he’s going to take responsibility.”

Garrity’s arsenal features a fastball, curveball and changeup, and Garrity said the curveball is his go-to pitch when he has two strikes and is ahead in the count. It’s also a pitch that allows Garrity to keep the pressure off his arm, he added.

“My 12-6 break actually doesn’t hurt my arm,” Garrity said. “If you use a curveball that breaks down but not out, it hurts your arm.”

That’s something Garrity said he learned at the Big Leagues of Baton Rouge summer baseball camp, where former professional and SEC baseball players gather to instruct young players on the game.

“The other curve is almost like a slider, and a slider’s not good for someone my age,” Garrity said. “I’m 15, and if you’re 16 through 18 you can start throwing that, but it’s not realistic for someone my age to throw a slider.”

Garrity said he benefits heavily from having his parents, Dorothy and Byron, help him with his baseball career. His mother is an athletic trainer.

“Having my mom is a lot easier than going to the doctor all the time,” Garrity said. “She knows what to do, she tells me what to do, and if I follow the rules, I’ll be fine.”

Garrity said his father is also there to offer advice, even if his dad can no longer work with him as much as he did when Garrity was younger.

“He did a lot with me when I first started with baseball, but when I started developing more, it started hurting his hand when I would throw,” Garrity said.

“He always tells me after a game what I did wrong and what I need to fix for next time, and he also tells me what I did good.”

But Garrity is not the only recipient of criticism, as Byron is known to be highly — and vocally — critical of the officiating in high school games.

“My dad got thrown out of a Dixie Youth game one time,” Garrity said. “It was the last game of my 10-year-old season, and he was my coach that year.”

Although Garrity said no one is above criticism, he feels like his dad can be too harsh at times.

“The times have changed, and he’s not exactly there to play the game we’re playing now,” Garrity said. “The rules are different.”

Beesley said Garrity actually threw some for the varsity squad during his freshman season, and Garrity is potentially working his way up to permanently being in the starting rotation.

“You never know if you’re going to have your pitchers go seven innings,” Beesley said. “The more depth you have, the bigger advantage you have, especially since we have some doubleheaders coming up on Saturdays.

“He’s a competitor in any sport, not just baseball. When they say play ball, he’s ready to go.”

Even though it’s baseball season, Garrity said football is on his mind, especially since he could potentially be starting at quarterback this fall.

“Everyone’s asking me, are you ready, are you ready?” Garrity said. “I’ll work on it in the summer, but to tell you the truth, I would like it better to be a defensive back and wide receiver. My football career hasn’t been as good as my baseball career.”

When he’s not pitching, Garrity plays center field and third base.