Calm, cool and collected, junior outfielder Raph Rhymes is unfazed by whatever the opposition throws his way – be it a high-90s inside fastball or a curveball that buckles the knees of other hitters.
His demeanor at the plate, coupled with some natural athleticism, has flipped Rhymes’ reputation from talented walk-on to a feared hitting machine.
After compiling a .360 batting average and leading the Tigers in hits in his debut season last year, Rhymes is taking it to an entirely different level this season.
Through 37 games, Rhymes is hitting at a .500 clip, with 23 multiple-hit games to his credit. He’s on pace to shatter the school season record of a .410 average.
So how does the man with a literal 50/50 shot of getting a hit do it? He keeps it simple.
See the ball, hit the ball.
PREGAME
With repetition comes results – at least that’s how Rhymes looks at it.
If the Tigers have a 7 p.m. first pitch, Rhymes shows up to the ballpark at 2 p.m. – a full two hours before the team is expected to arrive at the ballpark.
This extra time is Rhymes’ time. Just him, a bucket of balls and a batting tee.
“I just go down to the cages by myself,” Rhymes said. “I turn on some music. … I’m usually out there for about an hour. My main thing is just to square up the ball off the tee, just make sure I hit everything solid.”
ON-DECK CIRCLE
Rhymes uses his final moments before an at-bat to gauge what he’s about to face, treating his time in the circle as at-bat 1.0.
“I like to watch the pitcher,” Rhymes said. “Just so I can get my timing down, try to see his release point. I don’t want to get in the box unprepared. When I’m on deck, I like to pretend like I’m at bat.”
IN THE BOX
Some players like to follow a pattern when they step in the box – check out junior outfielder Mason Katz’s helmet-straightening routine before each pitch.
But Rhymes isn’t even sure he does the same thing when he steps in to bat; it’s just laser-beam focus on the pitcher and the ball.
With his mind purged of anything other than what’s happening at that exact moment, Rhymes digs in and readies himself for the offering.
“I struggle when I start to think too much,” Rhymes said. “I’ll be thinking of what he’s going to throw next, just thinking ahead of myself. So I like to just keep it simple. I try not to think at all when I’m up there, just see it and hit it.”
The only time Rhymes said he’d change his approach is with two strikes, and even then, he’s been a near impossible out – striking out only seven times in 140 at-bats.
 
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Contact Luke Johnson at [email protected].