Rice Baseball 2011: Rathjen ready for center stage
Most players may come out of a below par season with a new hunger to improve their game. It's rare when you see someone emerge out of average and prove himself invaluable during the season. Unless you're Jeremy Rathjen, or better known as Jeremy "Wrath-jen." The graduate from nearby Memorial High School had a tremendous season last year. He started 53 out of team's 63 games, 22 as a designated hitter and 31 as an outfielder. He hit a .317 batting average and a slugging percentage of a .584, a whopping increase from his .232 batting average and .358 slugging percentage the previous year.
Rathjen improved his game in the second half of the season. Averaging a higher hitting average as an outfielder than a designated hitter, he maintained a hot .340 in conference games and hit 5-14 (.357) in the Austin NCAA Regional, which earned him Second-Team All-Conference USA honors at the end of the season.
The lanky center fielder took his momentum to Santa Barbara, Calif. during the summer, where he hoped to further improve his game with the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League.
"I wanted to be a better player when I came back this fall. I'm now one of the older guys on the team so I want to play well," Rathjen said. "I would like to be a consistent player on the team so everyone knows they can count on me, and I want to lead by example."
His fall performance proved nothing less. He was third on the team with a batting average of .333, while he led the team with a slugging percentage of .533. Not only did the junior's early fierce performance lead Head Coach Wayne Graham to say that Rathjen "is ready for a breakout year," but it also earned him a spot on the coaches' Conference USA Preseason Baseball Awards, an accolade shared by fellow juniors Taylor Wall and Anthony Rendon.
"It's a great honor," Rathjen said. "But the most important thing is to play well so I can make the post-season all-conference team."
Preseason honors had no impact on the Houston native. He seems to be focusing on only goal in mind.
"To win the national championship," he said. "Not making an appearance, but to win it."
Yet the junior slugger was interested in taking one series at a time.
"I mean, the goal is to sweep against Stanford."
Rathjen showed confidence in himself and credited his teammates when asked about the road to Omaha.
"I think we have a lot more talent this year. Our pitching staff has a lot more depth, and in order to get to Omaha you need a lot more depth," he said. "Everybody is rooting for everybody in the team so we hope that carries us.
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