Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Nick Rhodes

Barry Faulkner

When junior left-hander Nick Rhodes isn’t hitting his spots, the

Corona del Mar High baseball team finds itself in a tough one.

But, after a second straight complete-game victory last week, a 4-2

triumph over Mountain View in the semifinals of the Pride of the Coast

Tournament, Rhodes appears to have regained his confidence, as well as

his pinpoint pitching precision.

“Last year, he started the season 5-0, but this year, he started 0-4

and you could see the poor kid was scuffling,” CdM Coach John Emme said.

“But, starting with that win over Laguna Beach (a complete-game

six-hitter March 28), then the Mountain View game (a five-hitter April

2), I think he felt the weight of the world lift off his shoulders.”

Those shoulders, more muscular after an offseason of dedicated weight

training, hold a great deal of the youthful Sea Kings’ playoff hopes.

But Rhodes, an All-Newport-Mesa District performer last season as a

sophomore, has done his best to shake off adversity and remain positive

this season.

“Baseball is a failure sport,” the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week

said. “When things don’t go well, I just tried to tell myself tomorrow is

a new day and I try to come out and do it the next time.”

Rhodes said CdM pitching coach Steve Foreman instructed him to slow

down his delivery to enhance his control, while his teammates helped keep

him mentally strong during his atypical struggles.

“I got a lot of good support from all my teammates,” Rhodes said. “And

(catcher) Nick Karpe has been really good about saying the right thing to

keep me focused.”

Rhodes’ makeup has also been a key in righting himself, according to

Emme.

“There was frustration, but he also has an incredible demeanor,” Emme

said. “He was probably questioning whether he was the same guy (this

year). But against Mountain View, he really was dominant.”

His performance against Mountain View, which extended the Sea Kings’

winning streak to five, included six strikeouts and only one walk. And,

surprisingly, the outing he termed his best of the season, came despite

the absence of his change-up.

“My change-up was high in the first inning, so I relied on my fastball

and curveball,” he said.

Rhodes’ control of all three pitches, and his ability to throw any

pitch in any situation, has been the key to his success, since he is

unable to overpower hitters with his velocity (26 strikeouts in 41

innings).

“Watching Nick pitch from behind the backstop is a treat, because he’s

usually hitting the catcher’s glove,” Emme said. “The biggest thing for

him, is to challenge hitters inside and to be able to establish his

curveball by throwing it for a strike whenever he wants.”

Rhodes wants badly to help his team defend its Pacific Coast League

championship and realizes his stature as staff ace adds pressure to his

situation. He also admits that while he projects unflappable focus on the

mound, there are times when he’s raging inside.

“I’m pretty hard on myself,” he said.

Rhodes took the loss in the Sea Kings’ 14-4 PCL setback against

Northwood Tuesday, but six of the nine runs he allowed were unearned.

“Generally, when a guy hits the ball hard on Nick, I’ll ask (Karpe)

the same question I already know the answer to,” Emme said. “And that’s

‘Did he miss his spot?’ ”