Difficult Decision
March 17, 2003 05:03 PM | General
March 17, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- For most blue-chippers, the recruiting process can be one of life's most exciting times as well as the most obtuse. Choosing which institution to attend and compete as a student-athlete levies a great deal of pressure on the person who is barely of legal age, yet has to make such a crucial decision.
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| Jarod Rine has been one of the Mountaineers' top offensive threats this season, batting .341 with seven stolen bases. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
The choice will likely change the person's life for better or for worse as they are selecting a new lifestyle: a new beginning.
About three years ago, Jarod Rine had to deal with all of this pressure - times two that is.
The Moundsville, W.Va., native was a two-sport star athlete at John Marshall High, excelling as a first-team all-state quarterback in football as well as earning all-state honors as an outfielder for the baseball squad.
Rine not only had to pick which school to go to, but he had to choose what sport to play.
"It was probably the toughest decisions I ever had to make," says Rine. "I knew that whatever choice I made I would have to deal with it for the next four years of my life."
It was an issue he had to deal with as a junior in high school, as both his football and baseball coaches attempted to persuade Rine to sway their way. He felt the pressure from the schools as well, eventually receiving letters from Illinois, Penn State, West Virginia and a number of Mid-American Conference colleges in hopes of turning Rine to football.
The baseball recruiters were meager in comparison, with only Ohio and WVU casting its lines with aspirations of hooking Rine onto the diamond. In the end, though, it came down to what Rine wanted and what he perceived as giving him the best chance to reach his dream.
"I made the decision to choose baseball because I felt that I had the best shot at reaching my dream of being a professional athlete," he says.
With that choice made, it came time to pick the school he would be playing hardball at, which after some serious thought turned out to be a no-brainer.
"Going to WVU is all about pride for me," he says. "I grew up wearing blue and gold in every sport I played and I remember getting goose bumps whenever my parents brought me to see a football game in Morgantown. I was lucky enough to get the chance to play here and I knew I was making the right choice."
After an all-state senior year of high school, the stage was set for Rine at WVU, where he would find out if he made the right choice of sport.
Immediately, it became evident that baseball was a sport that he would excel at, starting 36 games as a freshman and playing in 43. Though he hit just .235, he was defensively strong and showed immense potential with every game. He committed just two errors all season for the Mountaineers.
Probably the most obvious of Rine's talents was his blazing speed, something head coach Greg Van Zant would eventually take advantage of. As a sophomore, Rine swiped a team-high 18 bases and hit .308 while walking 20 times and scoring 27 runs.
Such numbers proved that Rine would make the ideal leadoff hitter - a productive on-base scoring machine. So far this season, that's just what the junior has been.
He's hitting .341 with a team-best seven stolen bases to go along with two home runs. Although a hamstring injury forced him out of most of last weekend's action against Le Moyne, Rine is hopeful to return to a strong West Virginia line up soon.
Although Rine has excelled at the critical lead off spot, he says he's comfortable where ever he's at in the batting order.
"Hitting leadoff is fun but to me, but it doesn't matter where I hit," says Rine. "I just try and help out my team and get on base as much as possible. Hopefully the three and four guys can keep driving me in."
A team that can boast such an advantage in the leadoff spot is essential in the high-powered Big East conference, where Rine has already experienced some of the nation's top hurlers.
"Being a left-handed hitter, facing Joe Saunders (Virginia Tech's top draft choice) last season was extremely tough for me," he says of the lefthander who was drafted by Anaheim with the 10th overall pick last season. "With guys like Bobby Brownlie from Rutgers and all of the Notre Dame pitchers, we really have to bring our top game in conference play."
With Rine's mentality towards each game, with each base he steals, with every hit he collects, it serves as a convincing notion to everyone that baseball is the game to which he belongs.
Rine and his teammates return to action on Tuesday facing St. Bonaventure in a two-game midweek series that begins at 5 p.m.
Fans can follow U-92's live coverage of the game through MSNsportsNET.com's Baseball Live Event Schedule.
