Junior Jeremy Phillips is not the most vocal player on the baseball team nor the biggest, but he has played a vital role in contributing to the team’s success.

Philips carries more than his fair share of weight on the team as the lead-off hitter, centerfielder, and occasional pitcher. Though some might crumble under such pressure, Phillips has excelled.

Junior Freddy Barnes has been playing with Phillips since freshman year.

“Offensively Jeremy’s our lead-off batter, so it’s Jeremy’s job to score a lot of runs and get on base so that other people can drive him in,” Barnes said. “He starts off the order and we have to start strong. I’ve been hitting behind him which has been a lot of fun because he gets on base a lot and it creates a lot of opportunities for me.”

Phillips has proved he is more than able to fulfill the role of lead-off batter, hitting 0.500 in the first eight games.

Though it’s obvious Phillips can take tough pitches, he can also throw a few himself. In recent games, Phillips has stepped in as a relief pitcher in later innings, pitching an impressive 1.75 ERA.

Head coach Craig Sucher stipulates that Phillips was not designated this position as a reflection of lackluster pitching skills, but instead because of his ability to handle late game pressure.

“Jeremy has distinguished himself over the last few seasons as being adept at coming into close ball games and getting the job done,” Sucher said. “Sometimes if a guy is labeled as a relief pitcher, it’s because he’s not good enough to be a starter but in Jeremy’s case, he’s just good at closing games and is very valuable otherwise in the outfield.”

Phillips’ abilities in the outfield are indeed not to be underrated. Phillips matches his offensive intensity with just as aggressive defensive play.

“Jeremy is our best outfielder,” Sucher said. “In centerfield, we’ve instructed him to go catch every ball that he can.”

As centerfielder, Phillips is the leader of the outfield. Phillips is not an obvious leader, nor is he at all dominant or overbearing. Instead, Phillips displays leadership by acting as an example for others players on the team.

“I think his biggest strength is that he is one of our best leaders in terms of leading by example,” Barnes said. “Whenever Jeremy comes to practice he’s ready to work hard. He never asks for a day off. He’s always working the hardest, which sets an example for the guys who haven’t been around as long and even for those who have been around for a long time. He might not be as vocal as others but we need people like him to set an example for the team.”

Sucher agrees that Phillips’ determined presence is vital to keeping the team intact.

“Jeremy is a quiet leader,” Sucher said. “He’s always out there competing. When things are going well, that doesn’t disrupt him, and when things are going bad, that doesn’t disrupt him. He’s always giving everything he’s got.”

Phillips determination on the field carries into the off-season as well. Phillips’ current success is no doubt a result of the work he put into improving his game over the years.

“I’ve gone to lots of hitting instructors over the years so I’ve improved my hitting,” Phillips said. “I’ve also gotten quicker hands and gotten a lot stronger through practice.”

The main work Phillips has done is to refine his game around his impressive natural athletic abilities. Phillips’ superior strength and speed have played a large role in his success, but it is his work to better these abilities and his baseball skills that has made the greatest impact on his play.

“When I started playing with Jeremy freshman year, he was really raw in terms of baseball skills,” Barnes said. “He was always the best athlete on the team, but he might not have been the most developed baseball player. Jeremy has developed a lot of baseball skills and gone from being just an athlete that happened to play baseball to a baseball player who happens to be a really good athlete.”

With these refined skills plus raw talent, Phillips has a good chance of continuing his play past high school. Already, colleges have begun to show interest in his blossoming talent.

“I’m looking to play [Division One] after high school,” Phillips said. “I’ve been contacted by Michigan State, Louisville, UConn, Georgetown, and Yale.”

With the season just beginning however, Phillips has more pressing goals to focus on.

“I’d like the team to get through the first round of districts,” Phillips said.

If Phillips continues to play as he has at the start of the season, the team has a good chance of achieving just that.