Baseball season is underway, and coach Paul Keyes is entering his 13th season as the head skipper. Keyes is already the winningest coach in VCU history with a record of 441-226.
Early CAA polls predict the Rams are going to win the CAA this year, but Coach Keyes does not take much stock in what polls say. The Rams have six seniors out of a 36-man roster this season, and for the Rams to perform well, Keyes thinks that those seniors need to step up.
“Our seniors have to perform well for us to be good,” Keyes said.
“Trai [Harris] has to have a career year, [Barrett] Ripley has to step up and be one of our middle of the order hitters, [John] Leonard has to pitch well. For us to be good, our players need to play above their heads and overachieve.”
Keyes has already won three championships for the Rams, all within this decade. Keyes describes his success as a team effort.
“I think we’ve had really good players and our coaches have done a good job of getting the players that fit our style to play here,” Keyes said.
Player leadership has also been a luxury that Keyes experiences. He doesn’t think senior leadership is important, but leadership in all classes.
“We’ve been successful because we’ve had good leadership from each class,” Keyes said.
The Rams have had a few players make it to the next level, most notably Brandon Inge, third-basemen for the Detroit Tigers who just signed a four-year, $24 million contract.
The current Rams players enjoy watching their own make it at the professional level.
“It’s a great feeling,” says Harris (Newport News, Va./Woodside), a senior outfielder for the Rams. “To see them make it to the next level, then see them and have them tell us all about the experience. It’s just a great tribute to this team and to this program.”
The Rams continue to produce winning teams and impact players. Under the guidance of Coach Keyes, it’s only a matter of time before another rising star makes it to the highest level.