Courtesy KSU Athletics
Player: Jimmy Rider
Position: Second baseman
Year: Sophomore
School: Kent State
Buckeye State Baseball kicks off its Division I Top 20 list with a young but talented slick-hitting, middle infielder that will be the catalyst to one of the Buckeye State’s most potent attacks.
After garnering second-team All-Mid-American Conference honors as a freshman, and finding a spot on the MAC All-Tournament team, Kent State’s Jimmy Rider enters his sophomore season with little to prove, but worlds of potential.
The pride of Venetia, Pennsylvania where he attended Peters Township High School, Rider made the trek westward into the Buckeye State, selecting Kent State as the school where he would continue his baseball career at the next level.
Expectations for the Golden Flashes under Scott Stricklin were high, the MAC powerhouse returned a juggernaut of an offense and returned two of the conference’s premier pitchers. Kent State entered 2009 as a preseason Top 20 by some media and with the veteran team donning the navy blue and gold, why not?
Little did people know a true freshman would emerge from the pack to lead Kent State in batting and be the spark plug to the high octane offense.
As the team’s primary second baseman in 2009, staring 55 games while appearing in 56 overall for the 43-17 Golden Flashes, Rider collected 77 hits in 218 at-bats for a team leading .353 average. Of the 77 fair balls batted in play, 11 were doubles, two were triples, with five being home runs.
In total Rider collected 107 bases in the process of scoring 62 runs and driving in 46. A slugging percentage of .491 was paired with an on-base clip of .438 as Rider drew 27 base on balls, was struck by nine pitches, striking out 35 times.
On the bases Rider stole five of seven bases successfully, in the field a fielding percentage of .962 was accumulated. In 265 chances up the middle, 10 errors were yielded with Rider assisting on 161 outs, turning 42 double-plays.
A testament to Rider’s abilities is not only his success as a freshman, but how he stepped up in big games.
In the MAC Tournament where the Flashes were fighting for a Regional bid, Rider went batted .417 going 7-for-17, with three RBI, and five runs as he received postseason honors for that four-game performance.
Though Kent State lost a few big bats due to graduation and the MLB Draft from the 2009 NCAA Regional team, the Flashes will reload not rebuild. As Rider makes a transition from second base to short stop in 2010, he will do so as a proven talent and once again spearhead Kent State’s success.
Filed under: Division I
