Greenfield-Central ace Parker Rhodes has right mentality for postseason play

The IHSAA baseball state tournament begins Wednesday starting with sectional play.

There's added weight to a win-or-go-home game, and teams must decide which pitcher on its staff is best suited to handle the magnitude of the moment.

For Greenfield-Central, the Cougars are giving the ball to junior Parker Rhodes to start the postseason against Anderson. Rhodes is just a junior, but improved mechanics and increased trust in his teammates have sparked a breakout season.

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"I've always had good confidence in myself being able to know confidently what I want to throw, but on the other hand, it's having a confidence with the people behind me and in the infield which have really progressed over the year," Rhodes said. "That's what I think has been the main key to my confidence."

The Xavier commit has electric, bat-missing stuff on the mound. In 33 innings, Rhodes racked up 70 strikeouts to go along with a 2.76 ERA. Rhodes had a four-start stretch from early April to May where he recorded at least 10 strikeouts per start. Recording strikeouts are the best way to keep runners off base, but Rhodes' main focus is throwing strikes and avoiding walks.

"Is it nice to strike everyone out? Yes. But at the same time, it's also the game of baseball," Rhodes said. "(Hits) are going to happen and having that defense behind me and confidence in them has boosted me as a pitcher, but also everyone as a team."

First-year coach Mitch Gibson said Rhodes' dedication to weightlifting while maintaining his flexibility has allowed Rhodes to take his game to the next level. Gibson added Rhodes has developed a true pitcher's mentality, making him the perfect person to get the first start of the postseason for Greenfield-Central.

"For (Rhodes) it was understanding I need to be more of a pitcher," Gibson said. "I need to pound the zone and know that I'm better than what I think I possibly am, to throw your best stuff and try to beat the hitter's best stuff.

"He's got that dog, that dirtbag mentality. He steps on the mound at 6-2 but he plays it like he's 6-6, 285 (pounds). He doesn't care what size you are; he wants to compete."

Rhodes and Gibson led the Cougars to a 11-12 record. Greenfield-Central has a plus-33 run differential and the 86 allowed runs are 40 fewer than last year's mark. Juniors Zander Cobb and Brady Johnson are the team's top hitters batting .357 and .303, respectively. Senior Kirk Knecht has five extra-base hits in 55 plate appearances, and senior Kyle Oden leads the offense with two home runs. Defensively, GC's fielding percentage is down slightly for last season, but overall, the Cougars committed three fewer errors than last season.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Greenfield-Central ace Parker Rhodes has right mentality for postseason play