Power hitter

Jen Blanco

Sports Editor

The diamond has always been Jade Rhodes’ playground — the one place where she’s free to be a kid again. 

It’s here inside the chain-link fence where Rhodes’ story first began more than a decade ago. 

Now standing inside the batter’s box, a bat slung over her right shoulder, the Auburn University junior first baseman digs in her heels and looks the pitcher in the eye. 

With a swift crack of the bat, Rhodes, a 2012 graduate of Sarasota High, sends a blast over the center field wall. From the moment it sails off the end of her bat, Rhodes knows the ball is going. 

A childish grin spreads across her face as she begins her trek around the bases and back toward home plate. 

The moment never gets old. 

And that’s a good thing, because Rhodes has been a fixture on the base path for the Tigers this season. Rhodes leads the team in home runs with 17 and has a .798 slugging percentage, which is third best on the team. Three of Rhodes’ home runs came in the SEC opener versus Ole Miss March 14. It was the first time in 14 years that a Tiger hit three home runs in a single game. 

Rhodes’ blasts have helped lead Auburn to a 40-6 record and a No. 3 national ranking. 

“Not only do my coaches believe in me, but I believe in myself more,” Rhodes says. “Knowing that my coaches and teammates always have my back takes more pressure off me, so I can relax more.” 

Rhodes grew up watching her father, Arthur Rhodes, play professional baseball. After trying a variety of other sports, it was only a matter of time before Rhodes made her softball debut. 

After undergoing major knee surgery as a freshman, Rhodes was even more determined to extend her playing career beyond high school. 

“I realized that nothing (would) stop me from coming back strong and making my dream come true,” Rhodes says. “My dream was to play Division I, and I never gave up. It’s all about staying with your dream and staying focused. You can never back down. You have to keep going hard.” 

While at Sarasota, Rhodes helped lead the Lady Sailors to a district championship and a pair of back-to-back regional championships in 2010 and 2011. Rhodes graduated from Sarasota in 2012 after committing to Auburn. 

Rhodes has started in 106 games for the Tigers thus far in her collegiate career. Rhodes drove in 45 runs as a sophomore, which was the third highest on the team and also tied for the fifth-highest total in a single season in Auburn history. She already has 52 RBIs this season. 

Rhodes hit her first home run of her Auburn career, a three-run shot, last February. She finished with seven home runs last season, including three grand slams, and helped lead Auburn to the NCAA regionals. 

During the offseason, Rhodes spent ample time analyzing her opponents and breaking down the game of softball.

“I have really focused on just understanding the game and how it works instead of just trying to go out there and play the game,” Rhodes says. 

Auburn has nine regular-season games remaining on the schedule before the SEC Tournament begins May 6. From there, Rhodes and her teammates want to get back to the NCAA regionals and ultimately the Women’s College World Series May 28 through June 2. 

For Rhodes, who still has another year of eligibility at Auburn, the opportunity to play for the Tigers has been more memorable than any home run. 

“Not only has Auburn taught me so much, but I’ve made new friends and teammates who will be my friends for life,” Rhodes said. “I’m just blessed to have been able to play at a Division I college and pursue my dream.” 

  In doing so, Rhodes has improved her knowledge of the game, which has, in turn, helped her further develop her approach at the plate. 

“I realized that nothing (would) stop me from coming back strong and making my dream come true.”

– Jade Rhodes, Auburn first baseman