Rojas preparing for big role
AUBURN | When Mike Rojas joined Auburn’s baseball team last fall, he had two senior catchers in front of him and two more younger catchers on the roster.
When preseason practice got underway Friday, Rojas was one of just two catchers on the roster.
“I think he feels like I had a couple guys in front of me in the fall and I think now he feels like ‘Oh, I got to get ready to play’. It’s a mind shift change,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “I’m telling him to take control. I want him where he feels like with every pitch and every situation to think he’s ready to catch that first pitch regardless of Blake (Logan) or anybody else. He needs to start acting and treating like he’s going to treat every day like that.”
Senior Kyler Deese was released from the team two weeks ago following an arrest. Sophomore Jonathan Foster and redshirt freshman Jack McPherson didn’t return to the team after fall practice.
On top of that, Logan was recently hospitalized with an illness and is slowly working his way back into playing shape. Thompson expects the senior back for the season-opener against George Washington Feb. 17.
“I think we’re taking a cautious approach,” Thompson said. “Mike Rojas did really well (Friday). Damon Haecker is back there doing some stuff for us and I want Blake back there when he’s ready. He lost some steam, lost some weight, probably 10 pounds of muscle and just before he’s out there, before he’s ready, I just want him put back together. Our medical staff wants him put back together before we ask him to compete.”
In addition to Haecker, Thompson will also give freshman Conor Davis some work at catcher. Rojas, however, is on track to be the opening day starter after transferring to Auburn following a year at Chipola Community College.
“Things happen to people, and I’m just here to do whatever I can to make the team better,” Rojas said. “I came in this past summer as a recruit and just signed, so I was ready to get after it from the fall. I got hurt a little bit, but I bounced back and I came back this spring ready to attack everything, every opportunity.”
Rojas batted .339 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 28 RBI as a freshman at Chipola last year. He threw out 16-of-41 base runners attempting to steal.
He comes from a baseball family as the son of former MLB bullpen coach Mike Rojas and the grandson of five-time MLB all-star Cookie Rojas.
The sophomore is hoping this season is the start of something special at Auburn.
“I’m here to do anything,” Rojas said. “Do better defensively, attack every pitch, hit, all-around everything. I’m trying to be a leader on this team. I want to grow and be the centerpiece of this program one day.”