Going into his senior season, SS/RHP Ryan Phillips will go down as one of the most decorated players in the history of Rock Bridge HS. He already owns the career record for wins (14), and will make a serious run at the career strikeout record. During his junior campaign, Phillips posted a perfect 7-0 record with a 1.26 ERA. Equally impressive at the plate he posted a .473 batting average with a school record fourty three hits leading Rock Bridge to a 25-3 record.

Phillips recently committed to his hometown Univeristy of Missouri Tigers. We caught up with him to get some of his toughts.

PBR: Which schools were you considering prior to committing to the University of Missouri?

Phillips: Top 3: University of Louisville, K-State, and Lindenwood.

PBR: What were the reasons that you ultimately chose Mizzou?

Phillips: I couldn’t see myself dog piling in Omaha,  in anything other than a Missouri Tiger uniform.

PBR: What was the relationship you had with Coach Jamieson and Coach Jackson in the recruitment process?

Phillips: Great, we were honest with each other during the process, with communication open at all times, and on all levels.

PBR: As one of Missouri’s top two-way talents, has the Mizzou coaching staff indicated whether they would like to use you as strictly a position player or pitcher? Or do they seem open to a two-way role?

Phillips: They specifically indicated to me that they were recruiting me as a  infielder, as well as a relief pitcher, knowing of course, that all positions will be earned.

PBR: What is it like playing for Rock Bridge, a school that was a fixture in our Top 10 last season and finished 25-3?

Phillips: It has been a blessing to play for a school and  for a coach who is committed to, and values winning, as much as he does his relationship with his ball players.

PBR: Considering that you lost several key players in seniors John Miles, Travis Bittle and Landon Clapp, what is the team’s collective mindset headed into the season?

Phillips: The chemistry of our team is already there, but we know we will have to work harder in the off season, harder in the weight room, and want to win more that anyone else, which I believe we already do.

PBR: Do you feel that playing in Columbia and facing the competition you do has prepared you to be a DI player?

 

Phillips: Absolutely, whenever you are consistently surrounded by such a wide variety of athletes and talent in a D1 college town, it sets your standards and goals much higher for what you want to accomplish.

PBR: What are your thoughts on the implementation of BBCor bats from a hitting and pitching perspective?

Phillips: For hitting, it will be necessary to focus more on squaring the ball up on the sweet spot of the bat. For pitching, it won’t change much, other than you will want to exaggerate pounding the ball inside.

PBR: What team did you play for over the summer and how did it go for you? Were there any aspects of your game that you wanted to improve during the summer?

Phillips: I played in Oklahoma on the Missouri Sunbelt team, where I wanted to focus on driving the ball up the middle against tougher pitching, along with mastering my pitches.

PBR: As you head into your senior year, is it good to have the commitment and recruiting process done?

Phillips: Yes, it takes all of the pressure out of the equation, and lets you relax and play ball as though you were a kid again.

PBR: Do you feel that this season will be any different considering that you know where you’ll attend college?

Phillips: No, I will expect nothing less of myself than I have in the past, which means getting after it, on and off the field.

PBR: Are you excited to be reunited with former teammate John Miles at Mizzou?

Phillips: Yes, John and I go back as far as little league, so it will be a lot of fun to share the college baseball experience with him at Mizzou.

PBR: What do you hope to accomplish in this upcoming season, both individually and as a team?

Phillips: Individually, this season I would like to try to keep my hitting % above .500, my on base % above .600, my ERA below 2.00 and have less than 3 errors in the field.

As a team, our goal every year is always the same—to win the district championship. Our dream: is the state title.