DeLand's Shane Thomas Building Reputation in Second Season

DELAND, Fla. - Shane Thomas has been around baseball long enough to know that nothing is given. Not a roster sport, not at bats, not respect. You earn those things, and you earn them through hard work and preparation.

In his second season with the DeLand Suns, Thomas is soaring and building a reputation as one of the most productive hitters in the league. This year, the results are impossible to ignore. Through the first week of the season Thomas leads all qualified hitters in batting average, while ranked second in on base percentage. These numbers are no fluke, they are a product of hard work.

"It's all about preparation," Thomas said when asked about his hot start to the season.

This simple mindset had made Thomas one of the consistent hitters in the league. He is a problem for pitchers because of his desire to succeed and determination to work hard. Thomas has proved that his productivity is something that cannot be removed from any lineup.

That productivity that has built from the spring into a return to DeLand this summer, a return that was easy to make. When asked what drew him to the Suns, Thomas did not have to think long.

"The competitiveness. I love the competition, I love the team, and I love the city of DeLand."

For a hitter who can put up numbers like this, there are options out there. Thomas hopes to prove his ability as a ballplayer to find a future collegiate home.

"I can compete with anyone… No matter what pitch I get thrown at me," Thomas stated, "I can go out and compete, and I can go put my best against them."

So far Thomas has done exactly that. Through the early going he has shown no signs of being rattled, working counts, making contact, and getting on base at a consistent rate that has separated him from the field.

When asked about his goals for the season, Thomas keeps it grounded.

"Staying consistent," he said.

For someone who has played in the Florida League in the past, Thomas knows how hard this will be. One good week to start the season means nothing if there is not consistent production the rest of the way. Consistency is the hardest thing to maintain in baseball; the game is built to find your weaknesses and exploit them, to make yesterday's success irrelevant by the time you hit the field tomorrow. Thomas knows this. He is not chasing a moment, but building success for a season.

If the early production is any indication, he is doing exactly that. The numbers are there. The preparation is there. The desire to perform at a high level is there. Shane Thomas is back with the Suns to compete, and right now there are few doing that with the same consistency he is.

J.C. Fox (Mississippi Christian University)