Muhlenberg’s Kenay Rodriguez is UECU Player of the Week
Kenay Rodriguez didn’t play baseball when he was at Reading High.
He showed right away, after arriving at Muhlenberg, that he can do a lot of things to help a team win.
“I noticed from Day 1 he had some special tools,” said Muhls coach Brian Kopetsky. “I saw his athleticism, excellent hands, that he could turn double plays and get rid of the ball faster than everyone else. His hand speed is his special skill on defense; it is something you can not teach.”
Rodriguez can swing the bat, too. He showed that last week in a Berks League quarterfinal against Kutztown when he went 4-for-4 and scored three runs in a 9-4 win. That performance has earned the senior shortstop Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week honors.
“Kenay always seems to be involved in something good at the plate or on the bases,” Kopetsky said. “He finds ways to get on base and the hits kept coming. He sprays the ball to all fields while looking to hit balls in the gaps. He is very confident in hitting in all counts and has a willingness to take walks.”
He even got a hit batting left-handed against the Cougars. He grew up as a switch-hitter but lost confidence batting from the left side.
With the Muhls safely ahead 9-1 late in the game he took his first swings of the season from the left side and produced a fourth straight single.
Rodriguez is batting .428, third-highest on the team. He is slugging over .500 and has an OPS over 1.000. He shares team lead with 10 stolen bases, has scored 15 runs and driven in 11.
“About half way through the season you could see his confidence grow,” Kopetsky said. “As his confidence grew his spot in the order continued to rise (he batted sixth against Kutztown).
“Now he and Gio (Cavanna) make the bottom half of the order as dangerous as the top. He has worked very hard to get where he is today.”
Rodriguez is the first Muhlenberg player this season selected Player of the Week.
Players considered for Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.
Also nominated for Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week:
- Dennys Rodriguez, Berks Catholic
- Carson Renner, Brandywine Heights
- Mason Walter, Daniel Boone
- Luke Weller, Exeter
- Tyler Minick, Gov. Mifflin
- Matt Remick, Kutztown
- Brayden Evans, Tulpehocken
Previously selected as Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week:
- April 4: Kevin Lawlor, Berks Catholic
- April 11: Conner Licklider, Hamburg
- April 18: Luke Weller, Exeter
- April 25: Tyler Minick, Gov. Mifflin
- May 2: Tyler Minick, Gov. Mifflin
- May 9: Luke Weller, Exeter
