And if his numbers in high school are a sign of what’s to come, it won’t be long before Rodriquez is a fan favourite at Ross Wells Park.
A freshman with the Minot State University Beavers, Rodriquez emerged as one of the top players in mid-sized school baseball with the Vista Grande Spartans out of his hometown in Casa Grande, Ariz., playing in the 4A all-star showcase after his senior season in 2019.
And for good reason.
A 5-foot-7, 180-pound catcher nicknamed ‘Tank’, Rodriquez was one of the top hitters on the Spartans with a .368 average, team-leading .539 slugging percentage and a stellar .960 on-base-plus slugging percentage, the second-best OPS on his club. He hit 10 doubles and one home run while knocking in 20 runs -- also second-best on the Spartans -- while scoring six runs of his own.
Rodriquez joined Minot State for the 2020 campaign but didn’t see action in the first 14 games before the NCAA Division II Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.
The Beavers played their first game of the 2021 campaign on Feb. 22 and are currently 2-3 overall, with Rodriquez having seen action in one contest, going hitless in one at bat against Northwest Missouri State.
Minot State now has nearly a month off until their next set of games against University of Sioux Falls beginning Mar. 20.
The Moose Jaw Miller Express open their 2021 WCBL campaign on May 28 when they host the Medicine Hat Mavericks at Ross Wells Park.
