Mitch Roman joined Wright State this season after transferring from Sinclair, and was tasked with replacing former Raider shortstop Joe Ford. Though he was a little tentative at first, Roman has proven his worth defensively, according to head coach Greg Lovelady.
“He’s really playing phenomenal defense and gives our (pitchers) the confidence to be able to throw strikes and know that if they hit a ground ball he’s going to be able to take care of it,” Lovelady said.
Being from Indianapolis, Wright State always stood out to Roman, partly due to him playing high school tournaments at WSU.
“They were the first school that came after me at Sinclair. I fell in love with all the players and coaches here, and they just took me under their arms. I’ve respected this program since I’ve known it,” Roman said.
Roman is the son of Dan Roman, who helped lead his Indiana State team to the College World Series in 1986 at shortstop and was later drafted in the 46th round by the New York Yankees in the 1987 MLB Draft.
“He’s been the one that’s pushed me the most,” Roman said. “He was a shortstop just like me, and he took me under his arms. Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a baseball in my hand. He’s been pushing me to be the best, and I want to be the best.”
In addition to solid play on the field, Roman made a quick impression in the box over the first month of the season with an over .300 batting average. Roman was initially hitting ninth in the lineup, but has since climbed up to the top of the batting order. Lovelady attributes some of Roman’s offensive ability to his speed.
“He’s hitting choppers and putting pressure on the defense because he gets out of the box so well. He might hit a ground ball to short, but it puts pressure on the shortstop to hurry,” Lovelady said.
Roman proved he belonged as the starting shortstop in the first month of the season when WSU faced nationally ranked Ole Miss and Miami.
“He locked down that position,” Lovelady said. “Those teams put a lot of pressure on you, and you’ve got to be able to make plays. He did a great job offensively and defensively.”
Roman believes his team sent a message when it won the third game in its series against Miami in comeback fashion after suffering two previous walk-off losses.
“In that third game on that Sunday in Miami, we came back and showed them what this program really is,” Roman said. “There was definitely a chip on our shoulder to go out there to prove we are Wright State and they’re nothing to us.”
Roman’s all-around game is further backed up by his .956 fielding percentage and team leading .337 batting average. Roman still has more to prove thought, according to Lovelady.
“He’s still learning how to hit at this level and how to hit consistently. He’s going to continue to grow offensively and have a good chance to be a professional player one day,” Lovelady said.
