Auburn baseball's junior center fielder, Ryan Tella, is a man of relatively few words. When asked why the California native came to Auburn, he responded "It's a great place, and a great place to play ball."
His play, on the other hand, speaks volumes.
Almost a third of the way through their season and at the beginning of conference play, the Tigers already made a striking statement. They are 13-6, with three of those losses coming against No. 2 ranked Vanderbilt last weekend.
Tella, a history major, is helping direct the charge into April, leading the team with a scorching bat and a glove that frustrates hitters game in and game out. After losing to the Commodores in a series of tightly contested games, Tella is hopeful about the rest of the season.
"I'd like to see us win regionals. It's been awhile since that happened," said Tella.
In fact, the last Auburn team to win regionals was in 1999, which shows the confidence Tella has in the current group of players. Perhaps one reason for this confidence is that eight of the players chose to return to Auburn this year after being drafted by MLB teams.
This group includes Tella, who turned down the Baltimore Orioles after they selected him in the 11th round. Last season, Tella was named to the All-SEC second team, and was recognized by SEBaseball.com several times for various performances throughout the season. Despite leading the team with 85 hits and a .360 batting average, marks that placed him among the top 100 hitters in college baseball last year, Tella felt he had unfinished business to attend to in Auburn.
"I wanted to prove myself for another year and see what this team could do, but we each made our decision individually (to come back)," said Tella.
The reasoning behind each player's return may differentiate, but their record in 2013 shows a unity of purpose and drive.
According to Tella, defense is one of the keys to his dominant play on the field. In 2012, he had a .973 fielding percentage and a team-high five outfield assists. This season, he is perfect in the outfield with a 1.000 percentage.
Along with solid pitching, the Auburn fielders' defensive play has led to a lowly 3.7 run per game average for opponents.
The bats have been hot as well this season, especially for Tella, who leads the team with 20 RBI's. He is quick to highlight the bat's fickle nature, though.
"Hitting comes and goes. The defense and the hustle is always there," said Tella.
He credits Gabe Gross, hitting and outfielder coach, as the biggest influence on his career at Auburn. Gross has mentored Tella since he arrived at Auburn, and the coach's instruction benefits Tella immensely on the field.
With all the pieces in place, the Tella and the Tigers hope for a memorable season for the team and its fans.
Given their solid start, that dream could easily become a reality.
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