May 12, 2011
Following a rookie campaign in which he earned freshman All-SEC honors while starting virtually every game at second base in 2009, Riley Reynolds appeared to be on the fast track to stardom at Vanderbilt.
He would likely start the next three years at second base and bat above .300 each season while developing into one of the team’s most consistent defensive players. At least that was the course Reynolds appeared to be taking. It all sounded good … maybe too good.
As a sophomore, Reynolds’ career took a major detour as he was served a slice of humble pie. He lost his starting job to then-freshman Anthony Gomez and sputtered his way to a .209 average while being shuffled in and out of the lineup at first and second base.
“Baseball is a very humbling sport and it humbled me really quick and it will do that to a lot of players,” Reynolds said. “It just makes you learn that you just need to keep working.”
After spending the 2010 season mostly from the bench, Reynolds was faced with an important offseason as he 
headed to the Cape Cod League. He had tasted what it was like to play every day and he wanted that opportunity again.
While playing for the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League, Reynolds focused on improving his swing, specifically working on his mechanics to shorten it.
“I really got a lot of confidence back last summer going to the Cape, and I just tried to work as hard as I could this fall,” Reynolds said. “I tried to improve as much as I could to better the team and make any contribution I could.”
The hard work has paid off for Reynolds who once again finds himself starting at second base for the Commodores (41-6, 19-5 SEC). His offseason adjustments have helped him in the batter’s box where he has a .330 average. But maybe even more impressive than his improvement at the plate has been his play defensively where he has just one error.
His sophomore slump was a reminder of just how fickle the game of baseball can be. With every base hit and slick defensive play, 2010 becomes more of a distant memory for Reynolds, a native of Lee’s Summit, Mo., who was once coached in the little leagues by current Kansas City Royals hitting coach Kevin Seitzer.
“It was very tough coming from a year where you play everyday and you experience the high life and then you get brought back down,” Reynolds said. “Last year Gomez had a great year and he deserved to be out there.”
More than anything, Reynolds’ sophomore struggles made him value his every opportunity even more.
“Especially after last year, I am appreciative and grateful that I can help the team out in any way possible and I’m glad I’m in that situation this year to be able to help them,” Reynolds said. “It definitely helps you realize, even when you are struggling, just to have fun. If you are not having fun, what is the point of playing?”
