Each year, the Maverick baseball team seems to have players who put up video game numbers. For the second season in a row, center fielder Robert Sharrar has done so, but the journey hasn’t been easy.
Like many other underclassmen in the Mavericks historic program, Sharrar had to wait his turn to crack the lineup to become the player he is today. After a redshirt season his freshman year, Sharrar played just five games his second season and then only 15 starts in his third year.
“I definitely struggled with the expectations of how I want to succeed. Now looking back, I wasn’t going up with an approach. I was just going up basically swinging to fight for my life,” Sharrar said.
Sharrar was going through the roadblocks that the majority of young players battle. To overcome the early struggles, he credits the leadership of the Maverick greats, such as Haydyn McGeary, Caleb Farmer, Spencer Bramwell and more.
“All these guys were just setting the tone. With how hard we need to work, the time that you need to put in on your own time, the stuff that goes on off the field academically, as a person what you’re doing for the community… just great leaders by setting the example of what it means to be a Maverick,” Sharrar said.
The moment it all flipped for Sharrar was a game against Adams State University in a pinch-hit opportunity when he received some advice from one of those leaders.
“I came up, he [head coach Chris Hanks] tells me ‘Sharrar get ready, grab a bat!’ The helmets going on, the batting gloves going on, and the heart rate is spiking about times two. Walking to the plate, Spencer Bramwell goes ‘hey, open it up here, do it for the guys.’ All of a sudden I was like, ‘yeah, let’s do it for them, have fun’,” Sharrar said.
Just trying to have fun with the guys, Sharrar hit a grand slam for his first career home run. That grand slam his redshirt sophomore season was just a preview of what would come.
Now in his redshirt senior season, the left-handed hitter has hit in the leadoff spot for the Mavs the past two seasons and has become one of the best hitters in DII. Going back to last season, Sharrar has an absurd slashing line of .432 batting average, .766 slugging percentage and .477 on base percentage.
“He carries himself with confidence in everything he does on and off the field. Having a guy like Rob [Sharrar] in our lineup is great. Just knowing that he will come up in the big spots and perform. He doesn’t let the big moments get too big and just performs,” third baseman Caleb Thomason said.
While Sharrar was outstanding the last two years, he has even more pop in his bat this season, surpassing his home run and double totals from last year already and leads the conference in home runs and is tied for fifth most nationally. With more power in his bat, the lefty had what is the highlight of the season up to this point, a few series ago against Chico State University.
Down five runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Mavs needed a heroic comeback. After scoring three runs, CMU was down to their final out. Luckily Sharrar was due up and hit a three-run home run the opposite way for the walk-off win.
“It really felt like a movie. Rounding first base and the lights start to flicker, you hear the crowd explode and the teammates are going crazy. I was actually very grateful that I was able to take in that moment, you know, I wasn’t too lost in the moment,” Sharrar said.
Coming a long way from his first few years, Sharrar is now the unstoppable clutch hitter that takes on the responsibility as the leader in the clubhouse.
“He [Sharrar] works harder than anyone you know. He loves this game, more than anyone I’ve ever met… We all want to follow what he does to try and reach the level he’s on. He’s [also] very influential, he gives great speeches, he’ll lock you in,” second baseman Jonathan Gonzalez said.
With poise at the plate in big positions, Sharrar’s plans post baseball make sense as he plans to be a firefighter. He has already completed his EMT certification and just submitted an application to test at his firehouse back home.
“I already got my EMT done. I had a blast with that. I mean the classroom hours, six hours a day, you would think it would be a little grindy, but man, I loved it, and the ride along hours. I had a great time with the fire department,” Sharrar said.
The firefighter days will be on hold, as Sharrar looks to continue to lead the Mavs on another postseason run. Sharrar and his fellow seniors will be honored on senior day, this Sunday at noon.
Image courtesy of Antonio Clark
