Until last season, Mikey Shutta didn't think he would ever be a fixture in the outfield. That is, until assistant coach Dennis Kelly suggested that he try playing centerfield.

"Coach Kelly thought it would be a good opportunity for me," recalled Shutta, a junior, who played on the JV team last season. "He (Kelly) thought it would be a good fit. I really didn't know what to expect at first.

"I had been playing in the infield and played a lot at third base. Once I got out there, I really fell in love with it."

This season, Shutta looks like he has been playing the position all his life. Shutta and fellow outfielders Jacob Kober and Alex Torres have formed one of the highest regarded defensive outfields in the Lehigh Valley, as the trio has been recognized for their speed and agility as well as taking away their share of potential opponent base hits.

Offensively, the junior has been a table setter for the Roughies at the top of the lineup, as he has been among the team leaders in hits, RBIs and average.

"Mikey is off to an outstanding start for us," said head coach Steve Bradley. "From the start, he has really hit the ball. He has gotten things going for us at the top of the lineup, and he tracks down every single ball in centerfield.

"He has made the plays with his bat and his glove."

While Shutta has been ecstatic playing in centerfield, he still would like to improve his hitting.

"I have been trying to get in some extra batting practice," stressed Shutta. "I try to hit whenever I can. But I feel like I have been seeing the ball really well lately. It is just a matter of working as much as I can out there."

He credits his work ethic to his father, Mike, and coach Bradley, both of whom have been extremely influential in his life.

"I started playing t-ball when I was seven or eight," said Shutta. "My dad got me started with the game and he has always been pushing me. Coach Bradley has been my coach for a long time. He also has always been there for me and always spent some extra time with me."

His determination has pushed him to become a member of the program's football and wrestling teams. Shutta is also a member of the school's Varsity C club.

Over the next few weeks, the effervescent Shutta will do his share to keep his team in the hunt for the postseason.

"We have been playing together for a long time," said Shutta. "We all know each other well and we really believe we can make a run at leagues and districts. I just want to keep on doing whatever I can."

In more ways than one, Shutta certainly has been one of the team's centers of attention.