By Evan Jensen
Splash Editor
LIBERTY LAKE - Standing on the pitcher's mound at Safeco Field in Seattle, Liberty Lake resident Rusty Shellhorn stares at the catcher's mitt hovering in the strike zone. As the crowd rumbles with excitement and the team chatters on the field, Shellhorn watches the catcher for the signal. Then he fires off a blazing pitch that slices the outer edge of the strike zone followed by the umpire's bellowing voice, "Steee-rike."
At 17 years old and a senior-to-be at Central Valley High School, Shellhorn was picked to play in the Mariner's Cup this weekend on a team of the best high school baseball players in the Northwest. A left-handed pitcher who plays an estimated 100 games a year, Shellhorn has risen through the ranks in the past few years, catching the eye of college scouts from more than 50 schools across the country during his junior year with the CV Bears baseball team. He opened the spring season for the Bears with a punishing no-hitter, 10-0 victory against Gonzaga Prep earlier this year and will compete against the best players in the west at Safeco Field this weekend.
"Rusty is a unique individual on the baseball field," CVHS Pitching Coach and Spokane Dodgers Coach Jeff Simmelink said. "He's highly self-motivated, and he has a plan. He applies that plan every day and really doesn't need a lot of coaching because he's very diligent and has an incredible work ethic. The number one thing that has made him successful is his work ethic. He's the kind of kid that will be successful no matter what he does. He's a very talented player and generates a lot of energy out of a little body."
Shellhorn grew up playing baseball in Spokane and fell in love with the sport at an early age. Even though he was undersized by comparison to a lot of other players, Shellhorn kept showing up to practice and putting in the time to get better. At 11 years old, when a coach told him his pitching arm was too weak to compete, Shellhorn went to work on his left-handed strike and has thrown the ball at least five days a week for the past six years.
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"I've never played any other organized sport," Shellhorn said. "I started out playing baseball when I was pretty young, and it just became a passion of mine. I've been pretty undersized most of my life. I was never a big power hitter or first baseman who could hit home runs. I played a lot of outfield, and then I tried pitching and fell in love with it."
Shellhorn plays baseball year-round, pitching for the CV Bears in the spring and playing with the Spokane Dodgers in the summer. Shellhorn's family moved to Las Vegas, Nev., when he was in the seventh grade, where he played on a traveling baseball team and began dominating the pitcher's mound. He has competed in the U.S. Junior Olympics and is currently ranked by Baseball Northwest as one of the top players in Washington state.
Earlier this year, he verbally committed to play for the Cougars at Washington State University after he graduates from CVHS in 2008. At Stanford University's Baseball All-Star Camp earlier this year, Shellhorn clocked a pitch at 88 miles per hour and has proven his ability on the mound game after game.
"For his age, Rusty's pitching skills are pretty advanced," Spokane Dodgers Coach Mark Miller said. "But what has really made Rusty successful on the baseball field is his work ethic and determination. He's a quiet kid who works really hard in the off-season and never gives up. Over the last year, he's made a big jump as a player. His ability to throw the ball with more velocity has improved, and he's getting more guys out with his accuracy and speed. … A left-handed pitcher is a rare commodity, and any pitching staff that really wants to grow their program looks for a lefty like Rusty."
While pure strength is a key factor in throwing hard-to-hit pitches, Shellhorn's strategy for success includes a combination of physical conditioning and mental strength. During the CV Bears spring season, Shellhorn and his teammates practice techniques of the game, lift weights and run almost every day.
"There can be a lot of noise at baseball games from the fans and the other team," Shellhorn said. "I tend to close out all that stuff and only focus on me and the catcher's mitt. A lot of times I don't even see the face of the batter because I'm so focused on making the right pitch. At the same time, you have to adjust when things go wrong and learn to deal with adversity."
By the time the first game arrived in March of this year for the CV Bears, Shellhorn blew the Bullpups away with his left-handed pitch that frustrates many batters.
"I was pretty nervous, and I didn't want to start the season off on a bad note," Shellhorn said.
When he pitches a good game, Shellhorn keeps the game ball, writes a few details about the game on the ball and adds it to a growing collection on the fireplace mantle at home. One ball in the collection includes the Gonzaga Prep ball Shellhorn fired across the plate for the 10-0 no-hitter victory.
With a busy schedule that keeps him practicing and playing baseball year-round, Shellhorn still finds time for keeping up with his homework and hanging out with friends. He's a member of the CVHS debate team and likes collecting baseball cards. With a younger brother playing baseball and a sister at home, baseball games and practices also keep the family on the go.
"We live and breathe baseball," said Bret Shellhorn, Rusty's father.
After playing against the best in the west at the Mariner's Cup this weekend, Shellhorn will return to Spokane to resume training and playing with the Spokane Dodgers and get a little closer to his lifelong goal.
"I really wanted to get in to a Division I school, and the opportunity to compete as a freshman at the Pac-10 level at WSU is just huge," Shellhorn said. "After college I hope to get drafted and play professional baseball, and of course it's my dream to play Major League Baseball."
