Wood brings energy, speed to Eastern's lineup
When Rachel Wood steps up to the plate, she's usually singing Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" in her head - and probably dancing to it, too.
When Rachel Wood steps up to the plate, she's usually singing Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" in her head - and probably dancing to it, too.
She stretches with her bat and quickly flips it into the air. That's the sign that Wood is ready to go.
The junior switch-hitter is a consistent offensive spark for Eastern - she recorded eight steals in a game against Cherry Hill East earlier this month - but not until she's danced her way into a competitive mindset.
"I love dancing and singing. It really clears my mind and gets me loose," Wood said of her game preparation. "I pretend my bat is my microphone. It just really gets me in the mood, because I'm just having a good time."
But once she's done her at-bat ritual, it's all about focus. She channels her energy into slapping the ball hard and getting it down.
"Once I get it down, I just run as fast I can because I believe I can run it out," Wood said.
And she can. The second baseman is quickly getting a reputation as one of the fastest players in South Jersey, a trait she attributes to years of playing soccer.
Through Wednesday, she is hitting .421 with a .541 on-base percentage and 14 stolen bases.
"She's a big part of the success we have this year - defensively, offensively, base running," Vikings coach Laura Stagliano said. "There's a lot of weight on her shoulders, but I think she can handle it."
Even so, Wood admits that she sometimes feels pressure and doesn't have the best confidence in herself, despite her quick feet. According to Stagliano, Wood is her own harshest critic.
"She's a workhorse. She's working every single play, every single out, every single practice," Stagliano said. "She just brings out the best in people around her. People see her diving for balls in practice and it's contagious."
Wood hopes to harness the leadership skills she witnessed on the soccer field with former Eastern soccer and softball player, Madison Tiernan. Tiernan, who is in her sophomore year playing soccer for Rutgers, is Wood's role model.
"I got to play next to her and it was awesome because we all knew she was going places," Wood said.
She describes Tiernan as irreplaceable, but she aims to bring those same leadership characteristics to the Vikings.