This Friday I sat down with the baseball team’s second baseman Thomas Roulis ’15 to talk about the team fighting out of an early-season slump, his professional idol and his ideal superpower.
How did it feel to earn Ivy Player of the Week for the first time last week after your performance against Brown?
TR: I wasn’t really expecting it, to tell you the truth. It’s a great feeling, especially when your team can take three out of four in a series, get the ball rolling again and be able to compete in the Ivy League.
What do you think enabled your success against Yale?
TR: I was doing a better job at the plate and seeing more pitches, swinging at more pitches and laying off the off-speed stuff.
What do you need to do to continue your success?
TR: We have to keep getting to pitches early on, get into bull pens and keep working counts.
What is your take on how the season has been going?
TR: We started off kind of slow, but especially now, we are starting to come around. Going into these last few weekends, we just have to take care of what we can control by playing our game. It all starts with the first game. We win the first one and take it from there.
Is there a Major League Baseball player that you look up to?
TR: I’m from Long Island, N.Y., so Derek Jeter was always my go-to guy. I’m 15 minutes from Citi Field, but I’m not a Mets fan. Ever since I was little, Jeter was always there. He’s a great leader on the field and someone that I’ve always looked up to. It’s pretty sad that it’s his last season. It’ll be different not seeing him on the field.
If you could play in any major league ballpark, which would you choose and why?
TR: I’ve actually played in Yankee Stadium once. I would say Yankee Stadium, but now I would probably say Fenway Park because of its history and great fan base.
Where do you see yourself in five years? Do you think baseball will still be a part of your life?
TR: Everyone kind of hopes that’s where they will be in five years. I hope to be playing after college for sure. How long it goes, I can’t really say.
What would you say is the hardest part about playing college baseball?
TR: It’s a long season. It’s short when it comes to games, but long all year because of the amount of work and time you have to put in. It’s fun to do, so I can’t really complain.
What would you say is your favorite thing about being a Dartmouth athlete?
TR: My closest friends are on the team. Some people might get sick of them after a while, but it’s fun being with them all day long.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
TR: Probably super strength. It would be cool to be able to lift anything.
What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?
TR: I know some of the guys on the team know this, but I’m actually a third-degree black belt. I did karate for 11 years, starting at 4.
If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose?
TR: I think George Washington would be pretty cool. It would be cool to see what it was like back then and what his responsibilities were.
If any song could play when you walk into a room, what would it be?
TR: “Danza Kuduro.” It was my walk-up song in the summer, and there’s just something about the beat I really like.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
