Senior first baseman Jhames Holley III is actually the outlier for Homewood-Flossmoor.
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On a 27-player roster, he’s the only left-handed hitter for the Vikings. While some people might look at that as an issue, Holley maintains a jolly approach when he heads up to the plate.
“I really look at it as a blessing,” he said. “Only 8-10% of the people in the world are left-handed. It throws a curve to the pitcher because they’ve just faced eight right-handers in a row.
“They just don’t know what to do with me.”
Rich Township definitely didn’t know what to do Tuesday with Holley, who smacked two doubles and drove in three runs for H-F in a 10-3 win at Illinois-Chicago’s Curtis Granderson Stadium.
Senior infielder Jack Castady also contributed two RBIs for the Vikings (10-3), who produced 10 hits in capturing their fourth straight win. Senior shortstop Javoris Bohannon had two hits and two RBIs for the Raptors (10-5).
Holley created the dominant narrative on this bright day in the big city, however. The Joliet Junior College recruit finished 4-for-4 with three runs, two steals and two singles.
Senior catcher Kamari Dawkins, a Bloom transfer who drove in three runs, praised Holley.
“He’s my guy, the first friend I met here on day one,” Dawkins said. “He has a strong bat, with power from the left side, who gets his hands on every ball that comes to him at first base.”
H-F coach Marcus Rodgers called Holley’s versatility a key to optimizing all parts of the Vikings’ attack.
“He’s been great for us the whole year, first as a designated hitter,” Rodgers said. “He hasn’t skipped a beat since taking over at first. He’s been hitting the ball the other way lately.
“He’s dangerous when he does that. I think it makes him one of the best left-handed hitters in the state.”
Holley started his fifth straight game at first base after sophomore Brock Hamilton suffered a broken thumb in practice. Holley’s two-out RBI single sparked a four-run first inning Tuesday.
“My thought process going into every at-bat is just do a job,” Holley said. “I’m always looking to help the team out. I got a pitch and an opportunity to score some guys and made it happen.”
Holley is the third of four children. His father is a pastor, and Holley calls his faith the defining characteristic of his life. When he’s not playing baseball, he performs in the church choir.
His parents also taught him to be different and willing to stand outside the pack.
“They wanted to put me in a sport where typically you don’t see a lot of young Black guys playing,” he said. “The default sport would be football, basketball or track, but they wanted me to be unique.
“It’s the same thing with the spelling of my first name. They always wanted me to be my own person.”
Holley showed that again with his standout performance against the Raptors. As a player drawn to the mental demands of the game, he feels liberated every time he steps up to the plate.
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“This is my third year playing on varsity and it has taken a long time to develop this mindset of really going up to the plate just having fun,” he said. “That relieves all of the pressure off of you when you remember baseball is a child’s game. You’re supposed to go out there and have fun.”
And Holley is comfortable playing baseball, a game that has been a constant in his life.
“I feel as you grow, your love of the game grows,” he said. “The more passionate you become, if you love the game back, you’re going to do whatever you have to do to help your team win.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.