by Kevin Farrell
SAN ANTONIO — Lost and overwhelmed is the way freshman outfielder Riley Good remembers his first day on campus at UTSA last fall.
"This place was huge when I came for orientation," Good said after getting lost on campus. "I was late for my first day."
He's come a long way since then.
Good hails from Godley, which has a population of approximately 1,000. He was a multi-sport star for the Class 2A Wildcats, earning District 15-2A Most Valuable Player and all-state honors in baseball and football. He also was tabbed the district's co-MVP in basketball and was a two-time state qualifier in track.
Since coming to the Alamo City, Good has excelled as the everyday leadoff hitter and left fielder for the Roadrunners.
"He's a unique player that we haven't had in quite awhile," UTSA head coach Sherman Corbett said. "He's a prototypical leadoff guy that can really run."
Good currently leads the squad in eight offensive categories, including batting average (.349), doubles (15), and stolen bases (16). His team-leading 74 hits are second among freshmen nationally.
Despite leading the team in several categories, Good is not one who will rest on his laurels.
"I've had a good season so far, but I still need to keep working," Good said. "I've been motivated by my coaches all season and can feel myself improving."
The former shortstop has been compared to some of the top leadoff hitters in Corbett's tenure at UTSA, including Sean Danielson (2005), who played in the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds organizations.
"Sean's probably the last guy who could really run as a speedster," Corbett said. "He could hit for average and power. We see that in Riley as well. He's had times where he's juiced the ball out of the ballpark."
However, it's Good's speed that Corbett is most excited about.
"From a speed aspect, he's right up there with the top leadoff guys we've had in our program,” Corbett said.
It was never more evident than the fourth game of his collegiate career when Good tied a program record with four stolen bases, including three in the first inning, in the Roadrunners' 14-10 win at Louisiana-Monroe.
Good's impact on the UTSA community reaches past his abilities on the baseball field.
The former academic all-state honoree was awarded the Edwin & Maria Bruhl Endowed Scholarship during last month's athletics awards banquet and carried a 3.25 GPA during his first semester while working towards a kinesiology degree.
As smooth as the transition was for Good to move from shortstop to the outfield and in the classroom, he seems to be finding his way just fine on a campus that is 30-times larger than his hometown.
