Graduate Brian Rauh honored for his athletic excellence

Brian Rauh, class of 2016, was named to the D3baseball.com 2010’s All-Decade team. Rauh accumulated 30 wins across his Chapman baseball career. Panther Archives

Three hundred fifty-five strikeouts in three years, 1.78 earned run average, 30-1 record, three-time 1st team All-American.

These are not Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg’s college statistics. No, these numbers all belong to Brian Rauh, a pitcher on Chapman’s baseball team from 2010 to 2012. 

Rauh was recently named to a 2010’s All-Decades list for his athletic excellence. Yet, what isn't apparent from his stacked trophy case is the journey that it took for Rauh to reach that standard and his overall impact on Chapman’s baseball program.

Toeing the rubber at 5 feet 8 inches, Rauh used to be an undersized pitcher during the majority of his high school years, so most NCAA Division I schools overlooked him.

“I was a late bloomer, so I was smaller and undersized and didn’t throw that hard yet,” Rauh said. “I was still a good player, but I just grew late … I didn't have the size of my peers until I started growing at the end of my senior year of high school.”

Yet, instead of topping out at his physical limitations, Rauh learned to adapt his pitching style. That was evident to Chapman Pitching Coach Dave Edwards rather quickly. 

Edwards attributed Rauh’s success to his ability to change speeds with his pitches. His off-speed offerings, mainly his looping curveball and drifting changeup, served to keep hitters on their toes with his fastballs reaching 95 miles per hour.

“Brian constantly evolved,” Edwards said. “In his first year at Chapman, his most devastating pitch was his slider; his second year, it became his curveball; his third year, it was his changeup.” 

After a successful and memorable career on the mound for the Panthers, Rauh was prepared for the big leagues. He was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 11th round of the 2012 MLB draft.

“The coaching staff – including Dave Edwards, who had played pro ball – were able to tell me about their experiences and help me through the transition into the major leagues,” Rauh said.

Rauh stayed with the Nationals organization from 2012 to 2017 and reached Double-A ball, which is the second highest level of play in Minor League Baseball. Although he never officially had a chance to toe a major league mound, he has since found other ways to stay involved in the game he loves. He began private instruction and mentorship during the end of his playing career.

“I had a few parents that would ask me to give their kids lessons,” Rauh said. “Originally, I would turn them down; I didn't want to do it because I wanted to focus on myself since I was still playing.” 

What started as a side hustle during the offseason eventually turned into a full-time job for Rauh. His baseball academy, B Rauhty Baseball, now has over 100 players whom he coaches and mentors. His students of the game enjoy picking his brain and learning the ins and outs of college and professional baseball. And sometimes, Rauh likes to reflect on his Panther heydays when he talks with them.

“I tell them there's something different about college baseball, because everyone's there for the same reason,” Rauh said. “It's a brotherhood; you live together, you eat together, you are on the field together, you lose together, you win together.”