It's always been easy to overlook Freddy Rodriguez.

At Palm Beach Central High, Rodriguez was overshadowed by teammate Cam Smith, an All-American shortstop who now starts for Florida State. While Smith was fielding Division I offers from the time he was entering high school, colleges were mostly ignoring the scrappy but undersized third baseman playing next to him.

When Rodriguez had no offers by the start of his senior year — when most college-bound players are committed — he admitted that "it worried me a little."

"I knew what I was capable of doing," he said. "I just needed an opportunity to do it."

Barry University gave him that opportunity — but not a scholarship. Barry, a Division II program in Miami Shores, offered him a spot as a "preferred walk-on" on the junior varsity team. Translated: If you pay your way here, we'll take a look at you.

Colleges routinely bring in PWOs to fill out their JV rosters. Many never make it up to varsity, and only a select few ever play their way into the starting lineup.

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Now in his sophomore season with the Buccaneers, Rodriguez not only has beaten the odds, he has become "the key to our offense," coach Brett Young said.

Through 18 games, Rodriguez leads the team in batting average (.354), runs scored (17), doubles (nine) and home runs (three). He is among the team leaders in RBIs (12) and stolen bases (six) and has played a solid second base.

Not bad for a player who struggled to get colleges' attention despite hitting .376 his senior year with the Broncos.

"We saw the talent, the tools, the athleticism," Young said of the Bucs' initial impressions of Rodriguez. "He was undersized and needed to develop physically. The thing holding him back was the lack of strength, but he's done a good job in the weight room."

Rodriguez, who stands 5-foot-11, played at 145 pounds in high school. He's listed at 150 on the Barry roster but "he's 157," Young said.

Rodriguez never viewed the walk-on offer as an insult, considering it "an opportunity to show the coaches what I could do."

Boy, did he show them. In 17 JV games, he batted an astounding .558 (29 for 52) and led the team in runs scored, RBIs and on-base percentage. He stole nine bases without getting caught. And when he was called up to the varsity for the last few weeks of the season, "I had a big smile on my face," he said.

"I didn't think it would be that early," he said of his varsity debut. "I was super stoked. I knew I wasn't going to play much, but I was just happy to be there."

Rodriguez went 5 for 10 in limited action, and when Barry earned a bid to the NCAA South Regional, he made the postseason roster. He watched from the bench as the Bucs upset West Florida in Pensacola to capture their first-ever regional title and advance to the super regional, where they lost to Rollins.

Rodriguez didn't start the Bucs' opener this season, but after a shutout loss, Young inserted him into the leadoff spot against national power North Greenville. On his first at-bat, he hit a home run off Reece Fields, the winningest pitcher in Division II baseball. He finished with three of the Bucs' five hits in a 5-1 loss.

"Freddy got the opportunity and never gave it up," Young said. "He brings it every day. He's a high-energy guy. We don't ever have to ask Freddy to have focus or to have fun out there."

Perhaps more surprising than Rodriguez's overall production is his power. More than half of his hits have been for extra bases. After hitting no home runs in high school and one as a JV player, he already has three less than halfway through the season.

"He gets us going right away," Young said. "The nice thing is there's the home run threat at the top of the lineup."

Rodriguez credits his training over the summer for the power numbers and says he'll continue to try to gain weight.

"It's hard for me," he said. "Last year, I was a little bit on the skinnier side. I still am, actually. The main thing I have to do is keep gaining weight."

After watching his young infielder develop into one of the top players in the Sunshine State Conference — and finally earn a scholarship, by the way — Young thinks there could be more surprises ahead.

"The sky's the limit," the coach said. "If he continues to get bigger and stronger, I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing professionally in a couple of years."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Central grad Freddy Rodriguez cashes in on chance at Barry