One would be hard-pressed to find a lack of leaders in the Hornet clubhouse this year.There are the vocal ones, those who’ll jump down teammate’s throats if they so much as give anything less than their best effort every day.

Then there’s junior right fielder Jim Strombach, the type of guy that won’t get on a teammate if he fails to put down a much-needed bunt, nor will he showboat in the slightest.

He’ll just simply go about his business, doing what he always does, in the quietest of ways.

“He’s not a rah-rah kind of guy, but he leads by example,” Hornet coach John Smith said. “He gets it done on the field every day, and that’s all you need.”

Smith, who has seen Strombach blossom into a star over the past three years, is not only happy to reap the benefits of his hits and outstanding defense in right field, but is just happy for the man, himself.

“It’s just so great to see him play as well as he has,” Smith said. “It’s rewarding for me, too, because of how much he has improved from his freshman year.”

The native of Aiea, Hawaii, who was named Male Athlete of the Year as a senior and earned all-state honors as a junior at Moanalua High, has come a long way.

Although his stats were impressive for a freshman, batting .286 with 34 hits and 20 runs, Strombach, as a sophomore, saw his playing time cut after struggling early on.

However, that’s something Smith says comes with learning on the job.

“We know it’s a learning process, so it’s rewarding to see some consistency this year,” Smith said, “Which he lacked the last couple.”

Strombach’s third-year success has paid dividends for the Hornets, as his outstanding defense and blazing speed led him to become the most valuable player for the Hornets.

Starting pitcher Ethan Katz, who’s been saved by many defensive highlights from Strombach, is also impressed with the junior’s work ethic, mentioning all the hard work he’s put in after hours, especially in the batting cages.

In addition, the Hornet right fielder has committed no errors — the only everyday player to be perfect in the field — all the while throwing out five runners on the base paths, including one at third base during a crucial inning in Saturday’s win over No. 5 Arizona.

Strombach’s speed has helped him to a team-leading .325 average, with his 14 stolen bases contributing to his 32 runs — also team-highs. He’s also leading the team in hits and triples and is in the top-five of a myriad of other offensive categories.

The man himself, however, is not all that concerned with his statistics; rather, he just wants to take the right approach at the plate, and in the end, just win, baby.

“I just want solid at-bats, to take a lot of pitches and to get on base any way I can,” Strombach said. “If we get into the playoffs, that’s all that really matters.”

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Josh Cadji can be reached at [email protected]