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Rife signs National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Bellarmine University

Pen to paper changes nothing for Charlie Rife.

The Shelbyville High School senior signed his National Letter of Intent Thursday afternoon to play college baseball at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.

“It’s crazy that something you’ve worked for all your life and all of a sudden you’ve reached it and it’s what do I do now?” said Rife after accepting congratulations from principal Brent Baker, baseball coach Royce Carlton and several SHS baseball teammates.

What Rife can do now is enjoy the rest of his senior year as a Golden Bear.

“I think (signing) means the same as when I once said, ‘I want to play college baseball,’” said Rife, who led the Golden Bears in batting average (.443), doubles (8), home runs (3) and runs batted in (28) as a junior. “Nothing will change. I will continue to work my butt off. I will continue working in the classroom and in the weight room and, hopefully, when I get to Bellarmine I will be able to step on the field as soon as I get there.”

In the baseball program’s first season as a Division I program, the Knights finished 13-36 overall and 8-16 as a new member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

“I know he will be able to play right off the bat after talking to their coach,” said Carlton. “They are amazed by his physical stature and his weight room numbers are way above average. I think he will fit in right off the bat.”

That was one of Bellarmine’s selling points to Rife.

“One of the reasons I chose Bellarmine is because I think I can play pretty early,” said Rife, the son of April and Brady Rife. “I’m the guy they want and that’s what they told me.”

 

Charlie Rife, right, will join 2021 Shelbyville High School graduate Benny Thompson, left, as a college baseball player in the spring of 2023. Thompson is a freshman at Anderson University and will play for the Ravens in 2022.

 

While there were other options for Rife, a catcher, to pursue, one campus visit proved enough for him to make a selection.

“Once I visited Bellarmine and stepped on campus and talked to all the guys, I knew this was the place for me,” he said.

With his future secure, Rife can concentrate solely on leading the Golden Bears baseball program to a successful spring season.

“Now I am focused on winning,” he said. “It’s not about me anymore. It’s about getting the team going. I hope we have a pretty strong season. I hope we can compete for a conference championship and do more than that.”

While Rife is a leader on the field, his off-the-field work ethic is hard to match.

“I think the younger guys can learn from his leadership,” said Carlton. “He sets the expectations so high, the younger guys have to follow him.”

Rife will major in English or History with the goal of going to law school in his future.

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