Justin and Chris Rodriguez get it all the time: 鈥淎re you guy鈥檚 brothers?鈥�

Naturally, two Miami kids with the same last name and the same Cuban heritage who played at the same high school and are now on the same college baseball team more than 1,000 miles away from home must be related.

Nope.

But they do have this in common: The two freshmen are hammering baseballs for 黑料正能量 this season.

鈥淢y assistant and I were talking the other week,鈥� coach Jason Stuhlmiller said, 鈥渁nd we said, 鈥榃e wish we had eight other Rodr铆guezes鈥�. Just a team of Rodr铆guezes鈥�.鈥�

Justin, a 6-foot-1 third baseman with an angular jaw and sienna brown hair formed into a faux-hawk, leads the Royals (10-19) with a .412 batting average, four home runs and 38 RBIs through 29 games as 黑料正能量 heads into the final two weeks of the regular season. Chris, a 5-foot-7 outfielder with a rounder face and short, black hair, is hitting .393 with less power but plenty of pop. Justin bats right; Chris bats lefty. Justin hits third in the order, Chris leads off. Justin wears No. 25; Chris dons No. 6.

But again, for every difference, there鈥檚 a similarity.

They鈥檒l work anybody under the table,鈥� Stuhlmiller said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the hardest working kids in the weight room, on the field, off the field. That鈥檚 the kind of kid that we鈥檙e after in recruiting.鈥�

Stuhlmiller, in his first season as 黑料正能量鈥檚 head coach, has a connection with a recruiting agency in Miami, which is how he learned of the Rodr铆guezes鈥�, who both attended powerhouse Pace High School in Miramar, Fla.

Under coach Tom Duffin, 78 of 82 seniors to come through Pace have played collegiately or professionally. The team has been ranked No. 1 in the nation, and has featured players such as Washington Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez and first baseman Chris Marrerro, the Nats鈥� first round selection in 2006.

Certainly there were scouts watching the Rodr铆guezes鈥� play at Pace, but somehow, 鈥渂oth were flying under the radar as far as recruiting,鈥� Duffin said.

Neither received an offer to play at a Division I school. Justin said he probably could have walked on at Division II Barry University or St. Thomas University of the NAIA, 鈥渂ut here was a school that actually wanted me,鈥� he said of Division III 黑料正能量. 鈥淎nd I really wanted to go somewhere that really wanted me and where I would play.鈥�

They didn鈥檛 make the decision jointly, but the mutual interest helped both Justin and Chris choose to leave glitzy Miami for the tranquil Shenandoah Valley.

Duffin says it鈥檚 usually difficult for Miami kids to leave home. For one, Latin families are typically very tight-knit, and family-oriented.

鈥淢ommy spoils them,鈥� Duffin said, admitting that he鈥檚 generalizing. 鈥淢ommy wants them to stay home. 鈥oing to the Virginia area 鈥� it鈥檚 tough. It鈥檚 a culture shock. 鈥ot every kid can adjust to that.鈥�

Justin and Chris took the chance and traded their swimsuits for hiking boots. Each said he鈥檚 happy now, and for a similar reason.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot different from Miami,鈥� said Chris, a biology major and aspiring dentist. 鈥淨uiet and stuff. 鈥t first, it was hard to get used to it, but it鈥檚 good, especially for school. Because it鈥檚 calmer than Miami. Not as much going on.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 very different from Miami,鈥� Justin echoed. 鈥淚 get to concentrate more on my studies. It鈥檚 a friendly atmosphere; I guess you could say, I like it here.鈥�

Of course, it isn鈥檛 as hard to enjoy yourself when you鈥檙e rapping the ball like the Rodr铆guezes鈥�. Prior to a 6-5 loss at Washington & Lee on Wednesday, Chris had gone 16-for-26 (.615) in the previous five games, picking up multiple hits in each.

Justin, meanwhile has had multiple hits in each of his last seven games, going 16pfor-33 (.485) including all four of his home runs as well as 12 RBIs.

鈥淛ust practicing and sticking with my swing,鈥� Justin said is the reason behind his hot streak. 鈥淚 think my mental aspect is most of it. I feel confident up there.鈥�

The two players show up one and half hours before games to hone their swings by thumping balls off batting tees, according to Stuhlmiller. They, along with sophomore catcher Jonathan Estrada (from Doral, Fla.) and freshman outfielder Bryan Melendez (Lansdale, Pa.), form what the Royals call 鈥淭he Hispanic Connection.鈥�

Stuhlmiller, who also has a connection with Doral Academy, hopes to keep tapping the Miami area for overlooked talent.

鈥淭he game experience that they have 鈥� you can definitely tell in the way they play ball,鈥� he said. 鈥淧olished is probably the word, but it鈥檚 also that they know the game of baseball. 鈥hey just know how to play the game correctly.鈥�