TIFTON, Ga. — The sounds of spring are rippling across high school ball fields around the country: the pop of leather, the ping of aluminum bats connecting with baseballs, emphatic “strike” calls.

And, in many places, rock music echoing from metallic loudspeakers as batters stride to the plate.

Personalized “walk-up music” — a 10- to 15-second clip of a song chosen by an individual player — has been around for years at the major league level, and it’s making its way to high schools as well.

For example, at a recent game at Tift County High School in southern Georgia, Patrick Reed dug in for his first at-bat to the strains of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.”

Reed and each of his Blue Devils teammates have a song they call their own when they hit. Tift County coach Kyle Kirk has allowed the practice for years, saying he’s “not real picky about it.”

Brad Porter, who coaches at nearby Tiftarea Academy, says the practice in some ways serves as a motivational tool for his players.

“If a kid feels like a song gets him prepared to hit, it gets him in a moment, it flushes his thoughts, we want to do that,” Porter told the Tifton, Georgia Gazette.

What’s behind the choices for the players? Are there any deep meanings or is it strictly what gets them pumped up?

Pumped up was the case for most.

“It gets you focused,” Tiftarea’s Grant Hall said.

Mason Manning of Tift County uses the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Around the World.” Like Hall, he said there isn’t much reason behind the choice.

“I just like the song,” Manning said.

Carter Stewart said his choice described his personality: “laid back and relaxed.” Stewart’s song is Baby Boy Da Prince’s “The Way I Live.” Porter highlighted the portion that plays for his at-bats — “Lil’ Boy still pushin’ big wheels.”

One Tift County player said he used “Refuge” by Finding Favour for its religious message.

“I chose it because I want to show the truth to the world,” he said.

Sometimes, the choices aren’t even that personal.

Take Casen Royal, who comes up to Billy Squier’s “The Stroke”.

The song was playing in the Panthers’ weight room and teammates told him to use it as his walk-up.

“They all said I should do it,” Royal said, “and I didn’t really care.”

Now, the stroke’s the word.

A couple of Tift County players suggested that the choices were out of their hands. Cody Thompson said his father chose “Cherry Pie.” Similarly, Le Bassett’s family told him to go with Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive”.

So far, the game’s new soundtrack element — at least at the high school level — remains a largely unregulated practice in many states. In Georgia, the decision on walk-up music is left with the host school, according to Steve Figueroa, director of media relations for the Georgia High School Association. He said in his 15 years with the GHSA, the organization has not fielded a single complaint about the practice, nor has there been any formal discussion of monitoring it.

“They’re either behaving themselves or nobody cares,” Figueroa said.

Both Kirk and Porter have rules about what their players can use.

“Nothing explicit,” said Porter.

The Tifton, Georgia Gazette contributed details to this story.