Published: July 03, 2009 10:45 pm      

Wiegand having fun as a Ray

PRINCETON — Ryan Wiegand’s approach at the plate is a lot like Hall of Fame rightfielder Tony Gwynn, a career .338 batter in 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres.

There’s a good reason why. A product of San Diego, Wiegand grew up following Gwynn and the Padres, and was even able to get a few pointers from the eight-time batting champion.

“The way he hits was just awesome...I was able to get a couple of lessons with him,” Wiegand said. “He preaches staying inside the ball, using the opposite field and I try to take that approach as much as I can.

“If the pitch is inside I will pull it, but that’s the team and player I watched as I grew up.”

Not a bad role model. Wiegand has shown ability with the bat in nine games with the Princeton Rays through Thursday, hitting .306 (11-36) with five doubles and just five strikeouts against Appalachian League pitching.

“Everyone here can throw 90-plus, the command might be a little shaky at times, but we see a lot of fastballs,” said the lefty-hitting first baseman. “You’ll run into guys occasionally with pretty good breaking balls, especially a pitcher we faced (Tuesday). I was struggling just to make contact with his breaking ball, but I was able to foul some pitches off.

“A guy I saw last week, he had a nice little sinker and I had never really seen anything like that before. The thing is I’m getting experience out here and progressing from there.”

Wiegand, a four-year starter at Gonzaga, was a 25th round draft choice in June by Tampa Bay. He’s thrilled to have the opportunity to play professional baseball.

“This is something I’ve been playing for, training for, practicing for ever since I was four or five years old,” Wiegand said. “Now I’ve got the opportunity, I’m trying to make the most of it.”

Also an avid golfer, Wiegand was on the links when the call came that he had been selected in the draft after a four-year career that saw him bat .335, .338, .365 and .317 from his freshman to senior campaigns.

“I had my phone with me so I was waiting for that phone call,” Wiegand said. “My phone was ringing with a bunch of text messages with, ‘Congratulations’ and I had no idea what was going on.

It was like, ‘You were just drafted’ and I hadn’t got a phone call yet. About five or 10 minutes later I got the phone call from the Rays telling me I had been selected. It was a great day, and I’m glad to be here.”

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Wiegand played football and baseball in high school, but it wasn’t long before he had to make a choice. Baseball won out.

“I actually played football in high school for the first two years and then I stopped playing football in order to concentrate on baseball,” Wiegand said. “All the main tournaments are in the fall and the summer so I took the baseball route and I’m glad I did.”

After originally committing to play at national power Cal State-Fullerton, Wiegand had second thoughts. He wound up at Gonzaga, was an All-West Coast Conference performer, and also earned his degree in sports management and marketing.

“I wasn’t really sure I wanted to go (to Fullerton), I wasn’t sure it was right for me,” said Wiegand, who was referred to Gonzaga coach Mark Machtolf by friends. “I ended up waiting and I didn’t have a school to go to up until like April of my senior year in high school...

“I was able to get a scholarship and go up (to Gonzaga) and play baseball for four years.”

It didn’t take long for Wiegand to make his mark. He was an All-WCC second team performer as a freshman, and earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America accolades. His best season came as a junior, batting .365 with 81 hits, 63 runs batted in, 18 doubles, 11 home runs and 35 runs scored.

“As the years went on I liked it more and more, but the first year was kind of rough,” Wiegand said. “I didn’t know anyone, I was the only one from my high school, and there were only a few from San Diego that went up there.

“It snowed and I had never seen that before so it took some time to get used to that. Once baseball started, I had a lot of fun with all the guys and coaches. I had a good time up there.”

While Wiegand has the strength to pull the ball over the fences, he take a more fundamental approach, having learned patience and technique at the college level.

“I think it helps having four years of experience playing Division I baseball, one thing you focus on up there is hitting the ball the other way,” Wiegand said. “When you start pulling the ball on the outer half, you ground out to second.

“I’m a bigger guy so I can drive the ball the other way so I just simplify things and just hit the ball where it is pitched. If it’s on the outer half, just take it that way. If they come in, then pull it.”

It sounds simple, but Wiegand — who said he was “always bigger than most anybody else growing up” — knows that’s easier said than accomplished.

“I know I’m capable of hitting the ball well, it’s just being consistent and just simplifying things,” Wiegand said. “That is what I always try to remind myself, just try to stay inside the baseball, don’t try and do too much, just hit it where it’s pitched.

“This can be a very complex game and I like to slow things down a little bit and just simplify things and make it easier on myself. I’ve been able to stick with my approach and get balls to hit and hopefully it will keep going here.”

With the college baseball season lasting well after graduation, Wiegand had barely arrived back in San Diego from Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash., when the draft was held and his name was called.

Two days later he was on a plane to Port Charlotte, Fla., for spring training, and now he’s in Princeton.

“I was in San Diego at the time, I knew I wanted to play, the scout knew I wanted to play so there wasn’t much negotiations as far as money-wise,” Wiegand said. “After I got drafted, I got down to Port Charlotte and two or three days later I signed my contract and started practicing and started my career right there.”

While Wiegand is far from home, it’s not a problem. The life of a baseball player is spent on the road, and Wiegand is willing to make that sacrifice to pursue his dream.

“That is one thing about baseball is you are always traveling,” Wiegand said. “It’s tough, I haven’t been in the same city for four or five months at a time, but that’s the life I choose. I love this game.

“I’ve been out on the east coast the past two summers up in Rhode Island so I’ve been around the Midwest, east coast, west coast, but I like traveling and it’s a lot of fun.”

Wiegand acknowledges that baseball is now an occupation for him, but that won’t keep the personable 22-year-old from having a good time on the diamond.

“Every day is an opportunity to get better, get stronger, hit the ball better, throw and catch better,” Wiegand said. “It’s a job now, but it’s a fun job.

“I just want to take advantage of the opportunity I have at hand right now and just keep doing what I know I’m capable of doing and just stay within myself and just have fun.

“That is the main thing out here is just to have fun.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com