Gold Rush: Adaptation
3/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 10, 2003
By Jay Reddick
In his media guide bio, Ryan Hubbard claimed to be "unbeatable at Chutes and Ladders." He hasn't been able to defend that title, though, as he lost his copy of the popular children's board game while moving apartments recently.
Even so, Hubbard has learned to adapt.
"We got an Xbox (video game console)," Hubbard said. "I like to play with the Halo program on there and make some music."
Making the most of missed opportunities is what Hubbard's two-year baseball career at Wake Forest has been all about.
He came to school expecting and hoping to play second base, or at least somewhere in the middle infield. But when he moved to Wake Forest from Cypress Junior College in the fall of 2001, the position was unavailable. He moved to left field, and as always, learned to adapt.
"I have the body type for second base, and I don't think I have a Raul Mondesi arm (in the outfield)," Hubbard said. "But it feels good to contribute, however I can."
Hubbard first exhibited his true potential last spring, when he hit .615 in the postseason. No matter where he plays defensively, getting his name in the lineup was a priority.
This season, he was batting .395 through March 6, and leading not only the team, but the ACC in stolen bases with 11.
A game against Charlotte on March 4 showed the spectrum of Hubbard's talents. With the Deacons down 5-4 in the fifth inning, Hubbard stroked a clutch double, stole third base, then scored on a wild pitch, proving not only does Hubbard have legs but he knows how to use them.
"Offensively, my role hasn't changed," Hubbard said. "I'll hit ninth, or first, which I'm expected to do because of the way I run, and my job is to get on base, set the table and make something happen."
Cypress Junior College has produced several of Wake Forest's most recognizable players over the past few years. Scott Daeley and Cory Sullivan both moved on to pro baseball, and current Deacon Jeff Ruziecki is Hubbard's classmate.
With the path already set before him, Hubbard was eager to continue the tradition if it meant playing in Division I.
"I always knew about the pipeline," Hubbard said. "I was automatically interested. I met the coaching staff, who I thought were very cool, and I really liked the campus and just the way it all worked here."
For Hubbard, a Huntington Beach, Calif., native, moving to the East Coast meant some adjustments, but he has learned to (there's that word again) adapt.
"After last year (and the mild winter), I figured we'd have an easy time of it this year, weather-wise," Hubbard said. "But with all this ice, there have been plenty of days we can't even play or practice. It has taught me patience. I used to get in a certain mind-set for every game, and I still do that, but I can't get too edged up in the bad weather."
Otherwise, the change in environments has been startling, but it's the little things that get to Hubbard most.
"I had to give up my In & Out burgers," Hubbard said of the western fast-food chain. "That was a tough thing for me, until I found Steak-n-Shake. The Frisco melt there is enough to make me glad I came East."
So is the chance to play in the College World Series. Hubbard and the Deacons missed that opportunity last year, but Hubbard will try once again to make the most of a bad situation.
"The team didn't go to Omaha, but I have no regrets," Hubbard said. "We're having our ups and downs right now, but I just hope to help us do really well and satisfy our main goal of getting there."