By Don Leypoldt

It’s hard to get more inland than Omaha, Nebraska.

Omaha is the home of Creighton University, the College World Series…and zero beaches.

The Ocean State Waves on the other hand, can’t be accused of false advertising.  Their home at Old Mountain Field is barely two miles from Rhode Island Sound.

Whether inland or seaside however, one thing remains the same: Mike Gerber can hit.  

Gerber, a senior outfielder at Creighton, starred for the Waves in Ocean State’s inaugural season.  He co-led the 2013 NECBL in homers and was the only player to rank in the Top 5 in all of the NECBL’s Triple Crown categories.

The lefty hitting Chicagoland native took his torrid bat back with him to Creighton.  He was leading the Big East in homers, and ranked third in the Conference in RBI, at the time of this interview.  The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament MVP as a sophomore, Gerber now is setting his sights on helping the Blue Jays capture a Big East title.  He recently took some time to talk with NECBL.com.  

NECBL.com: What sticks out about your summer in Ocean State?  Was it your first time in New England?
 
Mike Gerber: “It was an awesome summer.  I have family in Newport so I was able to stay with them and make the short 20 minute drive every day.  It was an awesome experience up there.”

NECBL.com: What was it like going to a brand new team? 

MG: “It’s always a little bit different.  Each team is different.  I had played summer ball a few summers before that too and each team kind of takes on its own personality.  I think everyone takes the first few weeks to feel each out a little bit and get to know the guys.  Everyone gelled real nicely up there and I made some friends that I’ll keep in touch with for a long time.”  

NECBL.com: Were there any adjustments that you took from Ocean State that you applied to this year?

MG: “Not necessarily.  I think going into each season, whether it’s summer ball or the spring season in college, you have specific goals that you are trying to accomplish.  That season, when I went into Ocean State, I tried to be a little more consistent at the plate: If I had a good day, I’d try and repeat it the next day.  I think I was able to do that.  Summer ball is a little bit different from college ball but each season brings a few different objectives and goals that you might have.”

NECBL.com: You’re a Graphic Design major, a major that is a little unique.  What led you to pick that?

MG: “It’s a lot of designing thing with a computer.  I’ve always been good with the computer.  I took a couple of classes in high school that had to do with (graphic design).  I did pretty well in them and I enjoyed them so I figured I’d give it a shot.  I am the only guy on the team with that major.  It’s something different and something that I enjoy.  It works alongside marketing and websites.  It’s something I got into in high school and I kept in going.”

NECBL.com: You had the choice to not even go to college and pursue baseball professionally.  Was it a difficult choice to go with Creighton when you got drafted in high school? (Note: Gerber was selected in the 40th round of the 2010 Draft by the New York Yankees)
 
MG: “I was 17 at the time.  Any 17 year old who gets drafted by the New York Yankees…it’s pretty hard to convince them not to pursue that.  But I had a couple of long talks with family members and coaches.  We felt that the best move would be for me to go to college.  I did get bigger and matured a little more.  Overall, I thought that would help my game.  I was young at the time and I would have been playing with guys who were 22 and 23, which would have been different from what I was used to.  I think college eased that transition for me.”

NECBL.com: You’re not 6’4” 240- Gerber is listed at 5’11, 185- yet you lead the Big East in home runs.  Can you talk about power and how you developed it over the years?  Are home runs more bat speed or squaring up cleanly?  

MG: “I’m not the biggest guy, like you said.  To be honest, I didn’t hit a home run until my sophomore year in high school.  I grew a little bit in high school and the power started to come.  As for college, I think the main reason why I’ve had some success in putting a surge into the ball is that I have some decent bat speed and that helps.”

NECBL.com: What is it like having TD Banknorth, the site of the College World Series, as your home park?  Does that experience ever get old?  Since every team is trying to reach your park every year, I imagine playing there is pretty special.  

MG: “It is.  The field is second to none.  It’s an incredible field, both with the playing surface and even when you go back into the locker room, it is pretty cool.  In a little bit of a way, it convinced me to come to Creighton knowing that we would be playing our home games there.  We had a home series this past weekend and you have guys coming in and taking pictures before batting practice.  It is very cool and it is something special being able to play there every single home game.”