ThunderWolves CASHING IN on Pechek

Former South High School catcher finds a home at home.

By JEFF LETOFSKY
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/MIKE SWEENEY -- Colorado State University-Pueblo senior catcher Tony Pechek takes a breather during a preseason practice.

Talk about circling the bases.

Tony Pechek has pulled off the feat on a number of occasions - both on and off the baseball field.

And he's finally found a home at home.

A Pueblo product, Pechek, 22, has attended four institutions and played baseball for four college baseball programs in four years, finally landing back in Pueblo for Stan Sanchez's Colorado State University-Pueblo baseball team.

Pechek's story is full of highs and lows, emotional decisions and difficult moves that have taken him across the Midwest and western United States. Each move had the same purpose - a shot at professional baseball.

The odyssey begins

Pechek's odyssey began as a standout baseball player at South High School. He quickly made an impact as a sophomore, becoming a staple in the Colts' lineup at catcher, where he was the cornerstone of the program for three seasons.

Pechek had the potential to follow in the footsteps of his father, Wayne, considered one of Pueblo's most-heralded baseball players. Wayne played college baseball at Oklahoma and had a solid professional career, reaching as high as Triple-A in the San Francisco Giants and California Angels organizations before bad knees forced retirement.

Wayne monitored every move his son made from the time he entered high school.

"It's been a goofy ride," Wayne said. "Every crossroad he had I felt every decision he made was the right one."

Following his senior season, the young Pechek, who had grown into a 6-foot-1, 210-pound switch hitter, was drafted in the 41st round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft by the Detroit Tigers. He opted not to sign a professional contract.

Instead, Pechek chose to sign with Wichita State University and hone his skills at the collegiate level.

Testing Division I waters

The young Pechek found the going rough at highly competitive Wichita State. He played only 20 games as a freshman, making four starts

- two at catcher and two as designated hitter. He had two hits, one RBI and one stolen base. He was named to the athletic director's honor roll in the fall of 2005.

"I went to a big Division I atmosphere with a top 25 team and I had to come in and start producing," Tony said. "That was a huge step for an 18-year-old.

"I caught a lot in the fall and worked out at first base. I didn't have much success at the plate initially but I made the traveling roster and was the No. 3 catcher and I was a designated hitter here and there and pinch-hit late in games."

Wayne believed Wichita State was the right choice from the start.

"Being drafted out of high school and knowing where the level of his maturity

was, physically and mentally he needed some time," Wayne said. "We felt Wichita

State was the correct move for him out of all the scholarship offers he had. It

was the best fit; it just didn't work out.

"If (Wichita State coach) Gene (Stephenson) red-shirted Tony his freshman year, Tony would still be there."

Pechek didn't red-shirt.

Despite struggling as a freshman and hitting "less than my body weight," Pechek returned the following fall.

"The coaches had moved a red-shirt senior from first base to catcher," Pechek said. "I thought I had improved but when I had a meeting with the coaches they told me I was the third-string catcher and a backup first baseman. I knew that wasn't going to allow me to get where I wanted to go."

With three years of eligibility remaining, he chose to transfer (for the first time), ending up in Coolidge, Ariz., at Central Arizona College.

Warm-weather ball

Pechek flourished for the Vaqueros. As a sophomore, he hit .328 with 13 doubles, a triple, five homers and 43 RBIs. He totalled 63 hits in 64 games, scoring 15 runs, walking a team-high 38 times and striking out only 26 times.

He was equally effective as a catcher where he didn't commit an error in 330 chances. Central Arizona finished with a 43-21 record, won the Region 1 championship but fell short of reaching the National Junior College World Series with a runner-up finish in the Western District playoffs.

"Central Arizona was a great experience," Pechek said. "The coaches had recruited me out of high school when they were in Odessa, Texas, before moving on to Central Arizona. When things didn't work out at Wichita, I contacted them and they told me I was welcome to come to Arizona."

Pechek also caught a break.

"Their starting catcher left school and I walked into a catching role," Pechek said. "It was warm-weather baseball. I'd go watch spring training on Sundays and my sister lived in Tucson.

"It was a wooden bat league and I had a pretty good year."

His former coach, Jon Wenke, still coaches at Arizona Western. Wenke said Pechek just needed to play.

"Tony played extremely hard and that's one of the reasons he was successful here," Wenke said. "He knew he was going to get a chance to play.

"When he first came here he struggled. I think he started out the season hitting .100. So we moved him down in the lineup but kept playing him."

Wenke, whose team has been ranked among the top 5 in the country most of this season, credits Pechek and his teammates for getting the making the Central Arizona program what it is today.

"He's one of the reasons we're at where we're at," Wenke said. "He helped put our program on the map.

"I'm not surprised he's had success (at CSU-Pueblo). He has unbelievable makeup as a kid and those are the types who make it."

Following his stint at Central Arizona and with two years of eligibility remaining, Pechek transferred again

- now his second move. This time, he wound up in Omaha, Neb., and Creighton University.

Another bad experience

Before going to Omaha, Pechek headed to Alaska to play semipro baseball with the Glacier Pilots.

"It was one of those experiences where I wanted to play in the same uniform as my dad," Pechek said. "He had played in Alaska and I wanted to do the same."

Unfortunately, Pechek was hit in the hand early in the summer season and was forced out of action.

Pechek chose to attend Creighton site unseen.

WHY WAS IT SITE-UNSEEN

"It was between Northern Colorado and Creighton," Pechek said. "I chose Creighton because it was more of an established program."

Pechek started the season with the Bluejays with a bang, hitting a home run early in the season against Memphis.

But it wasn't a forecast of things to come.

By the third week of the season, he was on the bench and relegated to a pinch-hitting role.

"I started out as the starting catcher and hitting in the 4-hole," Pechek said. "The next week I was moved down in the lineup. The week after that I was on the bench.

"I've never had a good start to any year and I wasn't starting well again. But the coaches were really skittish and jumped the gun. I lost my starting position by the third week."

Ironically, Pechek's final start came against Northern Colorado. He went 2-for-3 with a double and home run.

In his end-of-the-year meeting with the coaching staff, he had already made up his mind he wasn't going to return to Creighton for his senior year.

"I was unhappy and I had already contacted Coach Sanchez (at CSU-Pueblo)," Pechek said. "The decision was made even before I met with their coaches."

Pechek played in 33 games for Creighton with 18 starts, 13 of those coming behind the plate early in the season.

Moving day - for the third time - had come again.

Returning home

With one year of eligibility remaining, Pechek wasn't happy with his inconsistent playing time at Creighton and was on the move again.

This time, he looked to return home to Pueblo to play for Sanchez and the Division II ThunderWolves.

He played last summer for the Pueblo semipro team.

"He's always been on our radar," Sanchez said. "He's a quality player, a quality kid and we've kept an eye on him.

"His experience at Creighton wasn't a good one and he ended up appealing for another year. He got a transfer year back."

Since Pechek was attempting to transfer from a four-year institution to another four-year institution, NCAA rules state a student-athlete must sit out a year before becoming eligible. However, Pechek appealed the NCAA to play right away and he was granted eligibility.

Sanchez said Pechek has provided his team with more than just numbers.

"He's very knowledgeable, very cerebral as far as the game is concerned," Sanchez said. "He knows how to play the game and obviously was well-trained by Wayne.

"Everywhere he's been, he's gotten some experiences. He brings a vast amount of knowledge to our program and shares it with our kids.

"He can catch, play first and we've used him as a designated hitter. He hits in our 3-hole and has been real stable."

Pechek has enjoyed his time at CSU-Pueblo.

"My goal always has been to play pro baseball and that will never change," Pechek said. "Coach Sanchez has been great to me and my family and he's always been great to Pueblo kids.

"This has been a step for me to get back to loving baseball."

Learning life lessons

Pechek admitted he wouldn't change the road he's traveled.

"Every experience, every decision I've made has been based on what is best for my interest," Pechek said. "I've learned something from everywhere I went from being a cocky freshman to learning work ethic in warm weather to a place where coaches don't respect their players much.

"I've learned a lot about coaching and the philosophy of coaching. It's a life lesson. I matured the most coming out of Creighton where it was the hardest year for me baseball-wise and academically."

Wayne said he would have advised his son differently if faced with the same situation.

"If we had to do it over again, we would have played it differently," Wayne said. "I've seen where Division I baseball has gone. There's so much pressure on Division I coaches to win and get into the playoffs that freshmen don't get their freshmen innings.

"I would have let Tony sign if I had known what I know now. Pro baseball is for someone who has potential. They don't care about winning and losing. They care about developing."

Bracing for the future

Pechek hopes to be drafted again and get an opportunity to play professional baseball. He said playing independent baseball will not be an option.

"I'll find out in June (Major League draft) where the road takes me," he said. "I would not change a thing I've done. The only thing I would tell a high school player who wants to play at the next level is to make sure you believe in the coach."

Wayne admits his son has followed a strange path but believes he's in a position he probably would have been in anyway.

"Tony has gone from as high as you can get to being drafted and going to Wichita State, a school every high school kid dreams about to where he was at Creighton.

"Stan (Sanchez) has given him his swagger back, confidence back. Having endured all the adversity he's endured, he's ready mentally for pro ball. Hopefully, he'll finish the season out with the numbers to have scouts give him an opportunity."

Tony Pechek's statistics

School G AB R H RBI AVE.

Wichita State 20 24 0 2 1 .083

Central Ariz. 64 192 15 63 43 .328

Creighton 33 74 10 15 14 .203

CSU-Pueblo* 46 169 55 69 56 .408

* Season is not over