By Pete Cava
PBR Indiana Correspondent 

INDIANAPOLIS – Playing for the Pawtucket Red Sox (International/AAA) this season, outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker is one step away from the major leagues.  

The 25-year-old Muncie native and Ball State alum returned to Indiana May 27-30 for a four-game series with the Indianapolis Indians.  

It wasn’t his first trip to Victory Field.  As a sophomore in 2004, Hazelbaker helped

Wapahani High School to the IHSAA 2A championship game, where the Raiders lost to Hammond Bishop Noll 2-0.     

A baseball and basketball standout in high school, Hazelbaker played summer ball for Muncie American Legion Post 19.  After hitting .506 as a senior in 2006, he attended Ball State on an athletic scholarship. 

A third baseman as a prep, Hazelbaker spent two years as the Cardinals starting second baseman.  He shifted to center field as a junior and batted .429 from the leadoff position to earn 2009 first-team Mid-American Conference honors.  

The Boston Red Sox took Hazelbaker in the fourth round of the 2009 draft.  He broke in that year with Lowell (Short-season New York-Penn). He spent parts of two seasons at Greenville (Low A South Atlantic) before moving to Salem (High A Carolina) in 2011, where he batted .279 in 34 games.  A speedster, Hazelbaker stole 63 bases for Greenville in 2010. 

For most of 2011-2012 he played for Portland (AA Eastern) before joining Pawtucket for seven contests toward the end of 2012. 

During the Indianapolis series Hazelbaker started one game in right field and three in left.  He went 6-for-16 and stole his 15h base of the year.  

Full Name:  Jeremy Philip Hazelbaker.  Resides:  Selma, Ind.  Height/Weight:  6-3/190.  Bats/Throws:  L/R.  Born:  August 14, 1987, Muncie, Ind.  High School:  Wapahani (Ind.) 2006.  College:  Ball State, 2009.  Drafted:  4^th round, 2009, by Boston Red Sox. 

What was your favorite team growing up?

I’d have to go with the Cubs.  That’s the team my family lived and died with.  That’s the team I grew up watching, and I went to a couple of games.  I’d say definitely the Cubs.  

Did you have a favorite player?

There were so many.  Probably not one I could pinpoint. 

Any family members and friends here to see you play this week?

There’s been a lot of people out here supporting me.  It’s been great to get back here and play in front of them and show them what I’ve been working on the past few years. 

What’s your favorite memory from high school baseball?

Just the team, you know?  We had a real small school, but the thing about us was that we always worked as hard or harder than any other team. Brian Dudley, our coach, who’s still there now, did a great job of putting a team together that really knew how to win and knew how to play. We weren’t always the most talented, but we definitely worked the hardest.  

Did you play for a travel team in high school?

Just a little bit.  I played Legion Ball.  And the Indiana Broncos, I played with them.  But not a whole lot.     

How many colleges wanted you, and why did you go with Ball State?

Just three or four.  Not too many out of high school.  I wasn’t getting that many looks.  I picked Ball State.  They gave me the best offer, and they were closest to home.  That was pretty much the main reason.     

How about summer ball during college?

I played for the Settlers in the Great Lakes League. 

How’d you find out you were the Sox’ No. 4 pick?  What was that like?

It was a great feeling.   I was at a buddy’s house.  My agent gave me a call just a minute or so before that.  He asked me how I’d like to play for the Red Sox.  I said that’d be awesome.  He said, ‘Okay, they’re gonna pick you here soon.’  So we hung up the phone, and we all sat there and listened, and I heard them call my name over the radio.  It was an incredible feeling.    

In organized ball, have you ever come across players you knew from high school or college?

I played with (ex-Ball State 3B) Kolbrin Vitek.  He’s in this organization.  So is Zach Gentile (former Western Michigan 2B).  We played against him.  There’s a bunch of guys with other teams that I played against in the MAC. 

What was your take on playing baseball in Indiana?

I liked it.  I thought it was very good quality play.  Indiana’s a small state, but we have a lot of good players come out of here, and a lot of good competition.  We produce players, a lot of pitchers.  Altogether, we have a lot of good guys come out of here.   

You play for one of the best organizations in the big leagues.  Will it be tough to break into the Red Sox’ lineup?

We don’t know yet.  As far as that goes, I couldn’t tell you.  It hasn’t happened yet, and it’s not something that I can afford to think about. That’s something for them to decide.  We’ll see how it goes.  

Any advice for high school players?

Hard work.  Like I said, at the high school I went to, Wapahani, we weren’t always the most talented, but we sure did work the hardest.  If I wouldn’t have worked as hard as I did, I definitely wouldn’t be in this position right now.