Tommy Medica Santa Clara Broncos

According to popular opinion, the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball. With about a half second to make a decision to swing, focus on the ball and hit the right spot of the ball with the right part of the bat, you can be a multi-millionaire if you’re successful just three out of ten times. Furthermore, playing catcher is often considered the most difficult and challenging position to play. Playing behind the plate means piling on body armor under the sun while sacrificing fingers and knees in an effort block skipped fastballs and dodge foul tips. So how does Santa Clara University catcher Tommy Medica make each seem so easy?

In just his freshman season, Medica captured the West Coast Conference batting title, finishing 2007 with a .373 average. Consequently the San Jose native earned himself spots on both the All-WCC First Team and on the conference All-Freshman Team. However Medica wasn’t done there. He continued playing hardball over the summer for the USA National Baseball Team, joining the top freshman and sophomore collegiate baseball players in the country in competing in the Pan-American Games in Brazil and the World Port Tournament in the Netherlands.

Playing in 36th Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate Championship Series in Durham, NC, Medica ripped through international pitching, launching his first home run of the summer over the famed Durham Bull. His hitting and strong defense earned him the starting catching job late in the summer and National Team coach Mike Weathers (Long Beach State) also inserted him at designated hitter to keep his menacing bat in the lineup.

During the 2007 college season, Medica added nine doubles, four triples and even flashed some speed, swiping five out of seven bases to go along with his stellar average. He also showed tremendous plate discipline, only fanning fifteen times in 161 at bats. In fact, the Bronco star had only two more strikeouts than hit by pitches (13).

A reversal of outcome from a single game last year and SCU would have finished at .500 for the season (27-29 overall). The Broncos also finished just under the break-even mark in conference play, ending at 9-12. With Medica’s return to the Santa Clara campus, along with 17 other Santa Clara baseball players who participated in summer league action, the Broncos could factor in the WCC title race in 2008, challenging incumbent champion San Diego and perennial stalwart Pepperdine for top league honors.