Fresh out of high school, David Gresky had a tough decision to make. Chosen by the Florida Marlins in the 22nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft, the outfielder could either pick up a bat in the minor leagues or pick up a bat — and textbooks — at Northwestern.
Gresky, a junior, took the books and knows he made the right call.
Leading the team with a .333 batting average, 54 hits and nine home runs, the starting center fielder plan to keep his bat hot as NU (24-21, 14-12 Big Ten) faces Indiana (31-19, 14-14) this weekend.
Although the four games in Bloomington, Ind., will close out the Wildcats’ regular season, NU is far from last year’s position of clawing for a spot in the Big Ten tournament. The Cats secured a postseason berth after last weekend’s series at Michigan, and now the team is playing for a high seeding.
Gresky’s improved batting average has been key to NU’s secure position heading into the playoffs. But Gresky hasn’t taken any shortcuts to earning the team’s top batting average.
The classics major might have cruised through his playing time at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, but his slugging cooled off considerably once he got to college.
The left-hander became a starter right away, notching .299 and .279 batting averages during his freshman and sophomore seasons. But it wasn’t until the middle of this year that he became the clutch player the Cats rely on.
“The way I see it, I was in a batting slump my first two years at this school,” Gresky said. “It was hard adjusting to what they’re throwing and perfecting my swing to the best of my abilities. Coming into this year I probably felt the best I ever did.”
But Gresky’s confidence wasn’t validated until NU’s game at Chicago State on April 15. Up to that point, he had been hitting an uncharacteristic .253. But against the nonconference opponent, Gresky went 6-for-7, brought in 10 RBIs and knocked two balls out of the park.
In the 21 games since then, the North Royalton, Ohio, native has hit safely in 32 of 75 at-bats, giving him a .427 average.
“I had that big game against Chicago State, which got things going for me,” Gresky said. “Not to take credit away from Chicago State, but they’re not one of the better teams around.”
Being the team leader in multiple categories could make some players uneasy about the pressure to ignite their teammates. But Gresky’s teammates think he is a little too comfortable with his leadership role.
“Dave’s a man of morals,” Josh Lieberman said of his Catholic-school educated roommate. “He knows what’s right for everybody.”
NU pitcher Dan Konecny agrees: “When we’re joking around, he’s the kid who says ‘Hey, hey, stop it,’ and we’re like, ‘But you’re the one who just made the joke!'”
After Gresky led the 2000 St. Ignatius Wildcats to their first state championship game, he was named Mr. Ohio for baseball and the Big Ten tagged him as preseason Freshman of the Year.
Although the Marlins drafted Gresky out of high school, they acquired three other outfielders in earlier rounds and didn’t have an immediate need for him.
But two weeks before he headed to NU, the Marlins called back and asked him to be part of their rookie Gulf Coast League.
“Until I either stepped on the field here or stepped on the field there, I could still go to Northwestern or I could still play pro ball,” Gresky said. “It was a tough decision at the time, but I’m happy I gave myself a little more time to mature.”
If the Cats win at least two games this weekend, they’ll beat the school record for the most Big Ten wins in a season.
After being part of NU’s success in recent years, Gresky said he’s learned more about baseball — and life in general — in Evanston than he would have in the minors.
“Who knows?” Gresky said. “I could have been out of baseball now, I could have played for a year or two and then all of a sudden been like ‘Shit, I should’ve gone to college.'”
