Eastern grad Davis Schneider enjoying first taste of pro baseball

While many of his high school friends hit the beach this summer, Davis Schneider was hitting a steady diet of fastballs, curveballs, and sliders.

The day after Schneider graduated from Eastern, he was on a plane to Florida to begin his professional baseball career after being drafted in the 28th round and signing with the Toronto Blue Jays.

"I played 50 games overall and I had a great time down there the whole summer and I couldn't ask for more," Schneider said.

Now, Schneider will be getting more baseball. He has been home since his season with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays ended Sept. 2, but he will leave Sunday for Dunedin, Fla., for the instructional league over the next month. Schneider was supposed to have left Sept. 10, but Hurricane Irma delayed him for a week.

When he returns, Schneider will be working out on a program that the Blue Jays give their minor-leaguers, preparing for spring training in March.

It has all been quite a whirlwind for Schneider. This time last September, he was just beginning his senior year at Eastern. Now he is a full-fledged professional, and that means growing up quickly, especially spending so much time on his own.

"I kind of liked it and I didn't mind living on my own," he said. "It was fun."

A third baseman, Schneider was The Inquirer's South Jersey player of the year after batting .444 with five home runs, 40 RBIs, and a school-record 16 doubles. Speaking of school records, he also left as Eastern's all-time hit king with 138.

In 50 games for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Schneider batted .238 but had a .371 on-base percentage, with 36 walks in 210 plate appearances. Schneider had 12 doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 23 RBIs.

Nobody should get too concerned about the batting average. For most of these players in the rookie league, adjusting to being a professional and playing every day takes time. For instance, Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, a National League MVP candidate, batted .161 over 17 games in his first minor-league season after being drafted in the second round in 2007.

That Schneider, as a 28th-round choice, saw considerable playing time is encouraging.

Also during the summer, he received a visit from his former Eastern coach, Rob Christ.

"It was awesome having Coach come see me," Schneider said.

For Christ, it was his way of showing his appreciation for a player who gave so much to the program.

"I love my players and ask them to dedicate themselves to be successful and I tell them that whatever they need, I will try to give it to them," Christ said. "I am so supremely proud of Davis, to see the success he has had, and he has worked so hard to give everything he had to our program."

Schneider said the biggest difference, besides preparing to play every day, was the pitching. No surprise there.

"They throw a lot harder than in high school and have better off-speed pitches," he said.

Schneider, who won't turn 19 until January, bypassed a scholarship to Rutgers to sign with Toronto. He understands that the journey is long and that playing those rookie-league games before scant crowds isn't very glamorous.

Yet he is doing what he loves every day, working on his craft and, like all his teammates, looking to move up. A big-league career is still a long way away, but the dream is alive, and for now, that is all Davis Schneider can ask for.