Raymond Church strokes a double for FAU this season. Tampa Bay drafted Church in the 26th round following the 2011 season. (Owl Access file photo)
Hot in August
Former Owl Friday: After a slow start, Raymond Church's bat has come alive for the Hudson Valley Renegades.
Originally published on
8/19/2011
by
Chuck King
A couple months after being selected by Tampa Bay in the 26th round of the 2011 MLB draft, Raymond Church spent an evening in Fenway Park.
The Rays were there, playing Boston.
The fact that Church watched from the bleachers instead of joining the Rays on the field didn't dampen the experience one bit.
“It's indescribable knowing that one day if I keep playing well I could be actually on that field rather than watching people play,” Church said.
Church made the pilgrimage to Boston from Wappingers Falls, N.Y., where his Hudson Valley Renegades play their games in the short-season New York-Penn League games, during the league's all-star break earlier this week.
An unremarkable first month to his professional career kept Church from playing in that all-star game. If the league held another selection today, it might be a different story.
Church, who had a 24-game hitting streak at FAU as a senior, has hit safely in seven of his last eight games – with five of those being multi-hit nights – raising his average to .277.
“I getting more comfortable every day,” Church said.
Facing pitchers that throw in the 90s every day forced Church to speed up the timing of his swing. Now that the adjustment has been made, Church is looking to finish the season strong.
Then he's looking forward to a few more days off.
Aside from patches of down time here and there, Church figures that between college, summer leagues, fall ball and pro-ball, he's been playing baseball non-stop for two years.
The constant focus on baseball has been the biggest change Church noticed when making the leap from college to the pros.
“It's more of a grind,” Church said. “You're playing everyday. You can't get too high or too low because you have to be back out there in 10 hours and be on the field again.”