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Normally, position changes like that are the sign of a utility player struggling to make the lineup. Not so with White, a junior whose versatility has made him one of the Black Knights’ stars.
“There were a couple of times going to the ballpark that I didn’t know where I was going to play,” White said. “I thought, ‘Maybe I should ask coach,’ but then I figured if I’m in the lineup I don’t really care. As long as I’m in there.”
White, who has signed with the Loggers for 2007, has made a career out of excelling wherever he is asked to play.
This spring, White was named Patriot League Player of the Year. Splitting the season between second base and right field, he batted a league-best .408 with four homers, 29 RBI and 16 stolen bases. White, a right-hander, also held down the No. 2 spot in the rotation and went 7-3 with a 3.49 ERA and three complete games.
White was All-League first team as a pitcher in 2005 and first team again in 2006 as a first baseman.
“I guess I feel most natural in the outfield,” said White, who is from Midland, Texas. “I really enjoy playing different positions. There’s different aspects of the game you see at each one.”
White, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, said once he figured out how to handle all the position switches mentally, his game took off.
“This year, I really tried to take it one game, one at-bat, one pitch at a time,” White said. “I realized I can only control what I do on the field and I feel that in the long run that really helped me out.
“I could only dream about a year this good. I was lucky enough to have it come true and I hope the success carries over into the summer and my senior year.”
This summer will be the first that White has been excused from commitments to the U.S. Military Academy to play baseball. After a 13-day training session in late May and early June, White will report to the Loggers on June 8 or 9.
White said Army senior Ben Mayhew, who pitched for the Loggers last summer, told him good things about La Crosse and the Northwoods League.
“My coaches asked me where I’d like to play and I said I’d love to play in a good league,” White said. “I’ve been hearing great things about it. Ben told me it was one of the best experiences he’s ever had. I’m really excited.”
Loggers general manager Chris Goodell sees similarities between White and former Loggers pitcher/third baseman Ben Stanczyk, who is now pitching in the Brewers’ minor league system.
“We were making that reference in the office the other day, with caution, of course,” Goodell said. “Ben was a three-hole hitter and top-of-the-rotation pitcher for UW-Milwaukee, like Cole is. (White) also seems to have the ability to take over games. Following his stats, he seems to always have a game-winning hit or has pitched seven shutout innings.”
White’s goal is to follow Stanczyk from the Loggers to the minor leagues. The Army has a program that allows top athletes to fulfill military commitments via professional sports.
First, though, White has to get noticed.
“I think the best thing is for me to get out there and get my name out to some people and let them see me,” White said. “(Army) is a pretty regional program and we don’t play too many top 25 teams. To play against a bunch of talented ballplayers and see how I match up against them this summer; I can go out there and see what I’ve got.”
Joel Badzinski can be reached
at (608) 791-8402
or joel.badzinski@lee.net
