He’s had a rookie season to remember in college, but Jacob Wrubleski is happy to be coming home – if for nothing else but the cooking.
On the field, the Chandler-Gilbert Community College catcher hit .416 with eight home runs, 47 runs batted in and 38 runs scored in 42 games.
His performance has already begun garnering accolades as Wrubleski has been named an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) First Team All-Region and First Team All-ACCAC, thanks to having the third-best batting average and fifth-best on-base percentage (.489).
Off the field, he admits it was a bit of an adjustment living on his own for the first time.
“Cooking for myself is definitely harder than I thought,” Wrubleski laughed. “Trying to get meal prep done so I have food for the week and making sure I stay healthy has probably been the most difficult part.”
With exams done and a playoff push with the Coyotes on the way, the Dawgs Academy alum won’t have to wait long to get that taste of home in a couple of different ways as he has also been tapped to play for the Western Canadian Baseball League’s Okotoks Dawgs this summer.
THE DAWG IN HIM
After moving around the Calgary area during his childhood, Wrubleski says his family moved to Okotoks when he entered Dawgs Academy.
It was an eye-opening experience for the young catcher, who wanted to take full advantage of the coaching made available to him.
“Going into the academy, I wasn’t a great player,” Wrubleski told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. “They trained me, put me in tough situations and made me deal with adversity – they made me into the player I am today.”
He says as difficult as it was, he knew it was preparing him for the trials and tribulations of being a student-athlete in college.
Heading down to Chandler-Gilbert, Wrubleski was told it would be similar to what he saw with the Dawgs.
“The atmosphere, the practices, the way we play, it’s similar to down here,” he said. “So the shock wasn’t as big because I’ve been training for that ever since I started with the Dawgs.”
It didn’t hurt that Wrubleski would be joined on the Coyote roster by fellow Okotoks products Ryder Hancock, Ben Hoshizaki and Rowan Robinson.
ENTERING THE RECORD BOOKS
Heading into his freshman season, Wrubleski says he wanted to be a role player who was capable of making an impact at and behind the plate.
He also knew being a catcher meant setting a tone for the team defensively.
“I want to be a leader on the team and maybe help steer some guys in the right direction,” Wrubleski said. “Maybe rub off the way I act on other guys so we can have more of a winning culture and a family culture on the team.”
He helped the team to a 32-20 overall record, including 19-18 within the conference. The Coyotes were also 25-10 overall at home.
For his part, Wrubleski rewrote the Coyotes single-season record books with the sixth-best batting average in team history while he now sits tied for seventh in home runs and RBI.
“Really, all I’m trying to do is limit strikeouts and put the ball in play with two strikes,” he said. “Good things happen when you put the ball in play.”
Defensively, Wrubleski’s game has continued to evolve as he learns how to handle a college-level pitching staff.
The 6-foot catcher has committed just one error on the season while allowing only three passed balls, and admits he’s a better backstop than he was in high school thanks to the work he’s put in.
“We have different stuff for different guys and different guys like different things,” Wrubleski said. “Our pitchers like different ways you set up, and we have charts on that, charts on our pitchers and charts on umpires.”
He says he owes his development to Dawgs coach Aaron Ethier and Coyotes catching coach Dave Pankenier, which has also helped him capture the attention of the college Dawgs.
CHOWING DOWN
With a solid approach at the plate and strong freshman performance behind him, Wrubleski will be a welcome addition to a Dawgs team looking to three-peat as WCBL champions.
He will be competing for playing time on a roster featuring veterans Caleb Lumbard and Logan Grant as well as fellow Academy product Louis-Felix Anderson.
Wrubleski is looking forward to learning from the two seasoned backstops while enjoyed the benefits of living at home for a few months.
While he won’t be able to chow down on his personal favourite “Duda’s Double Burger” at Seaman Stadium like he has during previous summers, the right-handed hitter will be able to raid his parents’ fridge and enjoy dinner around the family table.
“Definitely chicken and dumplings,” Wrubleski smiled. “My mom makes that for me and it’s my favourite meal that she makes as I’ve been having that since I was young and never grown out of it.”
He will also take some time to start looking at his options beyond his time at Chandler-Gilbert, as he says he has been in touch with a few four-year schools already.
“I’m really excited that I get to go home and play at home,” he said. “I get to spend some time with family and play in front of that crowd because they are the best fans in baseball, so I’m really excited.”
Wrubleski and the Dawgs open up the 2024 Western Canadian Baseball League season at home to the Brooks Bombers on May 24.
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