Featured Silver Hawk - Brad Gemberling
Gemberling graduated from Princeton University before being selected by the Diamondbacks in the 24th round of the 2009 First-Year player draft. The right-hander also took visits to Harvard and Yale while giving serious consideration to Duke and Georgetown as well.
"I knew I wanted to go to a good academic school in case baseball didn't pan out," said Gemberling of his college decision.
Brad's focus on education isn't just unique to him, however, as the entire Gemberling family is academically inclined. His father Scott went to Clarion and is a lawyer, while his mother Kathy attended Penn State and is a guidance counselor. Additionally, Gemberling's sisters Allyson and Lindsay graduated from Cornell and Penn State, respectively.
"We had a great public school in Swarthmore [Pennsylvania] where I grew up and both my parents were really big on academics," said Gemberling. "My dad said 'Use baseball to get in to the best school you can' and that's what I did."
Gemberling majored in economics while in college, a decision swayed by his sister's career at Goldman Sachs in New York and his internship at an investment firm in Philadelphia. Balancing academics and athletics is a tough task at any school, let alone as an economics major at one of the top schools in the nation.
"I think it was just a matter of time management," said Gemberling. "We have a lot of guys who go there that aren't geniuses or guys who can aces tests without even studying. It's about putting the time in and managing your time."
Aside from its academic reputation, one of the main factors that made Princeton the choice for Gemberling was its production of professional baseball players. The year that Gemberling graduated high school, five Tigers were drafted. Former Princeton players in the big leagues currently include San Diego's Chris Young and Will Venable and Pittsburgh's Ross Ohlendorf.
Like Gemberling, Ohlendorf was selected by the Diamondbacks out of Princeton, started his career in Yakima, and pitched for the Silver Hawks. Gemberling was a teammate of Ohlendorf's younger brother at Princeton and talked to Ross numerous times. Upon arriving in South Bend, pitching coach Wellington Cepeda and manager Mark Haley told Gemberling about their time with Ohlendorf in 2005.
"I texted [Ohlendorf] and told him that [Cepeda and Haley] gave him their best," said Gemberling. "He's been great in supporting me and showing me the ropes."
Gemberling would like nothing more than to continue taking the same path as Ohlendorf and end up as another Princeton player in the major leagues, an occurrence that is becoming more and more common.
"We've gotten some great coverage and I don't think people scoff at us anymore," said Gemberling with a chuckle. "The fact that they did it means anybody can do it."
Berra said that "the other half" of baseball is physical - a trait that Gemberling and his fellow Princeton alums are also continuing to master.
The Brad Gemberling File
Position: Starting Pitcher
Height: 6'0''
Weight: 200
Bats/Throws: L/R
Born: December 9, 1986 in Chester, Pennsylvania
Resides: Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Obtained: Selected in the 24th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft