Allen Guided by Tony Gwynn, Remembers His Late Former Coach

A San Diego kid, Greg Allen couldn't have mapped it out better if he tried.

After excelling at Hilltop High in Chula Vista, CA, Allen - a switch-hitting, top-of-the-order outfielder - earned a scholarship to play baseball for hometown San Diego State University beginning in 2012.

His head coach with the Aztecs? 

None other than local icon Tony Gwynn - Mr. San Diego Padre himself: The sweet-swinging left-handed outfielder that collected 3,141 hits in his 20-year career and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

Considering the similarities in tools, not a bad guy for Allen to learn from.

"There were definitely little things that he could directly apply, especially to outfielders and left-handed hitters," Allen said. "There was a bunch of things to pick up from and I definitely appreciated that."

Allen, now with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, played under the late-Gwynn's tutelage for all three seasons of his Aztecs career before being selected by the Cleveland Indians in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

With the passing of his college coach on June 16 after a prolonged battle with oral cancer, Allen called it a "tough day."

"It's still tough getting used to him not being around and that might take some time," he said. "That's a big loss for both the city of San Diego and also for our [SDSU] team. He meant a lot to a lot of people and definitely meant a lot to his players."

Gwynn, who coached SDSU since 2002, took a leave of absence to deal with his sickness this past season on March 25. 

Allen and the Aztecs promptly rallied for their coach, defeating top-seeded UNLV twice in the Mountain West Tournament to win the conference championship and earn an automatic-bid to the NCAA Regionals.

Throughout the run, the SDSU players placed a bobblehead of Gwynn near their bat rack during games.

"He was a fun guy to be around - brought a whole lot of energy whether it was practice or a game," Allen said. "There was just a whole lot you can learn from him about playing the game in general and especially on the hitting side since he was one of the best hitters alive."

Under Gwynn's guidance, Allen started all three seasons with the Aztecs. 

The six-foot, 175-pounder capped his college career by hitting .302 from the leadoff spot and swiping 25 bases this past season as a junior. With this success, the 21-year old felt it was the right time to turn pro.

"I had a great time at San Diego State," Allen said. "I was able to learn a lot and grow both as a player and individual. So I felt like when opportunity knocks such as it has here, you definitely have to take it."

And he's wasted no time taking advantage of his chance with the Tribe.

Since joining the Scrappers on Sunday, Allen is hitting .296 (8 for 27), scoring 11 runs in seven games. He's batted in the leadoff spot in each contest, racking up a .406 on-base percentage, a double and a triple to go along with three steals.

"Whether I'm on defense or offense, I just try to do anything I can to help the team win and put us in a good position to be successful," he said. "It's been good having a chance to be out here, get some ABs and have some early success."

Even so, Allen knows challenges and struggles are sure to present themselves. Still - with past guidance from one of baseball's greats in Gwynn - there is plenty the San Diego kid can draw from.

"You're gonna have your good days and bad, so it's just about managing, really," Allen said. "Guys can throw a little bit harder and run a little bit faster and the game can sometimes speed you up. So you just gotta be sure to take it pitch-by-pitch and slow it down if you can."