Freshman Jeff Becker was ranked during the preseason as one of the Top 50 collegiate freshman baseball players in the nation. But he would be the last person to tell you that.
The third baseman from Thiells, New York is known to let his play do the talking. And after a slow start, Becker has proven why Duke head coach Steve Traylor considers him one of the best third basemen in the conference. While starting every game this season for the Blue Devils, Becker is hitting .351 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs. He leads Duke's freshmen in the latter two categories.
One of the influences on Becker's humble attitude is his father, Ronald. Becker said he grew up playing sports, and learned from his dad the value of not being cocky.
"[My father] said, 'If you are good, people will know you are good,'" Becker said. "If you have that attitude, you meet more people and have more friends. That cocky attitude doesn't go over well with me."
Some people may be surprised that Becker hasn't let his success go to his head. Since high school, Becker has been accustomed to being the center of attention. A two-sport star in baseball and football, he led his high school's teams to a total of four state championships and six state title games. Because of his prowess in two sports, Becker received numerous offers to play both football and baseball.
Ironically, the first athletic team to contact Becker about coming to Durham was Fred Goldsmith's squad. Only during the summer after his junior year did Becker first come into contact with Traylor. The two met at a baseball camp at N.C. State, a camp Becker attended only at the suggestion of his coach to show off his baseball talents. Becker's coach proved to be prophetic, as Traylor instantly became interested in the player from New York.
Becker ruled out many of the schools interested in his services because he didn't want to play in the North and he didn't want to play too far South. He also crossed the schools that wanted him for both football and baseball off of his lists. Traylor told Becker soon after he began recruiting him that he wanted him solely for baseball. He eventually made visits to Clemson, N.C. State and Duke.
"When I came on my visit to Duke, it was different than the other visits," Becker said. "I met with the team and felt like I fit in well. On the other visits, everyone seemed a little conceited. I don't think I fit in well with them. I am kind of a low-profile player. I don't go around with this conceited attitude. I just go out and get the job done."
While Becker misses football, he said the success the baseball team is having is making his Duke experience an enjoyable one. The Blue Devil baseball team has had players play both on the gridiron and the diamond before-sophomore Adam Geis currently does it. And while Traylor told Becker he could look into playing football if the opportunity came up, Becker said he's going to stick to baseball for now.
Besides not playing football, Becker had to adjust to a new position. A shortstop in high school, Traylor told him he was a prototype third baseman. Becker agrees the new position better suits his build and his relative lack of speed, but the change meant a lot of hard work. During the fall, Becker took numerous ground balls from Traylor to work on his defense. And while his defense at third has been more than adequate all year, he began the season in a hitting slump. Still, he did not give up trying.
"I think the thing that is most impressive is his maturity and his approach to the game," Traylor said. "He was slumping earlier in the year, but strangely enough-for a freshman-it did not affect him. He just kept playing."
Traylor compares Becker to Sean McNally, a former Duke third baseman who is currently playing Single A baseball in the Kansas City Royal organization. While Becker has so far produced better numbers than McNally's first-year stats, Traylor thinks the current third baseman will have to increase his speed and tap into his power potential to become a top-notch professional prospect. And with Becker's work ethic, Traylor thinks that is very possible.
Becker, on the other hand, isn't thinking that far into the future. All he's concerned with right now is getting his education, and taking his college career as far as possible. But the idea of professional baseball is not totally out of his mind. He aspires to follow in the footsteps of his favorite player, retired New York Yankee first baseman Don Mattingly. Becker admires Mattingly for his quite nature off the field and considers him a role model for young baseball fans.
Like Mattingly, Becker is a team player. When asked about his personal goals down the line, he said he didn't concentrate on individual honors.
"I just go out there and do my best and accomplish what your athletic ability will let you," Becker said. "As long as we have successful years to come, that will make me happy."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.