Biediger Brings Thunder to Richland Baseball
Something lit a fire under Aaron Biediger.
"I hit one home run in my high school career," Dallas College Richland's freshman first baseman said. "One day, I came out here and hit a home run, and I guess something clicked."
That's for sure.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, and product of Arlington Heights High School, Biediger leads the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III with 15 home runs this season. He hit two bombs against Dallas College Cedar Valley in a 15-3 win March 24, and homered in four straight games, including all three of a series sweep with Dallas College Brookhaven and a nonconference game against Murray State College, within a five-day span in late February.
But the home run that really stands out came on March 11 against Dallas College North Lake. Biediger had struck out earlier in the game, and the Blazers pitcher started chirping at him. When he came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, Biediger belted a fastball over the wall to the tie game. Richland went on to win, 6-5.
"He had struck out his previous at-bat, and the North Lake pitcher told him to sit down," Thunderducks first-year head coach Jimmy Brenneman said. "Aaron kind of … I don't think he said anything to him. He just kind of stared at him. Aaron's next at-bat, we were down by one in the bottom of the ninth, and he hit a solo jack to tie it up. Aaron just gave him a couple looks as he was rounding the bases."
Biediger is tied for third in the NJCAA Division III in runs batted in (57), is 10th in doubles (14), and is batting .374 with 10 stolen bases.
"I try to be a calm hitter, and hit the ball hard," Biediger said. "Out of high school, I remember coming here on my visit, looking at the field, and I felt the wind blowing. I just loved how it looked, and I could imagine hitting here from the start."
He has made the most of his time in Richland's ballpark in a conference full of star power. Biediger is one of a few elite power hitters in the Dallas Athletic Conference with impressive numbers. Dallas College Eastfield's Angel Rodriguez leads the country in RBI (68). Dallas College Cedar Valley's Blaine Thomas has the third highest batting average at .524. Cedar Valley's Caden Robertson is second in the nation in home runs (14) and RBI (62), and Rodriguez is third in homers (13).
"I think it's just really fun competition," Biediger said. "Just a bunch of guys out here who can really play, and it's just fun competing with them, trying to one-up the other guy."
In his second year at Richland, Biediger has drawn the attention of some NCAA Division I schools.
"Selfishly, I'd like for him to come back, but based on the year he's having, he's ready to go to the four-year level," said Brenneman, who played at Campbell University, which is ranked No. 10 in this week's Baseball America Top 25 poll.
"They don't even have to produce like he does on the field, if I could have a team full of Aaron Biedigers, I'm a really happy guy. He's very patient in the box. He doesn't get cheated a lot. He's getting his best swing off in most of his at-bats. He's come up big. We've had a lot of timely hitting with him. He does a really good job of getting extension with his swing. He's got long leverage. He's a tall, wiry guy. Since he's gotten to college, I think he's learned to use his entire body, and just really shortening up his swing. He's a strong guy. He lets the pitchers supply the juice for him."
A week ago, with 12th-ranked Richland trailing No. 2 Eastfield, 2-0, in the bottom of the ninth, Biediger capped off a last-inning comeback with a walk-off RBI single to win it. His gamewinning hit followed designated hitter Jadon Fratus' two-run double to tie it after the Thunderducks loaded the bases.
It's a memory Biediger won't soon forget.
"I like it a lot," he said. "It's not a home run. It's a team play. I would say my favorite times being on the team are times like that. You really see everyone come out. Not a single person is on the bench. Everyone is into the game. We've had a few moments like this, where, down to the last inning, everyone is up, start off the inning good … It gives us a little momentum going into the next day and the rest of the future. It gives us more confidence against (Eastfield), knowing we can beat anybody."
With the postseason a few weeks away, the Thunderducks are in a good place mentally.
"We really like playing," Biediger said. "We can tell that a bunch of guys are really starting to come together, and getting closer as a family, playing as a family."
Biediger is three credits short of graduating this summer. He carries a 3.1 grade point average, and is planning to major in exercise science with a concentration on physical therapy at a four-year school.
"He's a pretty humble kid, blue-collar humble," Brenneman said. "He's one of our hardest workers. I don't even tell him to help clean up the field, he's always the guy doing it. That's just the type of kid he is. He's very even-keeled. A lot of the times, when he's coming back to the dugout, you don't really know if just hit a walk-off home run or if he struck out, bases loaded, to end the game.
"Honestly, just who he is as a person and his character is the thing that sticks out to me. He's the same guy, every single day, which kind of stinks because if there's something wrong or he's not happy, you don't know. But I just appreciate the effort and focus he brings every single day. At times, I'd like him to be more vocal, but guys respect him with how he goes about his business every day. He leads by example."
This year, Biediger has let his bat do the talking.