Center fielder Carlos Medina stands calmly in the on-deck circle at Maloney Field, patiently waiting for his next at-bat. The SF State Gators are down 9-0 in the sixth inning against Cal State Stanislaus.

The expression on Medina’s face is relaxed, just as it was when he took the field in the first inning.

He settles into the batters‘ box, kicks a little dirt with his right foot, then again with his left. His bat, like an extension of his demeanor, sits calmly behind his right ear, then suddenly without any notice, his bat uncoils and his wrists snap.

The message is loud and clear as the ball sails over the left field fence.

“I’m not really the vocal type,” Medina said after the game. “When it comes down to game time, I’m not the ‘in your face, rah rah’ kind of guy. I just come out and play hard and let my play speak for itself.”

Medina, an all-conference second team selection last year, is gradually coming into his own this season. Despite a slow start, which he jokingly attributes to a haircut he received before the season, Medina is back on track, batting .325 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs.

Although his hair doesn’t swing the bat or catch fly balls for him, it has played a role in his torrid hitting streak.

“Last year, I let my hair grow out and I got hot towards the end of the season," Medina said. "Then I cut my hair this year and I got off to a slow start. I’m not cutting my hair until the season is over."

Things haven’t always been so light-hearted for the 21-year-old senior, communications major. Two years ago while playing at Palomar Junior College in San Diego, Medina was injured on a check swing and tore the labrum in his left shoulder. Despite the pain, he played through the season, hoping to catch the eye of any recruiter.

“It was tough for me,” Medina said. “I was having a good year and I didn’t know where I was going to transfer to.”

Medina received a call from SF State head coach Matt Markovich, asking about his interest in being a Gator.

Before Markovich could finish his sentence, Medina had already said ‘yes.'

“I didn’t visit the school,” Medina said. “I hadn’t even been to SFSU. I was just happy because I knew I was hurt, and I didn’t know if anybody else was going to give me a shot.”

Markovich offered Medina a scholarship, but for Medina, that was just the beginning of a grueling, seven-month rehabilitation. He underwent surgery that summer to repair the torn labrum and set off on a mission to be back on the field for the season in the spring.

“It was hard, but the injury helped me prove to myself that I could overcome something like that,” Medina said. “I couldn’t even swing the bat for a while, but I just wanted to prove to myself and other people that I could still do it.”

Medina said the fall practices after his injury were difficult because all the guys on the team were out on the field hitting, throwing and playing games, and all he was allowed to do was run and bunt.

“It was funny because guys were like, ‘Who is this dude? All he does is bunt,’” Medina said. “The guys were probably wondering why I got a scholarship if all I could do was bunt and run.”

It turns out the smooth-fielding Medina can do more than bunt and run, although he does them pretty well, too. Currently, Medina is on-pace to finish the season in the top 10 in several catagories in the Gator baseball record books. He is sixth in career home runs with 13, fifth in triples with seven, and ninth in RBIs with 81. He is also one of the best defensive players that coach Markovich has ever coached.

“He’s got a great first step and great instincts,” Markovich said. “He gets to balls that you think aren’t going to be caught. I mean, he’s freaking good.”

Medina, like most of the seniors on the baseball team, said he is disappointed with the losing season, but he hasn’t allowed it to get him down. As one of the leaders on the team, Medina continues to work hard, hoping the rest of the guys follow his example.

“He’s one of those quiet kind of guys, but he’s always working hard,” said senior catcher Jason Adams. “He doesn’t talk all kinds of shit. He’s a leader type of guy.”

Back at the Stanislaus game, Medina circles the bases and steps on home plate. After a quick celebration and few high fives, he gathers his glove and his hat and jogs out to center field. It’s business as usual.

“I’ve been playing baseball for 14 years,” he said later. “I just love putting the cleats on and strapping it up.”