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Jul. 17-For the first time in his baseball career, Cowlitz center fielder Dylan Schlaegel is an All-Star. Schlaegel was selected to the West Coast League All-Star Game on Thursday in Bellingham by league commissioner Rob Neyer.
He will represent Cowlitz as the team’s lone representative in the league’s first All-Star Game since 2019. While the honor is satisfying for Schlaegel, the production he has delivered is the real testament to the hours of hard work and dedication the 19-year-old showed over the last 12 months. “It means a lot. I’ve put a lot of work in,” said Schlaegel. “I redshirted my freshman year and to be able to develop, to be able to come out here and play, is really promising.”
After he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 17th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Schlaegel opted to honor his commitment to Dallas Baptist University. Though he never stepped on the field for the DBU Patriots in the spring, his performance this summer has allowed Schlaegel to reap some of the rewards of his commitment to getting better. “(Being drafted) was a super cool experience,” said the incoming sophomore. “I’m really thankful for it. It really was another checkpoint to knowing what I’m doing on the field and in the weight room is really paying off.”
In choosing to attend college, Schlaegel decided to bet on himself one more time. He used a redshirt season to improve his game and build his body to increase his strength and mobility. After spending a season watching from the dugout, unable to compete alongside his teammates, Schlaegel came to Cowlitz focused on the opportunity to put the prior year’s hard work into action in his first West Coast League season. He’s done just that, finding success from nearly Day 1.
Schlaegel is a mainstay atop the Black Bears’ lineup for coach Kelly Stinnett, providing consistent at-bats and plenty of hits to lead the offense. He has earned his way into the lead-off role for Colwitz with the bat in his hands, a role he said he hasn’t had since high school. He reached base another eight times in the Bend series to increase his on-base percentage to .422. That has all stemmed from a positive mental approach.
“I think just walking into every at-bat like I’m going to dominate the pitcher. I’m going to hit my pitch, I’m going to barrel my pitch,” Schlaegel said. “You’re going to find yourself more successful than not when you’re talking positively to yourself.” Stinnett said it’s clear to see why the Red Sox picked him. “Obviously he didn’t get to play much at DBU, but here he’s shined,” Stinnett said. “The kid was drafted and I see why he was drafted. (He’s) not a very big kid, (but) he’s still physical for his size, runs great, (has a) great bat path, (delivers) great at-bats, puts the ball in play consistently and when you do that, you’re going to get hits.”
Schlaegel said he is excited for the opportunity the West Coast League has presented him, including learning to not overthink the game. “I’m a thinker,” he said. “I think a lot of baseball guys are thinkers, but when you get on the ball field, you can’t think, you’ve got to go out there and trust what you know, trust your instincts and trust what you trained with and let it all show out on the field.”
