WCU Product Joey Wendle A Step Away From The Bigs In Nashville

By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Joey Wendle enjoyed an outstanding baseball career during his career at Division II West Chester University. It was a stretch that was capped in 2012 with a senior season that saw him hit .399 and lead the Golden Rams to a national championship.

Since then he has been climbing the ladder in the minor leagues, this season serving as the everyday second baseman for the Nashville Sounds, the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A's.

Wendle, a left-handed hitter, was originally drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 6th round back in 2012 and he spent his first three seasons as a pro in the Cleveland organization. But this past December he was traded to Oakland for outfielder Brandon Moss.

"I was pretty surprised," Wendle tells KYW Newsradio. "I'm not one to follow trade rumors or to keep up with that stuff very much. If I find myself doing that it just places my attention in places it doesn't need to be. So I was surprised, it took my wife and I a little off guard but we were excited. It was a little bittersweet in that I did enjoy the Indians, the organization that they were. But I was really excited with the new opportunity I was going to have with the Athletics."

Listen to the entire interview with former WCU star Joey Wendle

And he has made the most of this opportunity.

The 25-year-old Wendle is hitting .270 for the Sounds this season with a team-high 28 doubles among his 107 hits. He has scored 44 runs while knocking in 40 and he is hot right now. In his last six games, Wendle is hitting .440 with four doubles, two triples and six runs scored.

The Avon Grove High School product is a career .286 hitter as a pro and has adjusted quickly every time he's moved up.

"Every level's a little bit different," Wendle says. "The speed of play continues to increase. The competition gets a little tighter at every level. From Double-A to Triple-A you see the players get a little bit older. They get a little bit smarter, they're better at executing their pitches. But it's still the same game, still just baseball. Three outs every half inning, three strikes, four balls, it's all the same. Just little adjustments you have to make along the way."

He says his game is a constant work in progress.

"I'm trying to focus on all parts of my game," Wendle says. "Being maybe a little more disciplined at the plate. There are always things I'm working on defensively, backhand, forehand, whatever it may be. But it changes from day-to-day and just the overall goal is just to become a well-balanced overall baseball player."

Obviously, Wendle is now just a phone call away from the big leagues, but he says he doesn't focus on if or when that call will come.

"I just come to the ballpark everyday, work on what I need to work on during the game, how can I help the team win," Wendle says. "That's just what I've been doing for the past three years here. So that's all I know. If I get a call-up, that would be great. If not, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing."

Wendle and the Sounds are home tonight to take on New Orleans.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.