Hanse getting his chance

CEDAR RAPIDS – He's a kid who wasn't even first-team all-conference in high school.

Andrew Hanse made the second team in the Mississippi Valley Conference back in 2009. A nice honor, but not one that normally portends a professional baseball career.

Yet that's exactly what the Linn-Mar grad has going. He's a relief pitcher for the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League, his first full season in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

'Just a lot of hard work in junior college,” Hanse said Wednesday night, following his team's game at Burlington. 'Just growing into my body, which is kind of hard for someone my height. So it's been that, working and developing.”

A 6-foot-7 right-hander, Hanse was all but headed to Division III Coe College after high school, but a former Linn-Mar teammate (Jared Bell) suggested he take a look at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls. That ended up changing his life.

'I wasn't really recruited that much,” Hanse said. 'I was going to go to Coe, where my sister went, but a buddy, one of my teammates was up at Ellsworth. He just gave me a call, gave their coach my number. I visited up there and decided that's where I was going to go.”

Hanse toned up his body, losing 30 pounds at Ellsworth, pitched well for two years, then went to the University of Iowa. He made 16 appearances, seven starts, as a senior on a poor team last year but showed enough promise to get drafted by Tampa last June in the 22nd round.

After signing, he threw for Hudson Valley of the Advanced-Rookie New York-Penn League, then was promoted toward the end of the season to Bowling Green. He broke spring training with the Hot Rods this season and is 0-1 with a 4.50 earned run average in two appearances.

He has struck out four in four innings.

'I just want to continue to get better each and every day. Focus on helping the team win,” Hanse said. 'Everything has been great. Started out in short-season ball last year, then got to spend the last month here and experience a playoff atmosphere. Got to play last year for (Manager Michael Johns) and get to do it again here. So that's great.

'Right now, I'm just going to throw … get my innings in, then later on hopefully get a more defined role.”

How others From metro and area are faring in pro baseball

CChad Christensen (Cedar Rapids Washington/University of Nebraska) – Outfielder in the Minnesota Twins system is hitting .250 with three RBIs in six games for the low-Class A Cedar Rapids Kernels.

BB.J. Hermsen (West Delaware) – Pitching in relief for Double-A New Britain (Twins), the right-hander has a 0-0 record and 13.50 earned run average in three games spanning four innings.

JJon Keller (Cedar Rapids Xavier/University of Tampa) – The right-handed reliever has no record and 2.25 ERA in two games for low-Class A Delmarva (Orioles). He has struck out six in four innings.

DDerrick Loveless (Solon) – Playing outfield for Lansing of the Midwest League, the Toronto Blue Jays farmhand is hitting .211 in six games and is still seeking his first RBI.

SScott Schebler (Cedar Rapids Prairie/Des Moines Area Community College) – Another outfielder, Schebler is hitting .200 with a home run and five RBIs in eight games for Double-A Chattanooga (Dodgers).

CColin Rea (Cascade/Indiana State) – A starting pitcher for high-Class A Lake Elsinore (Padres), right-hander is 0-0 with 10.29 ERA in two starts.

KKellen Sweeney (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) – Infielder remains on the disabled list at high-Class A Dunedin (Blue Jays).

RRyan Sweeney (Cedar Rapids Xavier) – Chicago Cubs outfielder is hitting .190 with two RBIs in seven games, 26 at-bats.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@sourcemedia.net