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San Antonio Missions

You Don't Know Jace

April 15, 2014 - Texas League (TL1)
San Antonio Missions News Release


The Missions' season is in its second week and shortstop Jace Peterson is already making strides at the Double-A level.

He's been steady in the infield and his bat has produced a team-leading .381 average with a home run and seven RBIs.

It's been a good start, as the San Diego Padres' No. 7 prospect, the Lake Charles, La., product knows expectations are high. With that in mind Peterson continues to press forward.

"Being a top prospect motivates me, but I try not to look into that stuff too much," Peterson said. "Whenever I put on the uniform I want to do what I've always set out to do. I want to compete and help our team win.

"Being at this level I know I have to stay on top of my game. I'm going to take the same approach I have taken the last two years. I want to be better than I was last year. I want to continue to improve in every aspect of the game."

Double-A baseball can be a grind. In addition to playing from April to Labor Day, road trips are long and the competition is fierce. Handling pressure and going through hectic schedules is nothing new to Peterson. As a two-sport (football, baseball) athlete at Hamilton Christian High School and McNeese State University, Peterson has been there and done that many times.

 Although going that route in college was tough at times, the Missions infielder wouldn't have had it any other way.  

After all, that's what he set out to do in the first place.

 "I grew up doing both so it was pretty much the norm for me," Peterson said. "I enjoyed playing both sports. It was great keeping it fresh every season. I took it as a challenge on myself. Whenever it was time to play the certain sport, I just grabbed it and ran with it."

No doubt it kept Peterson on the go.

When baseball season ended in May, he went directly to summer football workouts and continued to focus on roaming the secondary until the season ended around December. Then it was on to baseball.

Peterson may have been behind his teammates in the preparation, but it never took him long to get back into the groove, whether he was hitting opponents or baseballs.

While being part of McNeese's rotation in the secondary, he made his presence felt at safety and cornerback. However, baseball was where he shined the most. Because of the success, Peterson was selected 58th overall by the Padres in the 2011 Draft.

"I was watching the draft and hoping it would happen," Peterson said. "When I was selected it made for a pleasant day. I was ready to go."

"I loved football, but I wasn't sure if I would be drafted. I had some workouts scheduled with some NFL teams, but I never got to do them because I was always in baseball. I still miss football every day, but I am happy to be in baseball."

Peterson's work amazed those around him. Some are still impressed, especially Missions first baseman Lee Orr, who was Peterson's teammate at McNeese.

"Jace is one of the best overall athletes I have ever seen," Orr said. "He's done great in the pros, but even in college he was amazing. He was only with us half the year. But he would walk off the football field and come to baseball like he'd been there the whole time."

Even though he focuses on baseball, Peterson hasn't slowed down one bit.

Because of it he's getting raving reviews. Rich Dauer isn't sure how long the shortstop will be in San Antonio, but as long as Peterson's there, the Missions' manager intends to enjoy watching the progress.

"Jace is a quality ballplayer," Dauer said. "I'm excited to see what he'll do. He's fun to watch.

"He has shortstop instincts. Instead of being a good one, he can be a great one. He has the makeup to do it. He's smart enough to know he can go to another level."

Now, Peterson is doing whatever it takes to get there by following his usual approach.

 "Last year (at Lake Elsinore) I felt my approach to the plate was more refined," Peterson said. "I was more consistent. I want to carry that over into this season.

"I feel comfortable at shortstop, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. At this level you have to come with a fresh mindset every day. You don't linger on how things from yesterday, whether they're good or bad. You need to come in and be prepared for whatever."

Although Peterson is new to Double-A baseball, he is familiar with his Missions teammates. He's played on the same team with most of them while moving through the Padres' system. The shortstop believes that camaraderie, coupled with overall talent, can be an advantage during the Missions' quest to defend their Texas League championship.

"Chemistry in itself will get you wins," Peterson said. "When you have talent on top of that, you can be an unstoppable force. I'm excited about this team because we have a great group of guys. "We have great arms from starters to the pen. We have guys we are really solid in the infield and outfield. If we continue to play together we can have a great year."

Peterson intends to do his part to make it happen.

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