Jeremy Hefner was drafted in the fifth round of the 2007 amateur draft by the San Diego Padres out of Oral Roberts University. Hefner racked up double digit wins in each of his first three full seasons of minor league baseball. Last year in double-A San Antonio Hefner was 11-8 with a 2.95 ERA and 115 strikeouts.

Hefner was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on March 11, 1986. After a short stay in Kansas City, Missouri his family moved to Perkins, Oklahoma, a small town about an hour north of Oklahoma City, where Hefner attended high school.

Hefner inherits his athletic ability from both parents, who played softball when Hefner was a child. Hefner has been playing baseball as long as he can remember and played both football and baseball in high school.

With 70 students in his high school graduating class, Hefner saw a lot of action in both sports. Hefner lined up at safety and wide receiver on the football field, and when he wasn’t pitching Hefner filled in all over the baseball field.

After high school, Hefner attended Seminole State College, a two-year college in Seminole, Oklahoma. Hefner’s solid pitching at Seminole State earned him a spot as a Golden Eagle at Oral Roberts University.

Hefner is currently 30 credit hours away from a bachelor’s degree in business management, which he plans to finish when done playing ball.

“I would like to pursue coaching,” Hefner said, “if not coaching, maybe put on a baseball academy or something related to baseball.”

When Hefner was asked about his future, he immediately brought up his wife and 14-month old son who live in Oklahoma.

“Whatever it is I do in the future, I want to stay close to home and my family,” Hefner said.

Hefner’s family and faith seem to intertwine as motivating factors in his daily life. His wife’s sister’s husband and his sister’s husband are both pastors that recently started a church. His strong Christian faith is easily visible through his easy going, calm demeanor both on and off the pitching mound.

Currently Hefner is acclimating to the life of a Triple-A ballplayer that consists of daily work-outs and life on the road. His teammates call him “Hef”, and Hef took us through his typical five-day routine.

Hefner hits the weight room hardest the day after a start, completing upper and lower-body strength training combined with a long running workout.

Day two is long sprints and on the third day he heads back to the weight room for a light leg workout which he combines with short sprints.

The day before Hefner is scheduled to pitch is a rest day, relieving as much soreness as possible and preparing for his start.

On his pitching days Hefner arrives at the ballpark a few hours ahead of game time, when he dresses and stretches. After a warm-up bullpen session in front of Pitching Coach Steve Webber, it is time for Hefner to take his preparation to the mound where the lights are bright.

Hefner has been successful throwing three pitches. Hefner features a fastball that has touched 94 miles per hour that he combines with a curveball that moves from 12 to six o’ clock, and a change-up that is held with a circle grip.

“I try to throw all three pitches with the same motion and locate down in the zone,” Hefner said, “In my tough start in Tacoma the ball was up.”

When Hefner is going well all three pitches will have the same arm slot and same release point. The different grips give each pitch a distinct effect.

With three solid pitches and tight location Hefner has been keeping hitters off balance all season for the Tucson Padres. On Tuesday, May 23, Hefner pitched six innings and only allowed three hits and one earned run. Hefner struck out six Omaha Storm Chasers in the start.

After a very competitive spring training he has been working hard every day to improve on the baseball field and contribute to, what he calls a “great” San Diego Padres organization.

At the rate Hefner is growing as a pitcher and Padre, he will be contributing to the San Diego Padres sooner, rather than later. Look for Hefner’s progress and weekly results on Friarhood.com.