Big League Dreams: Nick Gaudi
11/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
For Nick Gaudi, to be drafted in the 30th round by his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers was very special. A native of the city of Lancaster and graduate of Paraclete High School, Gaudi was extremely happy being selected by the Dodgers, becoming the ninth Wave all-time chosen by Los Angeles. Pepperdine alumni Randy Wolf (''97) and Will Ohman ('98) are currently on the Dodger roster.
"I was excited," Gaudi said proudly. "Especially since the Ogden jerseys were just like the Dodger jerseys. It gave me the sense that I was here. It was a very surreal feeling."
The journey for Gaudi has been a unique one. He was a former walk-on for the Waves who became one of the elite closers in the WCC during his collegiate career. During his junior and senior seasons, the right-hander posted an overall record of 10-4 to go along with 24 saves and 84 strikeouts. He also was named to the All-WCC First Team both years.
Gaudi's minor league career began in Utah playing for the Ogden Raptors as a member of the Rookie Class Pioneer League. Ogden finished the season with a 42-34 overall record, 9 games back of the league champions, Orem Owlz (Los Angeles Angels affiliate).
Gaudi had a quick initiation to minor league baseball as he made his debut versus the Owlz on June 24. He realized what he was up against after getting tagged for three runs and four hits in just two-thirds of an inning and taking the loss.
"It was a humbling experience," said Gaudi. "It opened up my eyes. These are the best of the best players with the same background. Then I realized that baseball is still the same as it was when I played at Pepperdine."
In 18 games out of the bullpen as a middle reliever, Gaudi finished with a 2-4 record and a very respectable 2.96 ERA. In 27 innings pitched, he had a phenomenal ratio of 8:1 with 39 strikeouts recorded and just five walks allowed. He is now preparing for Spring Training with the Dodgers in March in Glendale, Ariz.
"It was a great learning experience. I got to know about how to travel, the rules and the coaches' expectations," Gaudi explained. "I got to call my own pitches and work together with the catcher. I learned how to read the batters and become a better pitcher overall."
Gaudi is continuing to stay in shape and will begin throwing again after New Years. As he becomes a more polished player in the minor leagues, nothing compares to the bus rides across the country.
"I remember one time when we left after the game and took a 10-hour road trip to the next city. We left at like 10 p.m. and arrived at 8 a.m. the next day," Gaudi described. "Seeing the sun rise up on the bus ride reminded me what minor league baseball is all about."
