Metea Valley senior Aidan Wagner gets a special kick from the immediacy of baseball.
In a game marked by ritual and tradition, Wagner responds to the visceral thrill of the moment. In that context, that last thing he seeks is delayed gratification.
Wagner is not the type to sit back and study the pitcher. He loves the pressure of being the first batter up. And the math backs him up too.
As leadoff hitter for the Mustangs, he optimizes his plate appearances and the opportunity to create positive actions.
“I like that role — being the one who gets the offense going,” Wagner said. “If I get that first hit in the first inning, that gets everybody going.”
Wagner is the face of Metea’s baseball program — the leader of a young and gifted group in search of experience.
As a junior last season, the third baseman hit .325 with a .448 slugging percentage. He added 26 runs, 13 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in earning all-conference honors.
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But after that breakout varsity debut, Wagner has become even more versatile. His play has sparked the Mustangs (3-0), who are averaging 15 runs a game in the early going.
Last spring, the right-handed Wagner was a contact hitter. He showed the ability to hit the ball to the opposite field.
“I really wanted to improve as far as hitting for power,” said Wagner, who pointed out he already has hit a home run against Hinsdale Central along with a few doubles as well. “I think that has already translated in our early schedule.”
Wagner has nearly equaled his total of six extra-base hits from last season. Statistics only tell one part of his impact, however.
Wagner’s savvy and poise provides the necessary template for Metea’s younger players, including sophomore pitcher/outfielder Jeremy Wrona.
“His continuous high energy keeps the confidence in our whole team,” Wrona said. “I have developed a great relationship with Aidan. He gives it his all in any game situation and that’s what makes him elite.”
Metea coach Steve Colombe has observed a player in Wagner who has not just come of age.
He has found his voice.
“He is already looked up by his teammates as a returning all-conference player and everyday starter,” Colombe said. “This year, he has been more vocal for our young team.
“He has been very positive, brings energy and keeps the team focused.”
As the oldest of two brothers, Wagner gravitated toward baseball at a young age. The game touched all sides of his developing personality.
“I played a lot of sports when I was younger but I fell in love with baseball and I kept with it,” he said.
Wagner took several college recruiting trips and contemplated playing at the next level.
He opted to focus instead on academics, though, and will likely attend Western Michigan.
That future choice brings a clarity to his present moment, creating an urgency to end his high school career on the proper note.
The Mustangs’ smoldering start has raised his excitement level.
For all of his individual accomplishments, Wagner earns his greatest respect for his unselfish nature and his eagerness to see his teammates excel, according to junior catcher Jake LaVine.
“Aidan is definitely a competitor and a fighter,” LaVine said. “He is a team-first guy who wants to win badly and to make the guys around him better.
“He is one of the first guys to greet a teammate at the front of the dugout and he is always someone who lights a fire under people to get them pumped up.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.