July 8, 2013 by Wayne McBrayer with photos by Rebecca Herman
ON THE FARM AT LAKE ELSINORE
~~WITH TRAVIS JANKOWSKI, MAY 25, 2013~~
Travis grew up in a baseball family. His dad was a coach and his brother, Tyler, played Little League. His told us his earliest memory of baseball was, “me and my brother playing whiffle ball in the backyard doing a home run derby and I remember I was Ken Griffey Jr. and I want to say he was either Paul O’Neil or Tino Martinez.” Travis was 4 years younger than his brother but he would tag along to his older brother’s Little League practice. His dad was the coach and allowed Travis to practice and get some reps with the team. As a kid, he always enjoyed watching Ken Griffey Jr. play baseball because of “his attitude about the game. He always had a smile, always played the game hard.”
Wayne McBrayer interviewing Travis Jankowski at Lake Elsinore
Travis played baseball through his high school years. He played with the varsity team for 4 years and was a two-time All-State Selection. During his senior year, he hit .471 with 20 RBI’s, stealing 24 bases and had 33 hits in 26 games and helped lead his team to the District 3 Double-A Championship. Travis moved on to Stoney Brook and became a 3-year starter there, continuing to hit for a high average and steal bases while playing a flawless centerfield. He stole 79 bases in 90 attempts and finished his Jr. year hitting .414 with 18 2B, 11 3B, 5 HRs and 46 RBIs. The College World Series at Stoney Brook was Travis favorite memory of baseball up to now. It was the first time a team from the American East Conference had advanced that far in the tournament.
The Padres selected Travis with their 1st round draft pick (44th overall) and assigned him to the Padres rookie league and then moved him to A Ft. Wayne. He hit .280 for the 2012 season with 10 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR and 23 RBIs and had 17 stolen bases. For the 2013 season, Travis was promoted to A+ Lake Elsinore where he is hitting .279 with 12 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 25 RBI’s and a league leading 52 stolen bases!
Click HERE to access his up-to-date stats.
Game photos of Travis Jankowski at Lake Elsinore Storm – May 25, 2013
(by TheBaseballPHD)
He admires Josh Hamilton at lot. “I like how he went through some pretty serious adversity and it’s kind of like the game of baseball. His life went through a couple of rough patches, a little slump here and there, but he broke out and got the best of his life and now he is playing well.”
What does the future hold for Travis after baseball? “Maybe coaching on the side either football or basketball.” He might also open his “own little business as a physical therapist.” Before he starts physically helping players, he has an outfield spot to shoot for at Petco Park and we’d love to see him rack up some stolen bases there!
THUNDER! The Storm’s awesome, award-winning mascot!
Lake Elsinore is a terrific ballpark and a great place to take in some wonderful baseball (see schedule) and see the stars of tomorrow. We highly recommend you take a drive up the I-15 and enjoy a ballgame at The Diamond!
Interview & Story by Wayne McBrayer, TheCasualFan
Editing & Photography by Rebecca Herman, TheBaseballPHD
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