SPRINGFIELD – Peyton Tyner won’t have to put as many miles on his car this summer.

The outfielder from Lane Community College is spending his second year in the West Coast League with the Springfield Drifters. The Eugene native and Marist High School graduate spent last season with the Marion Berries in Salem.

“I am really excited to be back in the league and the biggest change is not having to make that commute each day,” he said with a laugh. “I am really excited to come out and play in front of local fans, I will probably see a lot of faces that I recognize and have some people I am familiar with around me.

Hopefully they will fill up the seats and we can put on a show for them.”

Tyner batted .258 with five runs scored and three RBIs in 13 games last summer for the Berries, including a hit and a run in two games against the Drifters.

“The competition is great in this league,” Tyner said. “There are a lot of good arms. My first at-bat came against a guy from Oregon State who threw a 96-mile per hour sinker, so that was definitely a challenge and a step up from junior college. I am excited to go out and see more good arms now that I am more used to it. It is definitely comforting knowing all the ballparks we will be at and having played in some of the away stadiums. Having a new atmosphere changes the game in ways you might not think about, it can mess with your head or eyes, so being in a familiar place makes it a little easier.”

Starting off at Lane

Tyner batted .312 with 27 RBIs and 23 runs scored as a freshman at Lane. He walked 22 times while compiling a .424 on-base percentage in 42 games.

Tyner followed up with a strong sophomore campaign this spring when he earned second-team, all-conference honors and a Gold Glove award. He batted .303 with 12 doubles and two home runs while driving in 45 runs and scoring 43.

“My first year, I hit well and then I had some health issues in my second season but I was able to bounce back,” Tyner said. “I had a slow start, but was able to put up good numbers at the end. Overall, it was a good experience at Lane, for sure.”

Tyner also had seven stolen bases as a sophomore while helping the Titans reach the NWAAC championship game. That left a short break before arriving at Hamlin Sports Complex in late May.

“I think that has its benefits and detriments,” he said. “For me, it helps with rhythm as having no break between seasons helps stay in rhythm. However, it takes a toll on your body so coming off one long season into another long season can be a grind, but that is what we are here for. We respect and appreciate the grind.”

The Drifters (4-11, 1-5), who return this week from after a six-game road trip, play a Cascade Collegiate Classic game on Wednesday. Springfield plays a four-game series against Portland starting Thursday. The 5-foot-8 left-handed hitter is batting .292 with 9 RBI, and 8 runs scored and two stolen bases.

“I don’t think there is pressure playing in your hometown, but maybe a little bit of nerves,” Tyner said. “It can be tough to play in front of people you know because you want to play well in front of them, but at the same time it is more satisfying and rewarding when you play in front of people you know.”

Familiar teammates

Tyner is teammates once again with Cooper Mullens, another Marist grad who just finished his college season at Michigan. The Drifters have a handful of local players, including Nolan Miller and Rylan Detzler from Sheldon and Blake Stavros of Willamette.

“That is great because it is kind of like a built-in family already,” Tyner said. “When you go to a new team and see faces you already know, it makes it feel that much more like home. It makes the experience of jumping into something new that much easier when people you know are already there.”

Tyner grew up playing Babe Ruth baseball before he broke his wrist when he was 12 and switched to tennis. He split time between those two sports during his sophomore year at Marist before focusing on baseball again in his final two years with the Spartans.

“The swing in tennis is similar to baseball, both require hand-eye coordination,” Tyner said. “In tennis, you have people serving to you at 120 miles per hour so you have to move to the ball. The racket is a little bigger in tennis, but it helps train your eyes to see speed and keep your head still when you are trying to hit the ball.”

Tyner is happy to be close to home again this summer.

“This is a beautiful ballpark,” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to play here a number of times already and it is spectacular. You can’t ask for a better field or stadium so hopefully we can fill up the seats in here and get some energy from local crowds, which will be awesome.

“It is cool to see the community was able to bring baseball here. It is awesome what they are doing out here so I hope the game continues to expand in the local area. Being a hometown kid, it is great to see the game I love expand and reach young kids as well as the older folks who attend games and enjoy their time here,” he said.