SPRINGFIELD – With the game tied 4-4 heading into the ninth inning against the Marion Berries on Saturday night, Springfield coach Jeff Lyle had a plan for speedster Aiden Gebhard to lead off the ninth.
“The kid runs like the wind and we knew that we could make somebody on the right side of the diamond have to field the ball so he had a real good chance of being safe,” Lyle said. “He knew that if he could get on, it was the way for us to start a rally. He used his small-ball ability to create that.”
Gebhard put down a bunt and reached first for a single before stealing his 20th base of the season. Hunter Meyer and Chase Nye reached base after Gebhard and then Cooper Mullens hit a three-run triple to spark an 8-4 win.
“I think the bunt gave the team some morale,” Gebhard said. “That’s baseball and sometimes you see what they give you and if you can lay a bunt down, do it.”
Gebhard’s speed has been a key for the Drifters (15-24), who return to Hamlin Sports Complex to host the Berries on Friday through Sunday. The Redmond native ranks second in the league in stolen bases.
“Growing up, being the fastest kid was what put me ahead of others,” the 5-foot-9, 174-pound Gebhard said. “It came naturally and once I started getting older and keeping my body healthy, I learned how to train for speed and get stronger and faster.”
Gebhard’s speed helps him in the outfield, but he also pitches for the Drifters as a rare two-way player in both college and the West Coast League. One day after starting Saturday’s rally at the plate, Gebhard took the mound to throw four scoreless innings in a 3-2 loss at Marion on Sunday.
“That is something I have always enjoyed,” he said. “I feel like that is more of what baseball is to me, playing outfield and hitting and running the bases but also pitching. I always thought it would be boring to not do both.”
Injuries derailed last season
Gebhard is in his third season with the Drifters, but last summer was cut short when he suffered a shoulder injury sliding into home plate during his fifth game of the year. He was batting .400 with three stolen bases before suffering a torn labrum that required surgery.
He not only missed the rest of the West Coast League season, but had to redshirt what would have been his senior season at Northwest Nazarene. He began hitting again in January and pitched soon after but did not return to game action until playing for the Drifters this summer.
“I tried to be positive and think it could help me become better,” Gebhard said. “I used that time to train and get stronger and bigger and faster and in the long run I think I am experiencing more success because of it. It sucks that it happened, but I think it was for the best.”
Gebhard opened the season with hits in each of his first four games while stealing nine bases in five games.
“It has been nice because my shoulder started feeling better during the school year so I was itching to come here and start playing again and have some fun,” Gebhard said.
Gebhard began his college career at Lane Community College where he batted .217 while stealing 34 bases in 99 games during the 2023-24 seasons. He also compiled a 3.20 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings pitched for the Titans.
He moved on to Northern Colorado for his junior season when he played 16 games in the outfield and had a 3.68 ERA on the mound. After sitting out last year, he will return to Northwest Nazarene for his senior season next month.
Before he leaves, Gebhard hopes to claim the stolen base title in the NWL this summer.
“A lot of that is trusting your gut and seeing pitches and reading their habits,” he said. “You watch the pitcher when you are in the dugout and see how they pick guys off and how fast they go and when they pause and pitch.”
Spending his third summer in Springfield, Gebhard is one of a few Oregonians on the roster who gets to play in front of a cheering section many nights.
“It is nice because I know the city so I know what is around here and familiar with the area,” he said. “It is close to home so my family can come see me play and the field is beautiful, so it is always nice to be at the ballpark.”
