Entering the 2007 baseball season, Hornets’ sophomore first baseman Gabe Jacobo and freshman center fielder Tim Wheeler had a total of two career starts between them.

Fortunately for Sac State, the young duo’s virtual absence of experience hasn’t stopped them from making an immediate impact in the WAC.

Jacobo and Wheeler’s instant success isn’t the only thing they have in common. They also share a love of baseball and a passionate desire to improve.

As a result, when Wheeler arrived on campus in the fall, the two budding stars formed an immediate and natural bond.

“We’re good buddies, so we hang out all the time on and off the field,” Jacobo said.

Both Wheeler and Jacobo agreed that having a talented counterpart has created positive competition and an ideal environment for each to grow. In fact, Wheeler said that Jacobo will often extend an invitation to work out after practice, and he feels obligated to match Jacobo’s effort.

“Every now and then I’ll get a call from (Jacobo) saying that he’s going to the (batting) cages after practice, and I feel like if he’s going to put the work in, then I should too,” Wheeler said.

The two first year starters don’t just motivate each other on the practice field; they also extend it to the dugout during games.

“When we strike out or have a bad game, we’ll joke and give each other a hard time,” Jacobo said. “But if we do something well, we’ll have fun with that too.”

Whatever they’re doing, it must be working. Jacobo and Wheeler are first and second on the team in nearly every offensive statistic in conference play.

Jacobo, the veteran of the pair, has been the most productive Hornet offensively in WAC play, leading the team in batting (.391), runs (23), hits (34), home runs (5) and is third in RBIs with 14.

Wheeler is second to Jacobo in batting (.342), hits (27) and slugging percentage (.582). He is third in home runs with three and he leads the team with 16 RBIs in WAC competition.

“They’ve both steadily improved since the beginning of the year, and they’re starting to play like seasoned veterans now,” Coach John Smith said. “There is plenty of season left, but they have definitely turned the corner.”

Wheeler, who is an El Camino High School graduate, was a highly touted prep star and drew serious attention from several prestigious Division I programs, including Stanford.

“(Wheeler) is the type of player that we need to get here to take this program to the next level,” Smith said.

Despite Wheeler being a true freshman, Smith quickly recognized how special Wheeler was, and even predicted that he would have immediate success.

In an interview prior to the beginning of the season, Smith said he’s “phenomenal” and “a man among men” to describe the talented center fielder.

Wheeler’s splash onto the collegiate level hasn’t just drawn the attention of his teammates and coaches, but also the rest of the league.

“The danger is that the more success he has, the bigger the target will be on his back,” Smith said. “At first (the WAC) didn’t know who he was and they didn’t fear him. Now he’s starting to get some respect in the conference. (Teams) are going to start pitching around him and he’s going to have to learn to make adjustments.”

Wheeler is currently at or near the top of every major offensive category among WAC freshman and Smith said that the league will have to take a serious look at Wheeler for the conference freshman of the year award.

“I haven’t seen another freshman this year (that has done what he’s doing),” Smith said. “But we have to see what the rest of the league thinks.”

Wheeler admits he has thought about the chance to earn the award.

“The guys have mentioned it just kind of messing around, so it’s something I keep in the back of my mind,” Wheeler said. “I think if I play as well as I can, it’s attainable, but it’s one of those things that is just a trophy. If I’m happy with the way I’ve played, it doesn’t matter to me.”

Smith said that Wheeler definitely fits the mold of a “five tool player.” The term is used by baseball experts to describe those special players who can hit for average, hit for power, excel defensively, contain speed on the base paths and have a competent throwing arm.

“He’s extremely intelligent, he understands what he’s doing, he picks up things really quickly and I think that’s the major reason he’s having so much success,” Smith said.

Jacobo was the lone freshman on the Sac State roster a year ago and he struggled to get on the playing field in 2006. The Tulare native, who was recruited as a shortstop and played the position for most of his life, sat waiting his turn behind four year starter Everett Rincon and then junior Patrick Cummins. “It was hard watching because in high school I played a lot, but I knew there was a really good player in front of me and I knew my role,” Jacobo said.

Having played in just 15 games last season, Jacobo did not shy away from the coach’s suggestion to make the move to first base. Instead the sophomore embraced the opportunity to help the team.

“(The coaches) told me they wanted to move me to first base and I told them ‘if I can play I’ll move. I’ll do whatever it takes to get on the field,'” Jacobo said.

Despite Jacobo’s lack of experience at first, he was confident of his ability to play the position.

“In baseball, you fail more than you succeed, so there is always going to be failure, but I knew I could compete at this level and I was excited to get the chance to play,” Jacobo said.

The position transfer paid immediate dividends, drawing a preseason All-WAC selection before ever starting a game at first base, and he has not disappointed.

Smith said that although Jacobo and Wheeler are young, they will both deserve all-conference consideration if they finish the season strong.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if we have five or six guys just like those two guys, you’d have a pretty good club,” Smith said. Mario Martin can be reached at [email protected]