Juan Villa / The Collegian

Casey McGehee was in a very familiar position this week — playing the infield in Fresno.

But he wasn̢۪t playing his customary spot of third base at Pete Beiden Field that he occupied for three years while in college.

The former Fresno State Diamond ‘Dog was playing third base for the Iowa Cubs at Chukchanasi Park in downtown Fresno against the Fresno Grizzlies.

McGehee, 25, played three seasons at Fresno State from 2001 to 2003. He was a three-time All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) selection during his time at Fresno State and was a Freshman All-American in 2001.

The Santa Cruz, Calif. native was back in Fresno for the first time in two years this week to play a four-game series against the Grizzlies.

McGehee reminded the city of Fresno why he was one of the best players in the country while going to school here by belting a two-run homer during Tuesday night̢۪s game.

“It’s good just to see everybody and catch up with old friends,â€Â McGehee said. “At the same time, it’s a little stressful because you got all that stuff going on and you still have to come to work at night and put all your personal stuff on the side for awhile.â€Â

McGehee said as a professional baseball player, he likes not having the stress of college anymore.

“For the first couple of years I’d wake up in the morning with some flashbacks thinking I had a term paper to turn in that I totally blew off,â€Â McGehee said.

Nowadays, McGehee spends most of his time in Des Moines, Iowa, where he starts at third base, catcher and sometimes first base for the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

McGehee, who hits clean-up in the Iowa lineup, said he is living out a childhood dream by being able to play baseball every day for a living.

“I’m having the time of my life right now,â€Â McGehee said. “I’m starting to feel like I’m putting myself in a situation where if I have a good year, maybe I’ll have a chance to go up to the big leagues.â€Â

McGehee has been making a strong case to possibly be brought up to Chicago when Major League Baseball (MLB) rosters are expanded to 40 players in September. He has been quickly working his way through the Cubs̢۪ farm system for the past six seasons, making it to Triple-A in 2006 after only three years experience.

McGehee is a two-time Southern League All Star and was also named a Texas League All Star. He knows he will need to stay hot in order to make the jump up to the big club.

“For me personally, I just need to be a little more consistent at the plate,â€Â McGehee said. “It’s also a little luck. Hopefully, I can be in the right place at the right time.â€Â

McGehee found himself in the right spot back in 2003. The Cubs drafted him in the 10th round of that year̢۪s draft out of Fresno State after his junior season.

He was a .345 lifetime hitter at Fresno State along with 16 home runs and 131 RBI. But it wasn̢۪t McGehee̢۪s first choice to be a Bulldog.

It was his high school teammate Giuseppe Chiramonte that convinced him to be a Bulldog. Chiramonte was already playing for Fresno State when McGehee was making his decision.

McGehee received offers to play at Tennessee and Miami, but said he wasn̢۪t ready to move across the country and be on his own.

“When I first decided to go to Fresno State I wasn’t 100 percent sure I made the right choice, but looking back on it now I couldn’t picture myself playing any place else,â€Â McGehee said. “I wouldn’t have been ready to do this out of high school.â€Â

McGehee said his favorite part of playing Bulldog baseball was being able to play for former coach Bob Bennett and learning how to play “old schoolâ€Â baseball that players nowadays don’t learn.

McGehee also loved the small-town feeling of playing at Fresno State. He said his best memories were being able to play in a community atmosphere surrounding the baseball program.

“Just like today I went to lunch and bumped into 10 or 15 people that I knew,â€Â McGehee said. “It’s kind of neat because there’s not too many colleges that you can go to and you’re actually recognized around town as somebody who plays baseball for the school.â€Â

McGehee said the biggest difference between college and professional baseball is when reality hits.

“In college, if you don’t make the team you can still go to school and get your degree,â€Â McGehee said. “If you don’t make the team here, you’re in the real world and you’re stuck without a jobâ€Â

McGehee̢۪s final season at Fresno State was coach Mike Batesole̢۪s first year with the Bulldogs. Batesole remembers McGehee̢۪s sweet stroke at the plate and his leadership on and off the field.

“We’re really proud of what Casey has done,â€Â Batesole said. “He was a great teammate and he played a really good third base.â€Â

Batesole said McGehee has to have physical and mental toughness if he wants to play at the next level in MLB.

“He is going to have to be one of thirty best third baseman on the planet,â€Â Batesole said. “He’s trying to do something really special. You just have to be blessed with a lot of fast twitch muscle fiber. You have to be a special athlete.â€Â

McGehee admits he has been getting off to a slow start in the 2008 season and needs to pick up the tempo quickly.

In the world of minor league baseball, it̢۪s like a revolving door. Each day players are being demoted or brought up to the next level.

McGehee̢۪s philosophy? Respect the game.

“This game has always been good to me and treated me good and it kind of takes on a life of its own,â€Â McGehee said. “You got to treat baseball like your job, it’s not something you’re just going to go out for fun and do because at this level those are the guys that get weeded out pretty quick.â€Â