By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
Jace Figuereo is the perfect leadoff hitter, because he can create havoc from the top of the Burlington Bees’ lineup.
It’s something he did for them last summer, it’s something he’s done when he’s been healthy in his career at Southeastern Community College in West Burlington.
“He was a guy if we didn’t start him that day and we were down in a game, we would want to use him, because we would always say crazy things would happen when he was up at bat,” said Justin Schulte, SCC’s head coach who filled in as the Bees’ interim manager over the weekend.
It’s a role that Figuereo enjoys.
“I’m always itching to get up there and get another chance to take an at-bat,” Figuereo said. “So, being at the top (of the lineup) always gives me a little extra opportunities.”
Figuereo, coming off a hamstring injury that affected him most of this season at SCC, has eased his way into the Prospect League season with the Bees. He joined them last week, but in four games he’s hitting .455 with a .647 on-base percentage.
“It’s just good having him at the top of the order,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “He’s going to give you good at-bats. He’s going to wreak havoc on the bases. He’s a great kid to have on your team — total team guy. And he comes from a great program. Can’t say enough good things about him.”
Figuereo, an outfielder, hit just .237 with the Bees last summer, but he said the education he received helped him at SCC this season — he hit .291 with a .409 on-base percentage in 21 games.
“I’ve learned to be more patient,” Figuereo said. “I’m not just up there swinging at everything, because it all comes down to just taking the right at-bat. I’m not always looking for an outcome. That’s one thing I learned at SCC, you can’t be outcome oriented, because those hitters usually never end up very good. So just take the at-bat and pass it on to the next guy.”
“In our last game at Indian Hills, he pinch-hit with a bad hamstring,” Schulte said. “He got a two-run single with a seven-pitch, eight-pitch at-bat. That’s the type of kid he is, he battles and brings a little something different, a little different energy to the field and the team. He can take an at-bat and wear some people down.”
Figuereo walked twice in his first game of the season with the Bees on Tuesday against Quincy. He then reached base in his first five plate appearances in Wednesday’s win over Springfield. He singled as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning of Saturday’s first game of a doubleheader against Clinton, then batted leadoff in the second game and reached base three times, including a bases-loaded walk.
There is another motivation for Figuereo, though — he’s playing in the same stadium where his father, Anibal, played in 2002 and 2004 when the Bees were a Class A Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.
“It’s awesome,” Figuereo said. “Obviously it’s a little more different, but it’s still a cool experience all the same. He came through here, and now I get a chance to play where he played. It’s really cool — it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”
What it means to him can be seen every time he comes to the plate. His routine begins when he looks into his helmet.
“When I look at my helmet, I have names of people who get me to where I am — they’ve always been my support,” Figuereo said. “I have (names of) family and some of my really, really close, tight, friends in there. It just kind of helps me relax, take my breath. That’s kind of, like, my moment.”
Then, with his bat, he draws an R in the dirt.
“That’s for my aunt Ruth,” Figuereo said. “She passed away in 2017, but I like to always have her with me everywhere. I like to have her with me everywhere I go.
“It’s really important to remember those who have been there for you a lot of the time. Never, never forget where you came from and who your real supporters are.”
Then it’s time to hit, where havoc always seems to await.
“That’s why we want him in that spot,” Oreskovich said.
Photo: Jace Figuereo watches his pinch-hit single in the first game of the Burlington Bees’ doubleheader against Clinton on Saturday. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
