Fresno State Baseball Q&A: Jesse Medrano

By: Savannah Stoeckle
Communications Student Assistant

FRESNO, Calif. - With the 2017 Fresno State Baseball season only four days away, senior third baseman Jesse Medrano took time with GoBulldogs.com to share some of his favorite memories while in a Bulldog uniform and what he expects for the upcoming 2017 season.

The senior infielder made 37 starts and appeared in 49 games during the 2016 season. Medrano owned a .326 average from the plate, finishing with 45 hits on the year. As a junior, Medrano smacked a season-high four hits against Air Force (April 30) and drove in a season-high four RBIs in a stirring 10-5 win over #16 Long Beach State (March 29). Medrano was also named Academic All-Mountain West for the third consecutive year during the 2016 season.

Here is an inside look at Medrano's Bulldog Baseball experience, from his favorite memories to his 2017 season expectations, and also how being a Bulldog student-athlete has set him up for a life of success outside of Fresno State.

Q: What is your favorite part about being a Bulldog?
Medrano: "My favorite part about being a Bulldog would have to be the feeling of community and being able to come to the ballpark knowing that we have a good following of fans. That definitely has to be the best part about being a Bulldog."

Q: What are the your top team/personal goals for the 2017 season?
Medrano: "Personally, I would like to be able to come through for my teammates and to take advantage of the opportunities I get, and just take it one game at a time. For our team, first thing is first and we have to take one game at a time. We want to come out and beat Oregon on Opening Day, then take the series from them. Looking ahead to conference play, we have got our eyes set on a Mountain West Championship. We want to be able to host the tournament and be able to get in to a Regional at the NCAA Tournament, host a Regional, and win a Regional and go from there."

Q: How do you plan on being a senior leader on the team?
Medrano: "We have a lot of older guys on the team, so when it comes to leading, everybody leads in their own way. Personally, I just want to make sure that everybody has their head in the right spot and that we are all working towards our team goals."

Q: What is your favorite, or proudest, memory as a Bulldog?
Medrano: "Obviously, winning the first Mountain West Championship in school history was an awesome experience. Personally, I have a few memories that I am proud of. My freshman year, we walked off and swept Texas A&M and became ranked, so that was awesome. As a freshman (2014 season), I was the winning run in a 16-inning 2-1 win against Cal State Fullerton, which was pretty cool. Nothing tops a championship though, so that would have to be number one."

Q: Do you have any pre-game superstitions or rituals?
Medrano: "Being around the guys in the clubhouse just listening to music is normal for us before games. Usually on Sundays, we will do 'no undie sundie', so we won't wear an undershirt for the game. Besides that, I wouldn't say I have many superstitions, but routines, yes."

Q: What is the biggest thrill you get from being a student-athlete?
Medrano: "I would say it goes back to being in the clubhouse and being around the guys. We have a lot of guys that have been together through these four years, and the relationships that I have been able to build and maintain have meant a lot to me."

Q: Who is/was your biggest baseball idol? Why?
Medrano: "I was a big Derek Jeter fan growing up, not only him, but all kinds of Major League shortstops as well. I am also a big Barry Bonds fan, he is the greatest hitter of all time."

Q: What is your major and what led you to choose that area of study?
Medrano: "I am majoring in Communications. Transitioning from high school into college, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do. I had talked to some advisors and friends and they were talking to me about how broad of a major Communications was. It fit my personality perfectly, so I decided to go for it."

Q: What are your plans after graduation?
Medrano: "Hopefully, we are still playing and going after a College World Series. Once that is over, I will have my degree and start re-evaluating what exactly it is that I want to do. Hopefully still playing baseball, though."

Q: How has being a student-athlete prepared you for success in the future?
Medrano: "I would say the team aspect plays a big part. In today's world, whatever it is that you are going in to, there are going to be a lot of group and team situations. Being able to have that skill under my belt is huge."

Q: Do you have any advice for youth/aspiring baseball players?
Medrano: "Just believe and don't give up. Not only myself but also other guys on our team, have been told that we are not good enough or don't have the ability. I think that is what makes our team so special, the fact that we all have that chip on our shoulder, and if there was any way that I could pass that on to aspiring youth athletes, it would be to just believe in yourself and don't believe what other people say about you. At the end of the day, yourself and your family is what you are going to have."

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.

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