OGDEN — Jaime Pedroza knew plenty about the Ogden Raptors prior to being drafted in the ninth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers and assigned to Ogden of the Pioneer League earlier this year.
His brother Sergio was a third-round pick of the Dodgers in 2005 and played 21 games for the Raptors that year.
"He was always telling me stuff about Ogden so when I got here I knew quite a bit about it," Jaime said.
Apparently, his brother's tutorial about Ogden was enough to make Jaime feel right at home.
Jaime, who left UC Riverside after his junior season, is hitting a team-high .361 with a team-high 17 doubles, five homers and 30 RBIs this year.
"We had a great season (at Riverside) and I talked to my coaches about that and it was time to follow what I wanted to do, which is play pro ball. I went ahead and did it and it's going good so far," he said.
"I'm finally here and I want to come out and play every day and not have to worry about school."
The decision to leave Riverside wasn't an easy one, however.
He was the only player on the team to start all 59 games for the Highlanders.
"That's what you want as a player," he said. "You want to be out there every day. You don't want to be switching off with someone else," he said.
He also hit .325 and led the team in doubles (17), homers (13) and RBIs (55) in leading the Highlanders to their first-ever Big West Conference Championship and a No. 7 national ranking.
Then the Dodgers came calling.
"Me as an individual, I was projecting a little higher, but I'm not in control of that," he said. "I have to come out and play like I'm a better player than that. I just keep coming out and doing what I'm doing."
He wasn't willing to roll the dice for a high selection after his senior season, and so far it's been good for him and the Dodgers.
Through 48 games, he's making it look like the Dodgers got a great bargain by taking the switch-hitting shortstop in the ninth round.
Only eight times in 48 games has he gone hitless. Eighteen times he's had two hits or more.
After going hitless in two of his first three games, he strung together a 14-game hitting streak, and in seven of those he had two hits or more.
In mid-August he had the best four-game performance of his career by going 10-for-19 with three doubles, two homers and eight RBIs.
He's hitting over .350 against lefties and over .325 against righties, and at home at Lindquist Field he's hitting over .370.
He's not satisfied. He said it's his work ethic that has gotten him this far, and it will take him even further if he continues.
"I need to keep coming out and swinging the bat well and being aggressive and play my game," he said.
He won't have the chance to play with his brother. Sergio was traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and is currently hitting .287 with 21 doubles, 20 homers and 59 RBIs for the Vero Beach Devil Rays in the Florida State League.
Jamie Pedroza file
Full Name: Jaime Pedroza
Born: Sept. 12, 1986
College: UC Riverside ('08)
Height: 5-foot-10 Weight: 175
Bats: S Throws: R
Pos.: SS
Professional: Was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth round in June's draft after leading UC Riverside to its first Big West Conference championship by hitting .325 with 17 doubles, 13 homers and 55 RBIs.
E-mail: jhinton@desnews.com