Although hard work is no publicly traded stock, it’s been a worthy investment for Wayne State University junior Derek Ranck.
Ranck dedicated himself to working toward improvement in his days with Clarkston. Wolves coach Phil Price remembers the extra efforts Ranck put forth.
‘He was a team player and a hard-working guy. He was a player a coach would dream to have. His work ethic was as good as they come,? Price said.
‘Derek was somebody who was very coachable and he took criticism well. He would try to get it done, he always wanted to get better.?
Price recalls Ranck doing extra stretches and long tosses to make himself stronger defensively.
‘He knew his arm strength wasn’t the best,? Price said.
‘He understood, to get better, he had to work on his weakness.?
As an outfielder for the Wolves, Ranck led the team with a .470 batting average in his senior year (2003) and was named All-state. He earned All-conference honors during his three seasons on the varsity squad, 2001-?03.
‘Hard work pays off, especially in baseball. And determination, if you want it bad enough, you can accomplish what you want,? Ranck said.
While recruiting, WSU coach Jay Alexander took note of Ranck’s hard work.
‘He’s extremely focused and he works his tail off,? Alexander said.
‘Once I saw his competitiveness…I said this was a kid I had to have.
‘He showed me he was above and beyond a lot of the kids we were recruiting.?
The slugger earned his reputation prior to jumping to the Clarkston varsity, as a member of the Clarkston Riverdawgs.
‘Practice makes you better. The more you do anything, the better you will get,? Ranck said.
‘Not just working hard in practice, but working hard outside of practice is just as important.?
The 22-year-old Ranck, after being red-shirted in his freshman season, used his first year to make the transition to the game.
‘It’s just different. You have to be smarter about some of your game decisions,? he said.
‘A lot of games are closer so you have to play smarter baseball.?
Ranck has made himself a leader for the Warriors. Wayne State, from NCAA division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, has begun this season with a 9-2 record after being picked to finish third in the conference in a pre-season coaches? poll. Ranck is third on the team, batting .500 in 36 plate appearances this season. He is also third in on-base percentage (.561) and second with 18 hits and 14 RBI’s.
Derek batted .328 during the 2006 campaign as the Warriors suffered through a 19-34 season, with a 17-14 record in the GLIAC.
As can be expected, the jump to collegiate athletics made for an adjustment.
‘It’s very competitive. It’s different than high school, which is a little bit more laid back. In college, everyone is good and they want to win. They work hard to try and win their league championship.?
An aggressive attitude keeps Ranck fired up to get on the field.
?(I enjoy) the fact you get to compete every day. You get to compete against players just like you and try to beat them,? he said.
As he did for the Wolves, Ranck roams the outfield for the Warriors.
‘I like the outfield because you’re the last defense. If the ball gets past the infield, it’s up to you to stop the ball,? he said.
Along with his Warriors teammates, Ranck is involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters and S.M.A.R.T.S., another mentoring program.
Ranck, who garnered GLIAC All-academic team honors last season, is majoring in electrical engineering. The extra year of eligibility due to sitting out his freshman season gives him the extra year he will need to finish the five-year program.
‘I had interest in (this) and I’ve been taking classes for the past three years,? he said.
Ranck still keeps in contact with former teammates scattered throughout the state and nation continuing their baseball pursuits.
Former Clarkston teammate Matt Brady, who plays for Hillsdale, is now an intra-conference rival of Ranck’s.
‘It’s a fun competition between us. When we play them, coach Price comes out to see us two Clarkston guys going at each other. It’s a lot of fun,? Ranck said.