by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
Ryan Barba may not have been selected by an MLB team on draft day, but he still had one of his biggest dreams come true this summer.
Barba, a former shortstop on the UNM baseball team, was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers on July 2. The former Lobo said he was frustrated he wasn't drafted but happy to have the chance to play with a professional organization.
"I was disappointed. I talked to some people, and they said, 'We're looking forward to picking you.' I just looked at it as a challenge, and fortunately I got the opportunity that I have now," Barba said. "I'm just trying to take advantage of it."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The news of being signed by the Brewers woke him up - literally.
"Actually, I was sleeping," Barba said of the phone call he received. "I was in California about to go golfing. I woke up and listened to the messages that one of the scouts gave, and I just couldn't believe it."
With the kind of numbers Barba put up during the 2006 season, it's easy to see why a Major League team would pick him up. His batting average was .329, he scored 56 runs, had 43 RBIs and hit nine home runs.
As good as he was with the bat, Barba was equally impressive on the field. The Lobos led the nation with 75 double plays in 2006. As a cornerstone of that defense, Barba turned 52 of those double plays. The 52 double plays led the Mountain West Conference, and Barba was the conference leader in defensive assists with 202.
The star shortstop was also very reliable last season, starting in all 59 of UNM's games.
With all those numbers, UNM head coach Rich Alday said he was surprised Barba wasn't drafted.
"I thought somebody would take a chance on him in the draft," Alday said. "It didn't happen, so he got an opportunity as a free agent, and that's really, really nice for him."
After signing with the Brewers, Barba moved to Phoenix to play for the Arizona Brewers, a rookie league team under Milwaukee. Barba said he has played a couple games at second base for Arizona, but he has mainly played at shortstop. He said he has enjoyed playing for his new team as well as playing against the competition.
"It's pretty fun," Barba said. "I haven't really seen a big difference. Every guy out here throws 90 miles per hour plus, so it's a challenge."
Alday said Barba should be up to the challenge. His former coach said Barba just needed a chance. Now that he has it, he can go far, he said. He said he's already talented enough defensively and just needs to tweak his offensive game to be a successful professional player.
"I know that defensively he is a pro player, without a doubt," Alday said. "He just needs to be a little more consistent offensively, and if he does that, he'll have the opportunity to go a long way and stay in pro ball for a long time."
