Originally written for publishing on April 15, 2013.

The Fullerton College baseball team is off to a hot start and currently holds a three-game lead over the second place teams. The team has been led by a redshirt Freshman transfer from Cal State East Bay, Dakota Wix.

Wix is currently one of the best players in the Orange Empire Conference. He is fourth in the conference in stolen bases with 13. His four triples and .512 slugging percentage also rank second, along with his .405 batting average.

Wix graduated from Troy High School in 2011 and decided to try his luck playing at a four-year university. He decided on East Bay.

“I didn’t really get any other offers besides East Bay,” said Wix. “So I decided to give it a shot not really knowing what the junior college baseball scene was all about.”

“I had a lot of support from players out there telling me that I should go back and play for a junior college,” Wix added. “Especially, since I was a redshirt. It was almost like I was given a second chance.

Even with all the advice, Wix was not sure what he wanted to do. It came down to a last minute decision.

“I did not decide until the day before school started that I wanted to come to Fullerton,” Wix said. “I met up with Nick Fuscardo, and he really changed my mind and made me feel good about the school and the program.”

Even with being a transfer from a university, it was never even guarenteed that Wix would be a starter.

“I knew I was going to have to prove myself all over again,” Wix said. “That is one of the reasons that I kind of thought about staying at East Bay.”

Wix has been making the best of a situation that did not play out exactly how he had it in mind.

“I have enjoyed every moment of this so far,” Wix said. “It has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Even though this is technically his second year of college baseball, Wix will be able to come back and play for the Hornets next season since he redshirted at East Bay.

After next year, Wix will have to go through the process of choosing the right college for the third time.

“Wherever I am wanted, and I feel is the best fit is where I will go,” added Wix.

The draft is always an option for a player with the success of Wix, but he does not want to think ahead that far.

“If it happens, it happens,” Wix said. “But it is not in my control so we will see what happens.”