If nothing else, Nick Solak has impeccable timing.
Just three games into his major league career, his first road trip with the Texas Rangers this weekend to Comiskey Park means everything.
“Yeah, it’s going to be pretty awesome,” Solak said. “I grew up a Sox fan, went to a ton of games at the park and with growing up in that area and knowing a lot of people around there that I grew up with, I’m going (to enjoy it).
“I had a lot of people reach out to me telling me that they’re excited to see me play in Chicago. It’s a really cool experience. To be in Chicago for the first road series is really exciting.”
Solak has spent just over a month in the Rangers’ organization, having been acquired July 13 from the Tampa Bay Rays.
In 30 games at Triple-A for the Nashville Sounds, the 2013 Naperville North alumnus and former Louisville star hit .347 with 10 homers and 27 RBIs.
Tuesday’s call up for a doubleheader with the Los Angeles Angels was the culmination of three years of hard work spanning three different organizations.
After recording his first career hit in the seventh inning of the doubleheader’s first game, he was just getting started
He homered in the fifth inning of the second game before a grounder off his bat in the 11th scored the game-winning run in a 3-2 Rangers’ victory.
“It was an absolutely amazing day,” Solak said. “It was pretty surreal. To play both games of a doubleheader the day I debut, to get the first hit out of the way in the first game, to hit a homer in the second game and to knock the ball past (Albert) Pujols and allow the run to score – I couldn’t have drawn it up any better.”
Solak was the highest Naperville North graduate ever drafted when the New York Yankees took him in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2016 MLB Draft.
He now becomes the third former Huskie to reach the big leagues, joining Jerry Hairston, Jr. and Scott Hairston in that select club.
After hitting .442 with 27 RBI as a junior in 2012, he hit .340 as a senior in 2013 before moving onto Louisville.
He was the last Huskie to hit at least .400 in a season until Cliff Vickers hit .454 this past spring.
Solak’s three years at Louisville were highlighted by a trip to the College World Series as a freshman in 2014.
“I think coming out of high school, I wasn’t looked at as a professional player yet,” he said. “So I think my high school years really shaped me to get ready to play at a great Division I college in Louisville.
“And then at Louisville, I think those years really shaped to get ready to play professionally. I think it’s just been a really good progression of improving my game.”
Nick Lopez beat him by three months when the Kansas City Royals called up the former Naperville Central shortstop in May.
But Solak’s promotion to the Rangers caps a banner summer for Naperville high school baseball.
“It’s a great year for Naperville and the baseball up there is great,” Solak said. “It’s just a great area that produces a lot of great players and it’s really cool for the city for kids in that area growing up and knowing that they can dream about playing professional baseball and playing in the big leagues.”
