Pete Rodman/Daily NewsBowling Green shortstop Derek Dietrich (right) throws to first base Tuesday to make a double play after forcing out South Bend’s Chris Jarrett at second base at Bowling Green Ballpark. Dietrich leads the Hot Rods in batting average, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS.

With fancy footwork around the middle of the diamond and a booming bat in the middle of the lineup, Bowling Green shortstop Derek Dietrich has already shown fans his talent on the field in the first month of the season.

Heading into tonight’s game against Great Lakes, Dietrich leads the Hot Rods in batting average (.296), total bases (31), slugging percentage (.574 ) and OPS (.929). The left-handed hitter has three homers, 10 RBIs, four doubles and a triple in 16 games, hitting from the No. 3 spot in the batting order.

It’s been an exciting month for a player who thrives on excitement.

“We’ve been playing good baseball,” Dietrich said. “I don’t think we’ve played our best baseball yet, but we’ve had some good games here or there. I think it keeps getting better. I’m enjoying it and glad to have the opportunity to play each and every day. I love strapping it up and going out there and playing.”

Dietrich’s quick start in his first full season of professional baseball, after being drafted in the second round last June, has established the Parma, Ohio, native as one of the top young hitters in the Tampa Bay Rays system.

“I knew the Rays had a great young group and that they get their guys to the big leagues,” Dietrich said. “I was very excited because I knew I had a great chance to help the big team at some time.”

Dietrich was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the third round of the 2007 draft, but opted instead to go to Georgia Tech. There, he was named the 2008 National Freshman Player of the Year by Rivals.com and the National Freshman Hitter of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He was also named an All-American by ESPN the Magazine in 2009 and was a semifinalist for the 2010 Golden Spikes award, which is given annually to the top amateur baseball player.

Dietrich finished his college career hitting .331 with 41 homers and 181 RBIs in 182 games.

“You learn to get pretty tough,” Dietrich said of his Georgia Tech days. “This game is as much mental as it is physical. Playing in such a great conference like the ACC, I definitely learned right away that each and every day is not going to be like you want. You have to be consistent and bring it every game.”

That consistency and effort have made an impression with BG manager Brady Williams.

“He knows he is a good player and he is kind of hard-headed sometimes, but he still listens and he wants to get better,” Williams said. “He loves a challenge and wants to be challenged every day. You can’t tell him, ‘Derek you can’t do this,’ because he is going to try to prove you wrong.”

His competitive spirit comes from his family, Dietrich said. His sister, Dawn, is a former professional skater who starred in ice shows at Busch Gardens and Sea World in the 1990s, while his grandfather, Steve Demeter, is a former major league infielder whose playing, managing and scouting career spans 50-plus years.

“We’ve got a family full of competitors,” Dietrich said. “My sister is probably as competitive or more competitive than I am. She’s very smart and she’s actually my go-to. She’s always there for me with a phone call. If I need anything she is lifting my spirits, pumping me up. She’s my biggest fan pretty much.

“My grandfather has stories about each and every team, every league, everybody. … It seems like he knows everybody in baseball. Whether it be something physical I need to ask, something mental, or something about a team or a manager, he will know something and give me an earful.”

His baseball career takes up most of his time, but he likes to relax by watching one of his favorite television shows – “Pawn Stars,” “Deadliest Catch” and “Swamp People” – or reading.

And if there is nothing good on television or he can’t find a good book to read, Dietrich can entertain himself and others with a talent he picked up at around 8 years old from a neighborhood friend – juggling.

Dietrich said he has juggled everything from pins, torches and scarves to knives, machetes and balls. He spent two years as a member of the St. Ignatius Circus Company, where he juggled for community service events and charities around the Cleveland area, and for the Rady’s Children’s Cancer Hospital during his stay in San Diego for the 2006 Aflac All-America Game.

“My family told me it was good for hand-eye coordination, which you need in baseball or any sport,” Dietrich said. “Overall it’s paid off. It definitely helps your peripheral vision with three items on the air. You have to have them all in perspective. It’s definitely helped getting the ball in the hand and turning the double play and just being quick using your feet and your hands.”

He hasn’t shown his Bowling Green teammates his off-field talent yet, but said he might have to pull out the juggling act at some point this season during a rain delay.

For now, his focus is more about on the field.

“I want to feel like I’ve had a consistent approach and I want to know that I’ve brought it each and every day,” Dietrich said. “That’s all you can control. You can’t really control the results. My energy, my effort, and how much fun I’m having is what I’m concerned about. Hopefully, I can help the team win.”