Ronnie Shaeffer

Classroom

Shaeffer is on pace to graduate in Business Economics this June. He’s a two-time Big West scholar-athlete and a member of the Big West Academic All-Conference team. Following his baseball career, Shaeffer would like to work in an MLB front office and stay in the game of baseball, and he also has plans to pursue his MBA.

Character

Shaeffer is a team leader and viewed as a great teammate. He’s popular on the team and admired and respected for his personal qualities of work ethic, poise, and unselfishness. Shaeffer has taken advantage of his opportunity after playing behind a talented catcher his first season at UCI.

Community

Shaeffer volunteered last summer while playing with the Orleans Firebirds. He visited local schools and spoke to the kids about the importance of staying in school and getting good grades and has played games with some of the classes in an attempt to connect with the kids. Shaeffer also volunteered with Camp Wingate Kirkland, a camp for underprivileged kids. He taught them the basics of baseball, but the main goal was to show the youths a fun time. Locally, he visits his high school during the year and speaks about UC irvine Baseball and what is needed to advance to college and what is required athletically and academically to get there. He also has been “adopted” by an elementary school class (he knows the teacher), and whenever he is in his hometown he helps the teacher as a volunteer TA. Shaeffer also runs PE for that class and shares his love for baseball. He also volunteers with Irvine Little League clinics and helps coaches learn the best ways to teach the game of baseball to their players.

Competition

Shaeffer is the 2011 American Baseball Coaches Association Gold Glove winner and has played in three consecutive postseasons for UCI. He’s a two-time All-Big West selection and last year he led the nation by holding the opposition to a 43-percent success rate in stolen bases. The NCAA Los Angeles Regional All-Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Shaeffer had the game-winning hit against UCLA to knock the Bruins out of the postseason. He’s a career .319 hitter and ranks seventh in school history with a .388 single-season batting average. He was named a Collegiate Baseball “Louisville Slugger” Freshman All-American, and with the Orleans Firebirds, who play in the Cape Cod League, he received the Charles F. Moore Jr. Award for outstanding performance on and off the field.