Former SDSU outfielder Zach Coppola was recently advanced from high Class A to Class AA in the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization.

“I got the call in the office last Thursday after the game that I was moving up and it was pretty exciting,” he said.

Coppola was originally scheduled to play in the Florida State League All-Star Game, but instead got the news that he has been moved up.

He said that the move came kind of as a shock because he was expecting the organization would want him to play in the all-star game. Instead, they flew him to the Reading (Pa.) Fightin’ Phils’ next game and he was in the lineup that night.

Despite short notice and a long travel day, Coppola made quite an impression in his first game with the Fightin’ Phils, as he had a pair of base hits and a stolen base.

“I was kind of expecting that from that aspect, but it’s still kind of tough – going from two plane trips to playing a game that night,” he said.

The 23-year old Coppola was drafted in the 13th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draf after his junior year at SDSU and was last playing for the Clearwater Threshers before getting called up to the Fightin’ Phils.

The Des Moines, Iowa, native is ranked second on the SDSU career charts with 62 stolen bases. He was a first-team All Summit League selection in his final year with the Jackrabbits, leading the way with a single-season school-record 39 stolen bases.

His batting average was a robust .373 on 78 hits with 53 runs scored.

For Coppola, he understands that more than anything, his speed is his ticket to the big leagues.

“Definitely the speed portion of the game,” he said. “Getting on base; being a hassle for the pitchers – kind of being a distraction for them. Getting the guys behind me better pitches and counts is the go-to for me.”

Coppola’s hot start to the season is what got him promoted from Clearwater to Reading.

A career .308 hitter in the Minors, Coppola was hitting .350 in 45 games for the Threshers, along with a .413 on base percentage, when he was promoted to AA.

In just a handful of games at the AA level so far, Coppola has noticed some differences at this level of baseball.

Pitchers have tighter frames; more command on the mound; and they pitch backwards (using off-speed to set up their fastball) in a way.

He continued by saying that the challenges come down to the cliché term that it is an every-day grind.

“You have to bring it every single day. It’s tough - whether you go 4-for-4, or 0-for-4,” he said.

Now that the spotlight is becoming much larger while he continues to rise in the Philies ranks, Coppola hopes people think that he plays the game the right way when they watch him.

He said that his manager in Clearwater, Shawn Williams, wanted the players to play the same whether you are down 15 runs or up by 15 runs – just play the game the right way.

Coppola’s goal is to reach the ultimate baseball stage – the Major Leagues.

By continuing to play the game the right way and producing at each level, he believes that one day he could be living the dream for the Phillies.

“I’m trying to show them I can play all three positions in the outfield; get on base; score runs; and steal bases – just stay consistent,” he said

Coppola’s preferred position is centerfield, but he has played all three positions in the minors.

He was one of the best defensive outfielders in the Summit League for the Jacks, ranking as one of the nation’s leaders in outfield assists.

In centerfield at all professional levels, Coppola has posted a perfect fielding percentage in 116 defensive chances in 48 games, 38 of which were starts.  

“I prefer center but I’ll do whatever I need to to get me there (big leagues). Anything in the outfield is fine with me,” he said.

The life of being in the minor leagues is not only a huge baseball adjustment, but also life changing.

On the way back from Akron, Ohio, the team bus broke down about two hours away from Reading on the night of his first-ever AA game.

The team did not make it back to Reading until 5 a.m.

“It’s just little things like that that happen, but you just find the positives on everything and know the ultimate goal,” Coppola said on the bus breakdown. “It’s definitely a different life.

“We have the mornings off and get to the ballpark in the early afternoon for workouts, batting practice and fielding, and then a game.”

The AA league in the baseball world is known as the gateway to getting to the MLB.

More and more modern-day players making it to the show skip the AAA level.

Many of the game’s youngest and brightest stars have taken this route.

Coppola said that it is great getting to play with the game’s most talented players.

“It’s fun knowing if you can hang with them now, hopefully, you’ll be able to hang with them in a couple of years when you’re in the big leagues,” he said. “It’s fun to play against them and you always want to play against the best – it’s been a good week so far.”