By Chris Chesky/Murphy News Service

University of Minnesota baseball player Tony Skjefte has experienced success at every level.

He won the Rawlings Big Stick Award during Eden Prairie’s American Legion team’s 2011 season by driving in a team leading 62 runs while tying for the team lead by hitting 14 home runs.

And he is now one of the main run producers in the Gophers lineup.

What has fueled his continued success? His desire to keep improving as time goes on.

“I have a competitive side about me and whatever I do I want to be the best at it,” Skjefte said. “That’s always my mindset when I do something.”

Skjefte, who wears No. 1 on his uniform, is batting just .219, but is leading the Gophers with 14 runs batted in through the first 19 games against Big Ten opponents this season,

Leading a team in runs batted in is not new for Skjefte, as he led his team in runs batted in during the 2011 American Legion season and last year for the Gophers with 30.

“[Driving in runs] is more important than a batting average in my eyes,” Skjefte said. “I want to be up at the plate when I can drive in runs. RBI situations are my favorite. I love pressure situations. I feel like I strive whenever the pressure is on.”

Skjefte has loved pressure situations since he first began playing baseball as a child. He was motivated by watching his brother and his friends playing baseball and served as the team’s batboy for a few years, Skjefte said.

“I wanted to be just like them,” Skjefte said. “That’s where I learned the most about baseball and I got interested in it by watching them play and practicing with them.”

Skefte continued his passion for baseball and thrived to be the best. Skjefte led his Eden Prairie High School team to a state championship in 2010 and helped lead his American Legion team to a national championship in 2011. Skjefte drove in four runs to lead the team to the championship victory.

“It was big for a lot more than just us players,” Skjefte said. “It’s everyone’s dream to be national champions and we were that year.”

Skjefte graduated from Eden Prairie High School in 2011 and his production on the field offered him a chance to play collegiate baseball at his home university: the U.

“Who wouldn’t want to play for their home state when they have the opportunity to?” Skjefte said.

The main reason Skjefte chose to be a Gopher was because it would give his family the opportunity to see him play. They came to almost every game while he played for the Eagles and for the American Legion.

Now, Skjefte, just like during his time in Eden Prairie, has been one of the Gophers best run producers in the middle of the team’s lineup. He thrives in pressure situations and consistently drives in runs for the Gophers.

Skjefte said he is unsure of what the next step is for him at this point, but the business and marketing major will undoubtedly try to be the best at what he chooses to do in the future. Skjefte will also do his best to give back and continue to be the family man that he sees himself as.

“You’ve got to remember where you came from and give back when you can,” Skjefte said.

Reporter Chris Chesky is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.