By Pete Borello

Chad Ziemendorf could be preparing for his senior year at UC Santa Barbara, where he emerged as a baseball star last season. Maybe he’d be living near the beach, spending his free time hanging out with friends and catching some rays.

Instead, the Los Altos native is chasing his dream.

Ziemendorf is about 1,400 miles from Santa Barbara and there’s not a beach in sight. He’s in Billings, Mont., playing minor league baseball.

Ziemendorf endures long, bumpy bus rides to places like Idaho Falls, Provo and Casper. He lives in a basement.

This is how the dream begins.

Ziemendorf’s team, the Billings Mustangs, are part of the Pioneer League. This is rookie ball. It’s the first stop for a lot of prospects, particularly those drafted in the later rounds like Ziemendorf. The catcher was selected in the 23rd round of last month’s Major League Baseball Draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

Ziemendorf could have turned down the Reds’ contract offer — complete with signing bonus — and returned to Santa Barbara with hopes of being drafted again next year. But in a game in which players often launch their pro careers at 18, he knew his baseball clock was ticking.

“Age is a factor,” said Ziemendorf, dispatched to Billings after signing with the Reds in mid-June. “I’m 22 and I’m one of the old guys. The (organizations) want you ready to play by 25 or 26. The younger you are, the more opportunities you have to make it.”

Making it means reaching The Big Show — Major League Baseball. Then the dream will be realized.

“I’m not doing this only to be minor league player,” he said. “The bottom line is to be a Major League player, not a career Double A player.”

But first, Ziemendorf has to get out of Billings, preferably after this season. It’s nothing personal; he said he’s having fun playing there.

The fans are passionate about their Mustangs and nearly 4,000 of them come out to every home game (even more for fireworks nights and the playoffs). Ziemendorf stays with a few of these fans: a host family that allows him to live rent-free in its basement and provides him with meals.

Not that Ziemendorf is home much. The Mustangs are on the road half the season, busing to neighboring Wyoming and Idaho, and as far as Provo, Utah (an uncomfortable 12 hours). It’s not unusual for the team to depart for the next city after a night game, then play the following day.

Days off are rare; the Mustangs are amid a three-week stretch that includes just one off day. When Ziemendorf and his teammates aren’t playing, they’re probably honing their skills in practice.

“I’m still getting used to it,” he said of the grueling schedule, “but it’s making me stronger.”

This isn’t the only difficult adjustment for Ziemendorf; he also is learning to handle not playing every day — or even every week.

As the backup to hot-hitting Miguel Perez, Ziemendorf has played in nine of the Mustangs’ 24 games and endured a 10-day stretch where he didn’t see any action.

“When you’re not playing every day,” Ziemendorf said, “it’s hard to stay up to speed.”

Especially with opposing pitching.

“So far my defense and catching are up to par, but the hitting is struggling,” said Ziemendorf, batting .100 as of Monday. “These pitchers up here have some quality arms. But I have no doubt (the hitting) will come around.”

Based on Ziemendorf’s baseball past, it wouldn’t be wise to doubt him.

His former coaches, from Little League to college, rave about Ziemendorf’s desire to improve and his success in doing so.

“He’s always had a very strong work ethic,” said his dad Mark Ziemendorf, who coached Chad in Los Altos Little League and at the American Legion level.

Ziemendorf went from playing in near obscurity at a small private high school (there were 59 students in his graduating class at The King’s Academy in Sunnyvale), to junior college (Mission in Santa Clara) to Santa Barbara.

“He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get better,” said Santa Barbara head coach Bob Brontsema. “He’s a hard worker who always wants to get better.”

Ziemendorf’s reputation was just one of the things that led to the Reds’ drafting him. The scouts liked his power numbers as well: he led the Gauchos with six home runs — four of them came in consecutive games to set a school record — and drove in 28 runs in 49 starts last season.

But what really seemed to sell the Reds was Ziemendorf’s pre-draft workout at Santa Barbara, witnessed by one of their top scouts.

“Chad was very impressive,” Brontsema said. “He put on a hitting exhibition and his throws to second base were perfect.”

The crucial test for a catcher is how fast he can throw to second after receiving a pitch. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Ziemendorf, known for his strong arm and quick release, wowed the scout by zipping the ball into the second baseman’s glove in 1.7 seconds.

“After he did that three times,” Brontsema recalled, “(The scout) said, ‘That’s enough.’”

When asked about that workout, one could swear Ziemendorf was smiling on the other end of the phone.

“I just let if fly and it worked out,” he said. “I felt I had nothing to lose.”

Ziemendorf would soon gain a pro contract — and the chance to pursue his dream.