SAN ANGELO, Texas – Consistent, reliable, dependable, established and stable aren't the most electrifying words, but in baseball they are valued. Angelo State senior Toby Semler is consistent, reliable, dependable, established, stable and valuable for the Rams' baseball team.
 
“Toby has been extremely consistent for us all year,” ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. “That is a very difficult thing to do as a hitter and he has done that all season. He gives us quality at-bats time after time and is always getting on base for us.”
 
Semler, a senior from Mansfield, currently leads the Rams and the Lone Star Conference with 57 hits and carries an 11-game hitting streak into this weekend's series against Cameron at Foster Field. Dependable, he started the season out with a single to left field, went 8-for-16 in the season-opening series against Ouachita Baptist and has not gone through a slump this season. At home, he's reliable hitting .416 with 32 hits, 15 runs batted in and eight doubles to help lead ASU to a 17-3 record when playing at Foster Field.  
 
“I've just been trying to go up to the plate and get on base,” Semler said. “I'm happy with the way the year has gone and feel like I still have a lot of hits left in me.”
 
Semler is established, hitting 42 singles, 13 doubles, a triple and a home run this season for the Rams through 161 at-bats. He's stable, hitting .356 in the last 14 games with 21 hits and 13 RBI and is hitting .366 with 30 hits in the first 20 conference games of the season.
 
Semler came to Angelo State after playing two years at Midland College following a stellar career at Mansfield Summit. He hit .379 with 22 doubles in his final season at Midland College and earned all-conference honors both seasons. His numbers slipped some last season when he hit .273 in 121 at-bats as a junior, but this season's success has made him a career .319 hitter at ASU through 82 games.
 
All those numbers, the mind-numbing statistical overload that was just provided, are products of a lifelong love of and dedication to baseball.
 
“Every day of my life almost has been about baseball and giving it everything that I have. It has been a way of life for me since I was small. I remember traveling all around the country as a kid, to high school and junior college. It's by far the thing that has made me who I am.”
 
The Contradiction
 
While a huge part of Semler's story is his consistency at the plate, his versatility may be just as much of who he is as a baseball player. After all, he was an all-district shortstop for the Jaguars at Mansfield Summit in high school. At Midland College he earned those conference honors as a catcher and center fielder. For the Rams, he played 27 games at catcher and eight at third base last season. This year, he has started 34 games at third base, seven at shortstop and one at catcher.
 
“You never know what situations you're going to be in during the course of a season, so having a player like Toby that can play all over the field is really important,” Brooks said. “He is a great athlete and we could really stick him anywhere on the field and the team would be in good shape. Every team needs a player like him.”
 
 
Beyond the Game
 
Toby Semler's story can't be completed until you know about his friend Byron Chew.
 
Moving to Midland from the Dallas area after high school to play baseball, Semler found instant camaraderie with Chew at the junior college. Chew came to Midland College as a pitcher from Amarillo who played his high school baseball at Tascosa. A tragic car accident on June 20, 2009 ended Chew's life a month after he and Semler finished their first year playing baseball together at Midland College.
 
The pain of the loss of his friend still lives within Semler on a daily basis. He wears an armband every game that reads, “CB 14” and was proud and honored during the West Texas A&M series three weeks ago when Chew's parents came to the games to watch him play.
 
“Byron was a really good friend of mine and I'm still not over losing him,” Semler said. “He loved the game and I'm very aware of how lucky I am every time I take the field. I think about him all the time and think about what he could be doing right now. He was a great baseball player and a great friend.”
 
 
Additional Quote

Toby Semler
On the Angelo State Rams as a team this season:
Our strength is in our core players. There are so many of us. Our core is about 10 players who are all quality people and players. The depth of our team allows for some people to go through a little slump without the team slipping too much. We have options for our lineup and a lot of obstacles for the other team to get through.