AUBURN - Auburn Doubledays catcher C.J. Ebarb wasn't even expecting to play in Auburn this season. The Louisiana and Texas native spent his first year in Pulaski last season after being drafted in the 41st round of the 2006 MLB draft. He had a .229 average in Pulaski, with two home runs, 33 hits and 12 RBIs. Ebarb started this season with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays, going 3-for-9 in three games before getting word that he was moving north to Auburn.

As a backup to 2007 first rounder J.P. Arencibia, Ebarb has seen more time at the designated hitter spot than behind the plate, but lately he has been making the most of it. Since the All-Star break earlier this month, his average jumped from .211 to around the .250 mark, with six hits and six RBIs in as many games.

Here, Ebarb talks about living in three states prior to his pro career, playing a second position and the difference in his performance since mid-August.

The official roster says that you're from Monroe, La. What was it like playing baseball there?

“Well, I was born in Louisiana, but I just lived there the first 10 years of my life,” Ebarb said. “After that, I lived in Texas and I went to high school there, a little town called Jasper, outside of Belmont and not far from Houston. I went to college out in Las Vegas (at UNLV) for a couple years and transferred back to Lamar University in Texas. I wanted to be a littler closer to home and to my family. I had my two years away and enjoyed my time in Vegas, but I was ready to come home. Now my parents live back in Louisiana but I still reside in Texas.”

Which area was your favorite place to play baseball?

“I actually loved it out in Vegas. I loved the weather - people think of Vegas as a hot place in the summer and it's true, but during the fall and winter months, it's really nice.”

How was it, finishing out your college career in Texas?

“My final two years are Lamar were awesome. I mostly caught, but I played first base as well. I loved it. Most of the guys I played with I knew either because I played high school ball with them or from other places in Texas. We all played together in select leagues in the summer and I knew a lot of guys and I was familiar with the area and it was like coming home for me, so I enjoyed that a lot.”

Is playing first base something that is comfortable for you to do?

“I prefer to catch, but it's like anything else - if you want to play, you have to learn to play different positions. But it's all about hitting, if you're hitting and you're playing well, they're going to find a spot for you. I probably caught 30 games at Lamar and played first base another 15 and then DH the rest of the time. My senior year, I caught something like 52 of 54 games. I worked some first base at spring training some just to fill in for other guys, but I'm strictly a catcher here. I might play first base somewhere down the line a little bit though.”

It seems like a big leap, going from behind the plate to first base.

“People say that first base is an easy position, but it's like any other position out in the field. It's tough. You've got to have athletic ability to do it, same with catching. There's a lot of things that go on though, as far as catching. Calling pitches, almost thinking for the pitcher, positioning some of the infielders, letting them know when a guy may bunt - this and that. There's a lot that goes on behind the plate.”

You've been playing pretty well lately, what has been the biggest difference since the break?

“I think it's just that I've been getting some more opportunities to play, I think Dennis (Holmberg) stuck me in the lineup to see what I could do, to see if I could produce if I got some playing time and it looks like that's been happening so hopefully I can keep it going.”