Mets’ Ike Davis to visit Coleman Country Day Camp

Mets first baseman Ike Davis will coach Coleman Country campers when he visits “The Ranch” in Merrick in July. The emerging superstar is one of the best players on the Mets and had one of the hottest starts in all of Major League Baseball this season before an injury forced him onto the disabled list. At 24, he was named the first baseman on Baseball America’s 2010 All-Rookie team.

Davis was a first-round draft pick by the Mets. The Mets called him up to the majors in April 2010. He already has made a name for himself for his homerun power and strong defense, as well as for being an all-around “nice guy.”

Born Isaac Benjamin Davis in 1987, the lefthander is following in the footsteps of his father, Ron, who pitched in the majors for 11 years. Ike will provide inspiration and positive role modeling as well as skills development to local campers, who will be following Coleman’s theme this summer, ‘’ Follow Me,” said Coleman’s owners, George and Marla Coleman.

Leading by example – understanding that actions speak louder than words – will be the “drumbeat” of the camp community this summer, and Davis’s achievements and outstanding character will help campers see how they can aspire to reach their own goals, according to the Colemans.

Davis, a graduate of Arizona State University, where he became the first freshman ever to lead the Pac-10 in runs batted in during the regular season, started playing baseball at his father’s baseball camp when he was 5. His dad, who also was his Little League coach, said, “People would say Ike was good because his dad was a player. It’s not that easy. I can tell Ike how to swing. I can teach him to pitch. But he’s the one to make it to the big leagues. You can’t teach heart and soul. That’s what it takes to play in the game.”

Ike will be a great role model for Coleman campers, said Ross Coleman, the camp’s director. No doubt, “We like Ike” chants will be heard throughout the summer at Coleman, he said.

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