SPRINGDALE -- Whit Merrifield isn't a huge fan of spending an off day on a 14-hour bus trek to Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals' 10-hour drives to Midland the day before games doesn't fly by, either. But the 25-year-old left fielder knows a minor league baseball career today is easier than it has been in the past.

His father, Bill, played six years in the minors. He didn't get to spend the night before games in hotels.

"He actually played in Midland for two years," Merrifield said. "He had a couple stories. Then, when they would go places, they would go at night, sleep on the bus and they'd take the bus right to the park. Get up, get off the bus and go take BP. A little more tough I feel like back then."

Merrifield is used to the travel by now.

He's in his fifth year in the minors, his third with the Naturals, following a standout collegiate career at South Carolina that included driving in the game-winning run as the Gamecocks captured the 2010 College World Series title. He was drafted in the ninth round in 2010, embarking on a professional career as his father provided some words of wisdom.

"He said, 'The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is pretty sweet. But to get there, it's a tough journey.' And it is," Merrifield said. "Minor leagues is a tough environment for the most part. We're pretty lucky being in a place like this. It's definitely a grind. You can get to the big leagues, it's definitely worth it."

Merrifield's athletic success shouldn't come as a surprise, given his family background.

Bill Merrifield was a two-time ACC Player of the Year at Wake Forest, won the triple crown while playing for the Demon Deacons and still holds the ACC single-season record for batting average (.476 in 1983). His mother, Kissy, was a five-time South Carolina high school state champion in tennis and played collegiately at Wake Forest.

"I played everything," Merrifield said of his childhood. "Football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis. Anything I could do."

He plays a little of everything for the Naturals, too.

He's primarily a left fielder, but has also started games at second base and shortstop this year. And he played every position except catcher last season, displaying versatility that makes him a valuable commodity.

"It's huge," Naturals manager Vance Wilson said. "Obviously at the major league level it's big. And the fact that he can handle a bat makes his skill set very special. Any time you get a guy like that, where all the sudden you get an injury or a guy tweaks something or needs a day off, you can put a guy like him anywhere and know that you don't have to worry about that position. It's a great feeling for a manager."

Merrifield began the season hitting just .171 through the first 13 games as part of a Naturals lineup that struggled mightily at the plate during a 10-game losing streak. But he played a big role in the team splitting a four-game series in Tulsa over the weekend, snapping a personal hitless stretch of 21 at-bats by going 4-for-8 with three runs scored and four RBIs in the Naturals' wins in the series' middle two games, including a key three-run home run in a 10-6 win Thursday.

Merrifield has been able to weather early-season inconsistency at the plate and the team's struggles by remaining even keeled.

"He goes about it with a very laid-back demeanor," Wilson said. "He doesn't panic. I think that's the biggest thing that he probably got from his dad or someone that's been around the game, is there's no panic in Whit's game. And that seems to kind of be the final thing for a player to get over at this level."

Merrifield has grown comfortable with the Naturals' coaching staff as he works toward advancing his career. But he takes comfort in knowing his father is only just a phone call away.

"He's been around me for 25 years now, so he knows my game better than anybody," Merrifield said. "He's a guy I can always go to for advice and help. It's helpful when you've got a guy like that. ... It's nice to get feedback from somebody different."

Sports on 04/21/2014