Like his predecessor, Gaffney is the prototypical new-age shortstop ushered in by the threesome of Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra in 1996. Gone are the days where small, speedy fielders with little power manned the position a la Ozzie Smith or Omar Vizquel. He's tall, he's lanky and he also swings a big stick.

"He's making big league plays out there," Penn State baseball coach Robbie Wine said. "He'll be drafted as a shortstop."

Those plays in the field became more common once he re-tamed his arm. Gaffney admits to having throwing problems following the flip-flop back to his normal position, but he holds on to a .933 fielding percentage despite the occasional erratic tosses.

While he sorted out his mechanics, two things never wavered: his consistency at the plate and the leadership he brought to the youth corps.

As the No. 2 hitter, he's supposed to be a table-setter for the bigger bats in the lineup, a role he relishes.

"It's good because you do anything to get on base so the big guys can drive you in," Gaffney said.

Instead, he's been one of the more productive run producers in the lineup as he is in the top three in the major statistical categories: homers, RBI and average. He's outside the top-five in runs scored, as those behind him have left him on base. If somebody's going to drive him in, he's going to have to do it.

This past weekend against No. 19 Arizona State, he drove in five runs and hit a home run, equaling half of his production this season. He also hit over .400 on the trip to raise his average to .329.

Still, he has not forgotten the days when he tried to crack the lineup card. A year ago, he would do anything to get on the field, including take the mound. He made 10 appearances with a 1-2 record and an ERA just over four. He's yet to do so this season, as he has carved a niche out at short.

These efforts help younger guys, who are biding their time until they can take advantage of a situation, relate to Gaffney.

"I tell them it really doesn't matter what age you are, you have to go play up to your ability," Gaffney said.

The team is relatively young, so Gaffney has become the representative of the underclassmen. Because of the amount of playing time he's seen, he has a degree of credibility that most sophomores yearn for.

"He's taken them under his wing and leading them and the freshmen understand him and respect him," Wine said. "Young kids are going to hit this stride and take them to the next level and we hope that's this weekend."

It seems that his days filling holes are over. This year's stability made it clear that the gap between second and third is his, unless something else arises.