DOWNTOWN AKRON — A summer ago, Akron Aero outfielder Nick Weglarz was in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics, a member of Canada’s baseball team. But taking part in the games didn’t guarantee him a good view of the opening ceremonies.

“We didn’t see any of the acts,” said Weglarz. “We were actually walking in line for about three-and-a-half hours. We were standing outside sweating, while you guys were home watching the ceremonies. But once we did our lap, we got to stay in the middle and watch the torch being lit.”

On the baseball field, Weglarz had his share of Olympic moments. In seven games, he batted .400 with two home runs, though Team Canada (2-5) failed to earn a medal.

Weglarz’ hometown is Stevensville, Ontario, where the citizens took notice of his performance.

“I didn’t know that many people back home would be watching me,” said Weglarz, who also participated in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. “I had a good game, and they all called me. That was pretty special, to have that kind of support back home.”

The folks back home have more reasons to be proud of Weglarz. After a slow start this season, the left-handed-hitting outfielder has proven to be a very productive player for the first-place Aeros.

Weglarz, picked by the Cleveland Indians in the third round of the June 2005 draft, has eight home runs and 48 runs batted in. He’s batting .243, a nice improvement over the .131 batting average he was carrying May 1.

Weglarz, 21, was sizzling hot in May. He was named Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of May 11, when he hit .458 (11-24).

Growing up, Weglarz also played hockey, a sport he began playing at 3 years old. Competing in two sports meant putting a lot of miles on the family car.

“There would be a couple months where they’d be mixed together, so I’d have baseball practice and then hockey games at night. It got a little hectic. [My parents] were always driving me all over Canada for hockey and all over the States for baseball.”

The Aeros, who began the week with a seven-game lead over Erie in the Eastern League Southern Division, conclude their current homestand with a four-game series against Binghamton (June 26-29). They’ll then embark on a road trip that will take them to Bowie and Harrisburg.

The Indians, who deserve a gold medal for finding creative ways to lose, host the Cincinnati Reds June 26-28.