As many record-breaking home runs that Lansing Lugnuts first baseman Brian Dopirak has hit this season, it's his first home run that will always stand out in his memory.

That first home run at 12 years old was what made Brian Dopirak decide that a Major League Baseball career would be in his plans.

"When we had to do little career things in school, I always put down baseball player," Dopirak said. "My teacher told me that I couldn't do that and I would always get mad. It actually made me work even harder to play professional ball."

His father, Allan Dopirak, even helped him to paint one half of a wall in his bedroom with a giant red, white and blue major league baseball emblem to remind him of his plan.

"He never hesitated on his goal," Allan Dopirak said. "It's never been an if for him, he's always said 'I'm going to play pro-baseball.'"

With the season that Dopirak has been having with the Lugnuts this year, that goal might not be far off.

Dopirak leads the Midwest League in almost every offensive category. As of Sunday, he is hitting .306 on the season with 33 home runs, 92 RBIs and a .617 slugging percentage. His 33 home runs leads the league and already set a franchise record, breaking Jason Dubois' record of 24 in 2001. His 92 RBIs is first in the Midwest League and is tied for the Lugnuts record set by Ryan Gipp in 2000 and Jason Dubois in 2001.

"It's amazing the numbers he's putting up this year," Lansing manager Julio Garcia said. "You don't see that too often especially from a kid his age with his experience level."

The scouts have also been taking notice of the 20-year-old. For the week of July 27, the 6-foot-4, 235 pound slugger was ranked as the number two minor league prospect by Baseball America on their Prospect Hot Sheet.

"I've thought that I have done pretty well so far this season but you always think you can do better," Dopirak said. "We've got some games left and so far I've put up pretty good numbers."

With such remarkable numbers, the questions have come as to when Dopirak will be moved up.

"Everybody asks me about it but it's not something you can worry about," Dopirak said. "The Cubs do a great job with what they do. If they think it's best for me to stay here and develop as a player well, they know better than I do."

The guy in front of Dopirak, Brandon Sing, is not having a bad year either. Sing has hit .267 with 29 home runs and 84 RBIs.

"Sing is having an outstanding year so you can't move him around too much," Dopirak said. "Everybody is where they are at for a reason and that is what's best for the organization."

Drafted by the Cubs in the second round of the 2002 draft, Dopirak was no stranger to professional baseball.

Growing up near Clearwater, Fla., Dopirak was introduced to some of the game's stars at an early age. The Philadelphia Phillies have their spring training there and Dopirak's father runs a charter fishing service so he used to take some of the players out on the boats to go fishing and would bring Brian along.

"Brian was always out on the boat with guys like Norm Charlton, Terry Mulholland and Curt Schilling," Dopirak said. "Curt would always take time to talk and throw with Brian from the time, he was 11 or 12."

That time spent with Schilling helped Dopirak to learn a lot about the sport and the type of player he wanted to be.

"Curt was always like my guy," Dopirak said. "He helped work with me on some aspects of the game as well as talk to me about it."

Allan Dopirak said that watching how hard Schilling works, how disciplined he is and how he was a leader in major league baseball had a strong effect on Brian.

"Curt told him when he was younger that whatever happens in his career to always be good to people," Allan Dopirak said. "That's something he's never forgot."

The hard work ethic is something that links the two players together.

Never one to back away from practice, Dopirak has become known around the locker room for his constant willingness to work on his game and improve.

"He's a tireless worker and he wants to improve so badly," Garcia said. "Sometimes he tries too hard or he goes a little overboard, but you've got to crawl before you can walk."

Despite not reaching his goal right away of playing at "the top level," Dopirak said that he doesn't mind the life of a minor league ball player and enjoys going to work every day.

"When I stop having fun out here is the day I go home and go back to the boat," Dopirak said. "I love what I do, I really do. I'm living the American dream."