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Mitchell Baseball Emerging As Class Of County

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: March 13, 2009

Updated:

TRINITY - Hitting a baseball is often called one of the most difficult athletic tasks to accomplish with consistency. To some, it is the most difficult skill to master.

Factor in the mental handicap of wavering confidence while at the plate and the chore can quickly seem more like swatting at a golf ball shot out of a cannon.

After struggling through poise problems over much of last season, J.W. Mitchell High batters have collectively found a swagger that has catapulted the team to the upper echelons of the region's best.

It's a progression that did not come over night, Mitchell Coach Scot Wilcox said, but a long offseason of training is now showing its profits in a big way.

"We worked really hard in the fall," Wilcox said. "The guys are taking good at bats now, disciplined at bats. They're learning to hit to their individual strengths and that's what they've been doing."

Mitchell (9-1) has improved its team batting average by well in excess of 100 points from last season, hitting a blistering .403 compared to .276.

One of the top, early season successes has come from third baseman Matthew Hart. While finishing 2008 with a respectable .296 average and 19 RBI, Hart is now tearing the cover off the ball. He is currently leading the team in nearly all offensive categories, including average (.586), slugging percentage (1.138), home runs (3) and RBI's (17).

In Hart's case, heightened confidence has been half the battle. The other portion is his transition to becoming more of a pull hitter as opposed to his past predilections for going the other way.

"I've just been more aggressive, I think," Hart said. "Coach has really been pushing that on me. A lot of times I used to just watch inside pitches, but I've been jumping on them this year."

"Hart's always been a great hitter," Wilcox said. "Last year, he just never really lived up to his potential. He's got the prettiest swing on the team and I think he's taking it upon himself as a senior to go out there with an attitude."

That offensive attitude being displayed throughout the Mustangs' roster could also be the missing element from last year's 14-11 that team that struggled with an ultra-competitive Class 6A, District 7, schedule. Mitchell could match up with any team on any day last year based solely on pitching, but now a more well rounded product shows up to the diamond.

"Last year, every time we'd go face a team like Alonso or Sickles, we'd come in a little intimidated," Hart said. "This year we know we can beat them."

"We really haven't won many games because of our pitching staff this year," Wilcox said. "We've been winning with the sticks and getting momentum on our side. That's important in any game."

That is not to say the rotation cannot still handle it this year if the balance of a game weighs on its shoulders. Quite to the contrary.

Led by University of Florida commit Patrick Schuster and followed by fellow seniors Matthew Hewitt and Michael Grande, the Mustang's have been befuddling opposing hitters throughout the 10 games thus far. Teams are batting only .153 against the staff that owns a collective 1.47 ERA.

This year's rotation is actually both deeper and stronger than last season's. Some of that may be because of the offense alleviating the pressure of pitchers having to carry games. Walking only 28 batters in 62 innings doesn't hurt either.

With on-the-field elements falling nicely in place, Wilcox said he is concentrating on keeping his team where they need to be between the ears.

"Coming into the year it was our confidence I was worried about. We've definitely got that up. Now we just have to stay focused and stay in games when we get up big early."

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