LJ baseball: Hot and cold

Vikings linger in the dugout after a middle-innings team

meeting held by Coach Gary Frank in the game

against Henry. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Sean Hofmann bashed a walk-off game-winning drive to right with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning against Patrick Henry Wed., April 1.

Who would have thought it would be "Hoffy", after struggling with his average at the plate the first handful of games of La Jolla's baseball season?

One game-winning hit does not a hitting streak make, or definitively mark the end of a bit of a batting slump.

But such a blow can relax a player who might otherwise press, build confidence, and open the way for a productive stretch of games to follow.

Viking coach Gary Frank, when asked before LJHS's game at Patrick Henry last Wednesday about players' starts to the season and how he handles players when they're struggling, responded, "We don't want them to focus on individual statistics." He wants players to focus on their roles and what they need to be doing to be effective.

"We don't focus on mechanics during the game," he said. "We want their natural abilities to take over (during games)."

Frank said different players require different approaches by the coaches. It's not one-size-fits-all. Everyone has a different makeup and personality. Does a coach's approach always work, trying to encourage a player who is struggling? Not always. "You hope it works," he said with a grin.

For another example, catcher Jackson Hyytenin's batting average resides in the lower .100's at present. He has sat for a couple of games. Noah Strohl, at first base, was carrying a low average while still driving in runs. He pounded a single that bounced through the hole at third in Monday's Lions Tournament opener, good for the Vikings' first two runs that got them started toward a 5-0 win over Mission Hills.

Frank moved Hofmann from the top of the lineup, in the second slot behind leadoff Timmy Holdgrafer, to the bottom. A good result came from that Wednesday with Sean's game-winner. Likewise, Strohl hit further down the batting order. He seems to swinging a relaxed bat.

No one got a hit other than Hofmann in the Lions Tournament win over Patrick Henry to send the Vikes into the championship round. Patriot lefty Alek Blik no-hit them until Hofmann's blow to end the game.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper