UK looks to heat up cold bats: After 19-run game, Cats’ offense lacking scoring ability

Tweet

As the UK baseball team (18-12, 4-8 Southeastern Conference) enters the meat of the SEC schedule, one thing needs to be addressed in particular: scoring runs.

It was well-documented at the beginning of the season with the departure of graduating seniors Collin Cowgill and Sawyer Carroll, the bats for the Cats would need a little extra ping in 2009. The two departed seniors each accounted for 19 homeruns last season — 13 more than current leader Gunner Glad with less than half of the regular season remaining.

“When you have two guys who hit that many homeruns, it’s tough to replace,” junior center fielder Keenan Wiley said. “It’s different, but we have to learn how to win without them. We have guys who can do that and we have a lot of newcomers where it’s their first year of playing every day.”

Sophomore Chris Bisson leads UK in doubles, hits, runs scored and RBI this season from the leadoff spot. Photo by Kristin Sherrard | Staff

Small ball has been present at Cliff Hagan Stadium and on the road, but it hasn’t always been consistent. The approach of getting runners on base and using timely hitting and aggressive base running was good enough for 19 runs in a 20-19 loss to South Carolina on March 28. In the seven games since then, the Cats have scored only 21 runs and have only scored more than three runs in a game once.
“We’re playing better competition and it’s getting harder,” Wiley said. “We’ve also had a lot of missed opportunities and you only have but so many.”

Playing five games a week for each of the last four weeks has become custom for the Cats, but isn’t something that is any different from the other teams throughout the conference. The number of games is new to the freshmen, though, and the Cats have relied heavily on their newcomers. Wiley said more so than a little inexperience, UK has missed that one big hit that could come from anywhere in the lineup.

The most consistent bat for UK this season has been somewhat of a surprise — sophomore second baseman Chris Bisson. Bisson batted .157 in his 51 plate appearances last year. In 2009, the Orleans, Ontario, native leads the team in batting average among players with at least 50 plate appearances.

“He’s older and he’s getting more experience,” UK head coach Gary Henderson said. “He played a lot of summer baseball, he’s stronger and wiser. It’s all part of the learning process and maturation.”

Wiley said Bisson has been the only consistent batter in the lineup and has done what he’s needed to do in the leadoff spot. The Cats need to find a consistent and powerful bat following Bisson, Wiley said. Bisson also leads the team in doubles, runs scored, hits and RBI.

What becomes essential for the Cats now is to keep things in perspective, Henderson said. Despite their struggles at the plate, and losing eight of their last 11 games, the Cats are only one game out of a tie for third place in the SEC East, and four games outside of first, with a three-game home series against first-place Georgia on Friday.

“We’re keeping things at the forefront of our mind,” Henderson said. “It’s not an issue for us in terms of not having (a sense of urgency). We’re very much aware of the things we need to do.”