The Art of Hitting

Spring sports are in high gear at Guilford College. The Quakers baseball and softball teams are looking to make a run at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournaments as the regular season dwindles down to the post-season. To perform well in the ODAC Tournament, both teams will have to hit and score runs. This article focuses on the art of hitting, coming from the players who do it best.  

            Quakers’ first baseman Kyle Wooden is having an outstanding season, hitting .480 in 33 games with a team-leading 29 runs batted in. He also tops Guilford in on-base percentage (.537)   and slugging percentage (.661). Furthermore, he has the fewest strikeouts on the squad with three, which means he puts the ball in play. However, what matters most to Wooden is the mental aspect of hitting.

            “The most important thing a hitter can do in a game is have confidence. If you ever feel overmatched at the plate, you do not have a chance,” said Wooden. 

            Infielder Ami Hutcherson has a .418 season batting average with 21 runs batted in on the year, which ranks among the top five on Guilford’s softball team. Hutcherson agrees with Wooden about having mental confidence at the plate. She explained that one of a hitter’s most important jobs is to know their role in every at bat. Every time you step up to the plate is different, depending on the score and where the runners are. A hitter can only do this if they have the right mindset.

“I think the most important part about hitting is to go to the plate with positive thoughts and confidence in yourself to produce,” Hutcherson said.

            Hitters also have to think about body positioning when they are at the plate. They must be conscious of where their hands and feet are when the pitcher throws the ball. Hitters need to be aware of what their body is doing in order to quickly correct mistakes during an at bat. “I always make sure that I am getting my hands loaded and my front foot down earlier so I have time to see and read the pitch and decide whether to swing or not,” said Wooden.

            Softball is no different than baseball when it comes to hitting. “My complete swing begins with my hands high, then typically hands through the zone first, level, and a hard cut and finish by letting go of the bat with my top hand. I also have to think about my feet because I am a “slap” hitter, I have to go straight at the pitcher with my feet and make sure my feet are in correct form when I make contact with the ball,” said Hutcherson.

            This seems like a lot to remember, but when a hitter steps up into the box, instinct takes over for the athlete. That’s why hitters try to attack the pitcher and be aggressive in their at bat. Outfielder Courtney Kozar, also a slap hitter, believes that aggressiveness at the plate is a vital part of hitting.

            “Being aggressive means not letting the good pitches go by while staying mindful of the bad ones. I think being aggressive is one of the best things you can do as a hitter. If a pitcher knows you’re aggressive, then they will have a harder time pitching to you,” Kozar said.

            Infielder Kent Peterson agrees that aggressive hitting pays off during at bats. “Aggressive is getting ahead in the count and hitting the ball as hard as you can. You have to attack the fastball and when you have two strikes fight off every pitch you see until you get one to drive,” he explained.

            Sometimes being aggressive isn’t enough when you’re facing a tough pitcher. Hitters must discover a way to exploit a pitcher’s weakness in order to find their way on base. However, batters can only do so much. Are there ways to disrupt pitchers to get them off his or her game? The answer is yes.

            A key strategy for batters is movement in the box, which mean where their position in relation to the pitcher. This plays a critical role in the type of pitches a pitcher can throw. Where a hitter stands seems like a miniscule detail, but it can determine if a batter gets solid contact or a whiff.

            “The best approach is to change where you stand in the box. If the pitcher has a good rise ball, you can move to the front of the box to take that strike away from her. If the pitcher shifts the defense, you stand accordingly inside or outside of the box to match that pitch and send it in the opposite direction,” Kozar said.

            “If a pitcher is throwing a lot of fastballs you can stand up front to catch the ball before it breaks for better timing. If the pitcher is throwing a lot of off-speed pitches like change-ups and curves, you can stand towards the back of the box to give yourself more time to see the pitch,” said Peterson.

            Sometimes even superstition allows for a hit once in awhile. Sometimes rubbing hands in the dirt or changing batting gloves gives the batter extra luck to get on base. “I tap and cross the plate with my bat every time and it hasn’t failed me yet,” Wooden said.

            “I have a certain bat for hits. I tape the bat where I don’t need it and I always tap my helmet before I step into the batter’s box,” Kozar said.

            Both of Guilford’s baseball and softball teams will take their hitting abilities and superstitions to the ODAC Tournament this year.