Baseball's bats begin to come alive thanks to different hitting approaches

Two completely different styles of hitting have led the way for the baseball team so far this season.

The Tigers (7-12 overall, 1-3 Ivy League) knew there would be a hitting void after the graduation of Matt Evans '99 — they just weren't sure who exactly would step up to fill that gaping hole or in what manner it would get done.

So far this season, two juniors — Jon Watterson and Max Krance — have proven to be the most consistent at the plate for the Tigers, with batting averages of .395 and .381, respectively. But while the two outfielders might have similar prowess at the plate, their philosophies for connecting the ball with the bat are quite different.

While Krance preaches patience, if Watterson sees a pitch he likes, he won't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Watterson was the Tigers' top pinch hitter last year, earning five hits in 21 at bats with 2 RBI. He has seen more playing time this year due to his increased production.

"Over the course of his first couple of years he's had as many big hits for us as anybody," head coach Scott Bradley said. "We've been able to get him a little bit more playing time now, and the way he is playing he's definitely earned more."

The lead-off hitter changed his attitude at the plate this year, which has helped him connect more often.

"Last year I might have been taking too many pitches," Watterson said. "My approach [this year] has been to hit that first good pitch you get."

Krance has found success at the opposite end of the spectrum. As a freshman, he earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors and finished the season with a .407 batting average. Last year, however, his hitting struggled, as he became a little too eager at the plate. So he went back to the basics this summer.

'Bare essentials'

"I figured some things out this summer playing in a wooden bat league down in North Carolina," Krance said. "Playing with a wooden bat just really forces you to cut down to the bare essentials and really just makes hitting as simple as possible.

"It takes all the guessing out of it. I think I did a lot of guesswork last year."

Bradley told the designated hitter to try to be more patient at the plate. And to make sure Krance followed through, during the first couple of games of the season, Bradley told Krance and the rest of the team not to swing at the first two or three pitches, even if they were strikes, to get used to finding a good pitch.

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"I've definitely been a lot more patient at the plate this year," Krance said. "I think it's really paid off with the bats."

On the whole, the Tigers have been hitting better this year. The team's batting average is at .287, compared with .270 last season. But while the Tigers may be hitting more, production is down.

"We still have not done a real good job of driving runners in," Bradley said. "Our team batting average is up from last year, but without Matt Evans our production is down. We need to be able to hit more doubles, more home runs and we have to drive runners in at a higher rate."

If Watterson and Krance continue on their tear, the runs should come in, whether or not the hit comes off the first pitch, or the six or seventh.