By Jake SimpsonThe Daily Northwestern
On Saturday, junior outfielder Max Mann stepped to the plate in the top of the sixth inning with the score tied at 3. Stuck in a 2-for-16 slump, Mann seemed to be the last person Northwestern would want at bat.
But in the fickle world of hitting, slumps are meant to be broken.
Mann smacked a game-winning two-run home run and went on to finish the four-game series 4 for 13 with four RBIs. He was one of a group of struggling NU hitters that got back on track against Indiana.
Coach Paul Stevens said he was not surprised at his players’ resurgence, noting that hitting streaks – hot or cold – are not unique to the Wildcats (8-17, 2-6 Big Ten).
“Hitting is such a mental situation,” he said. “You can be on top of the world one at-bat, and all of the sudden you’re not seeing the ball. That goes from the guys who make $15 million to Little Leaguers.”
Stevens credited his players for continuing to play hard until their hitting woes subsided.
“I really like the approach our guys took while they were in a slump,” he said.
At the head of the “guys” Stevens mentioned was Mann, who added two RBIs in the Cats’ 5-4 loss on Monday. The junior, who raised his season average to .250, had his best offensive stretch since the Cats’ Spring Break trip, when he had two multi-hit games in one weekend.
Stevens said he never doubted Mann would find his stroke.
“Mann is just a guy that gives you everything he has every time he goes out there,” Stevens said. “We expected him to break out.”
Mann hit .239 with 40 RBIs in his first two years with NU.
Senior outfielder Caleb Fields also rediscovered the swing that propelled him to the All-Big Ten second team last season. Fields sparked the Cats’ offense throughout the series, going 5 for 13 to raise his season average to .312, third on the team.
The converted third basemen’s stellar weekend – and his character – drew high praise from Stevens.
“Fields just goes about his business,” he said. “He knows that even if he’s not the best hitter one day, he can always turn himself the next game. That’s what he did this weekend.”
While Mann and Fields found their hitting stroke over the weekend, other players found themselves unable to buy a hit. Among those players were second baseman Tommy Finn, who went hitless in 14 at-bats in the series, and first baseman Jake Goebbert, whose average fell below .300.
While the Cats’ uneven hitting performance this month could be attributed to the near-freezing weather, the recent shifts in the batting order could also be partially to blame.
“There’s been a lot of juggling in the lineup recently,” Stevens said.
On Wednesday, NU’s slumping sluggers will try to change their fortunes at the plate against Missouri Valley Conference opponent Bradley (14-12).
Stevens said one key to the contest will be getting the bullpen pitchers, who threw a grand total of zero innings over the weekend, some much-needed action.
“Quite a few guys need to get some throws in a game situation,” the coach said.
NU’s hitters hope to provide some run support by finding the sweet swings that – as a team – have been off-and-on since spring break.
Reach Jake Simpson at [email protected].
