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Howell takes over shortstop duties
4/29/2011
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
Last year, shortstop Sheldon Howell played for coach Steve Johnson at Butler County Community College. In the offseason, Howell, a junior transfer, followed Johnson to Fort Hays State University. Johnson, though, told Howell he wasn't guaranteed a starting position. Howell was a backup behind sophomore second baseman Chris Santoscoy and sophomore Kelton Rule, each returning starters. But Rule struggled and carries a .159 average in 63 at-bats. Howell has eventually taken over as the starting shortstop for the Tigers, fifth in the MIAA at 22-18 overall and 19-15 in conference.
"It was (Rule's) spot for me to go out and earn it and just (had) hard work and staying on it and just improving every day," Howell said.
Howell's average oscillated between .250 and .288 until last weekend's four-game home split against University of Nebraska-Omaha. Helped by work with assistant coach Jay Pitschka on staying through the ball, Howell went 11-of-15 (.733) with nine RBIs, eight runs scored, and four extra-base hits. He earned MIAA Player of the Week honors and raised his season average to .341.
"Rather than being a guy who occasionally hits the other way, to hit it out the other way with some power and authority," Johnson said. "It's really flattened out his swing and added some power to it. When hitters get confident, they turn the barrel loose a lot better."
Howell also has benefited from a consistent lineup. He bats eighth in the order, while Santoscoy hits ninth. The two players have helped FHSU score at least 11 runs in six games since April 1; the Tigers hadn't reached double figures in any previous game.
"I wouldn't like to pitch to them," Johnson said of Howell and Santoscoy. "I have always said, for as long as I have coached, when somebody asks how good can your team be offensively, very seldom do you look at the top five and get your answer. You look at six, seven, eight, nine."
Santoscoy raising average
As a freshman, Santoscoy hit .281/341/347 (average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) in 52 games for FHSU. The Tigers' smallest player at 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, Santoscoy has increased his power this year, especially in the last several series. He carries a .346/383/486 line this spring with three doubles and two homers in the last six games.
"He has done a nice job," Johnson said. "Early in the season, he was getting his hits, but everything was pull side. I thought he was cheating to get to fastballs a little bit. A couple weeks ago, he really started taking it to center and trying to go gap to gap. With that has come better (at-bats), he has started to lay off breaking balls better, getting him back into fastball counts, and he has proven that if he gets a fastball, he can handle it, he can drive it."
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |