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Levanduski emerging as leader
3/23/2009
By CONOR NICHOLL cnicholl@dailynews.net
AJ Levanduski was Fort Hays State University's backup catcher in 2008, seeing time behind Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Freshman of the Year Ryan Majercik. In 32 games, Levanduski batted .345 but fought a shoulder issue throughout the season that affected his throwing.
"Didn't have my arm slot right," he said.
Levanduski, a senior, improved in summer baseball with the Denver Cougars, a team that plays in the Rocky Mountain Baseball League and faces the Hays Larks in the summer. Once he returned to Fort Hays, Levanduski continued to work on his batting and throwing.
"That is what we work for in the fall," he said. "Fall is where we go out and work on it and if you mess up, you put it in your back pocket and you get on with it."
A year later, Levanduski has emerged as Fort Hays' leading hitter and one of the best in the conference. In the latest release of conference statistics, he ranked eighth in batting average, the only Tiger in the top 10 (min. 50 at-bats). Overall, Levanduski carries .380 average and his 1.017 on-base plus slugging percentage ranks third for the Tigers.
Levanduski has also pushed Majercik for the No. 1 catching job. Through 30 games, he and Majerick have both caught 15 contests.
Levanduski has improved behind the plate. As a junior, the Topeka native and Garden City Community College product, permitted six steals in six attempts. A year later, he has thrown out six runners in 25 attempts for Fort Hays (14-16, 6-10 MIAA).
"Ryan got off to a slow start and (I) kind of stepped up this year," Levanduski said. "Work hard in the summer. Obviously I struggled last year throwing the baseball, too. Have gotten my arm slot right and I have been throwing the baseball well and hitting well."
After last spring, Levanduski played for the Cougars with Tiger third baseman Tyler Robbins. He used the wood bat and felt " kind of relaxed" in the summer season, a time where teams play more games in a shorter length of time.
"Wood bat obviously helps, making good contact," he said. "In the summer, really was a big part of it."
With Denver, Levanduski focused on having a strong opposite field approach after he often pulled the ball in 2008. This season, he has looked away and adjusted in on pitches. It's produced six extra base hits, including three homers, one more than his junior year.
"I am going away with a lot of pitches now and if there is an inside pitch then I will take care of that, too," he said.
The arm is better as well. Levanduski fought a shoulder issue and often skipped baseballs to second base. He was throwing against his body "a lot."
"I was throwing against my ear instead of getting on top of it," he said. "You can tell when you are throwing to second base when you are getting run on your ball. That is not what we are looking for. Looking for nice, getting four seams across it and throwing straight to second base."
Levanduski felt the change in summer ball. a difference that helped him in the fall and spring. When Majercik started the season with a .120 average after the first 12 games, Levanduski moved into the No. 1 catching role and hasn't seen a drop in playing time.
He has played in 26 games, only six fewer than he saw all last season. Levanduski has permitted 19 steals in 25 attempts, a better average than Majerick's 20 for 24.
"When you are struggling and you get something good to happen for you, it is always a booster," he said. "Coming in the summer, I played a lot of extra long toss and just was working on it really hard just to get on top of the baseball. It paid off in the fall."
Smith hitting with power
True freshman Nash Smith, a Beloit native, started the season as the Tigers' second baseman after several injuries to Fort Hays infielders. Smith committed three errors in the season-opening game against University of North Alabama. He was moved to the outfield after the first two series and has since earned the starting center fielder job.
"After the first weekend, he struggled there and we really had to play there out of necessity," head coach Rick Sabath said. "I really felt that is athleticism lends itself to being a good outfielder all along. I think the move has helped him, defensively and offensively, taking some pressure off a little bit, just enjoy the game a little bit more."
Smith, a former point guard for Beloit High School, has started 17 of 30 contests, the only freshman to see regular playing time on a senior-heavy squad. Smith, at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, is the smallest position player on the Tiger roster. He has hit .207 with 12 hits, but five of the hits have been homers. His five homers tie for second on the club, while the slugging percentage sits fifth.
"For a guy of his stature, he really has a lot of juice, he really does," Sabath said. "Not only does he have it to the pull side, but one of his home runs against Emporia was to the opposite way."
Quotable
"We have talked about it a lot. We have talked about how we for us to get over the hump and to get to the next level, we need to beat a quality opponent. We have had a lot of chances, a lot of close games, but it just seems like for whatever reason, we have struggled making the play or the pitch or getting a good at-bat at the right time. I think we need that one win against a team like that to get us over the hump."
-Sabath on his struggling team. The Tigers are 14-16, but 0-10 against ranked squads and have just one victory against a team with a winning record.
Fort Hays was picked fourth in the preseason coaches' poll but stands seventh in the conference.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |
| BB | 03/07 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 13-7 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 16-4 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | W 3-0 |
| MB | 03/05 | Emporia State | L 65-61 |
| BB | 03/05 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 10-3 |
| WB | 03/04 | No. 15 Emporia | L 72-66 |
| WB | 02/28 | No. 12 Emporia State | L 87-80 |
| MB | 02/28 | Emporia State | W 94-47 |
| SB | 02/28 | Quincy | L 6-0 |
| SB | 02/27 | Mo Southern | W 9-3 |
| SB | 02/27 | Missouri S&T | L 8-3 |