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Alright, now that we got that out of the way, there have been
some impressive

“consistent hitting performances” as of late. We are not using
the other word for fear that the “baseball gods” will be upset and in some
weird way, these impressive “consistent hitting performances” will end
prematurely.

 

OF/DH Matt Szczur, 2B Pierre LePage, 1B Richard Jones, and OF
Alvaro Ramirez have been showing off some impressive lumber as of late. Szczur
has had a hit in 10 straight games, LePage has had a hit in seven straight
games, and Jones has received a hit and RBI in six straight games. Ramirez has
been extremely impressive, as he has recorded a hit in 16 consecutive games.

The secret to the success? It comes down to good old-fashioned work.

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“I give a lot of credit to our coaching staff. Jody Davis and
Ricardo Medina have been pretty laid back about everything. If we have a night
where we didn’t get many hits, they don’t really put a ton of pressure on us.
When you let players relax, that is when they play their best,” said Jones, who
is batting .312 on the season.

 

The Hawks have been turning it on at the plate as of late,
collecting 10 or more hits in six of their last seven games.

 

“A lot of it has to do with the fact that we are 30 games into
the season and guys are beginning to feel more comfortable at the plate. The is
a new feel to the team. Guys are beginning to get set in the lineup and their
roles on offense. It’s been great and more wins will come as long as we clean
it up on defense,” said LePage, who is batting .352 on the season.

 

Szczur has been in several different spots in the lineup, but his
success has not stopped, as he is hitting .386 on the season.

 

“More or less, I have the same philosophy each time I step up to
the plate. It is a little different in the lead off spot because you usually
have to work the count. I just try to approach every at-bat like it’s my last
and make it a great at-bat,” said Szczur.

 

With the Hawks offense exploding as of late, the wins have been
there. But like their performances, the team is looking for some consistent
wins as they are locked in a heated battle with the Spokane Indians for first
place in the Northwest League East Division.

 

To lock up this Division Title, it’s going to take an all around
great game, not just a great night at the plate. But a good night of offense
never hurts.

 

 “Baseball is a crazy
game because any team can win on any given day. To give us our best shot to
win, we have to play a better game defensively. We have to pitch well and not
give up a ton of walks, errors, or hits. If we do that and get timely hits, we
have a good chance to win,” said LePage.

“We just have to show up and battle every day. Whether you are
down by one run or five, we have to battle every day,” said Jones.

 

“It’s a joy to play for this team because we battle and we don’t
give up, even when we are down. Everybody is going to work hard, regardless of
the situation. We were down 9-3 last night, but we battled through and made a
game out of it,” said Szczur.

 

If the hitting performances continue and the defense turns the
corner, the Hawks will begin to party like it’s 2006. That was the last season
that the Hawks won a Divisional Title.

 

Till next time..

 

Chad Bates

Media Relations Assistant

Boise Hawks