The changes contributing to Andrew Eyster's recent success
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASEBALL
When Andrew Eyster dug in and connected with the first pitch of the at-bat, he sprinted out of the box as if that ball had any chance of staying in the park. Jake Mangum’s reaction was a little different.
The centerfielder lightly jogged way back to the wall, more out of formality than anything else, giving the padding a firm punch as the ball sailed over his head and off the batter’s eye while Eyster home-run trotted around the bases for what seems like the 10th time in the last 15 games.
“All you have to do is look as the last month of the season and see how much better he’s gotten,” Mark Kingston said. “Again, that gives us optimism. It takes these hitters time to adjust to this league, this level. He’s been really good this month and that gives you optimism looking into the future.”
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It hasn’t been 10 home runs—just four—since the Gamecocks’ everyday corner outfielder really started to hit his stride a little less than a month ago but it’s coming at a much-needed time as they enter the SEC Tournament.
Over his last 15 games, Eyster’s hitting .438/.535/.833 with 16 RBI, has eight multi-hit games over that stretch and is averaging less than a strikeout per game, down from one strikeout per game ratio he had through the team’s first 40 games.
He’s officially the team’s only.300 right now — he’s at .306 entering Tuesday’s SEC Tournament game—and has seen his average go up 56 points since starting his surge with TJ Hopkins second best at .286.
The changes haven’t been wholesale for Eyster, but one of the main ones has been what he’s been using to hit those baseballs a fairly long way.
At the request of Kingston, he’s changed his bat he was using, moving to a 33-inch one instead of the 34-inch he was using earlier in the year to increase his bat speed and get to the ball a lot quicker.
He’s also tweaked his swing a little bit, changing his hand placement a little bit to try and generate a little more power.
“I had kind of been wrapping too much recently—I’m sure you could see it on video—and it hasn’t allowed me to hit that inside pitch,” Eyster said. “It’s making me kind of hit everything the opposite way. That’s not always a bad thing but I made an adjustment to that and I feel like I can see the ball a lot longer now.”
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Wrapping usually means the player’s loading up his swing and putting the barrel of his bat way behind his head before starting his swing. Eyster’s lowered his hand placement, able to generate a quicker swing and power from it.
It’s worked.
“I feel great,” Eyster said. “Ever since that Missouri series I made a couple adjustments and I feel like I can see the ball forever even when guys are throwing in the low-to-mid 90s.”
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Eyster mentions the Missouri series, and that was the one that essentially kicked off this insane back stretch of the season he’s been on with him picking up three hits and four RBI over three games.
It was a welcomed change for Eyster, who’s struggled trying to live up to lofty expectations in his first year on campus.
The outfielder came in after hitting over .400 at Sante Fe College, was the reigning MVP of his wood bat summer league after hitting nine homers and 35 RBI in 32 games and came in expecting to do more of the same in the SEC.
It took some time, but it seems like Eyster’s heating up at the right time as the Gamecocks (28-27, 8-22 SEC) head into Tuesday’s elimination game against LSU.
“It’s been tough. I haven’t been the most productive player in the lineup with only a handful of RBIs coming in, so it was good to have a weekend where I contributed, drove in some runs and be the guy I was expected to be coming in,” Eyster said after the Missouri series. “It’s something I hope I can carry into the next three weekends and whatever happens after that.”
