Klingensmith emerging as WCBL’s top hitter ahead of Mavericks playoff push

“I went through a little dry spell there and I just got back into it, feeling good now,” said Klingensmith.

Since a three-hit afternoon on July 14 against Brooks, the Oklahoma product has recorded 29 hits over his last 10 outings.

He’s been even more deadly over his past week of play, racking up an astounding .593 batting average with nine RBIs and his first two home runs of the season in six games.

All of which has made coming to the ball park an enjoyable time.

“I like to get in there and compete,” he said. “I like helping the team and baseball is fun, especially when you’re hitting the ball like this.”

Holding the best batting average on the Mavericks to this point in the season, Klingensmith also sits third in RBIs with 26 trailing only sluggers Sal Rodriguez and Austin Sojka.

Two players whom Klingensmith has leaned on all season for advice at the dish.

“I talked to those guys every day, talked to them about hitting,” said Klingensmith. “They’re great leaders and great player-coaches. I really look [up] to those guys and they’re helping me out too.”

Numbers aside, the Mavericks say it’s easy to see an air of confidence surrounding Klingensmith and his ability to put his bat on the ball.

Entering the playoff push seeking home-field advantage, Mavericks bench boss Tom Vessella said he’s had no worries putting Klingensmith into high pressure situations.

“It makes it really easy to write his name in the line up card right now,” said Vessella. “When a guy is hot like that you just put him back out there and say, ‘Collin, keep doing what you’re doing and don’t change a thing.’”

Photo courtesy of Scott Roblin

Transferring from Independence Community College to Northeastern State University last year, Klingensmith did not play much ball over the spring as he was listed as a medical redshirt.

Combined with his struggles midway through the WCBL campaign, Vessella said it would have been easy for the utility player to get discouraged.

He used that adversity as fire however, which has yielded extraordinary effects for the Mavericks.

“Baseball is a game of adjustments and he made an adjustment halfway through,” said Vessella. “He came out really well, then teams kind of figured out how to pitch to him and he didn’t respond the way that he can. He made the adjustment and now has come out really barreling the baseball and doing what we know he is capable of doing.”

The Mavericks are playing some of their most complete baseball of the season, winners of five straight games and sit alone in second place in the Western Division with a 27-21 record.

Just as Klingensmith’s swagger seems to be elevating, so too has the entire Mavericks roster.

Swagger that Medicine Hat’s big bat hopes stretches into a deep playoff run in a few weeks time.

“That’s what we need, we need some confidence going into playoffs and making this final run,” said Klingensmith.

Mavericks players will enjoy their final day off before the stretch drive on Monday, kicking off a two-game road swing in Lethbridge on Tuesday at 7:05 pm.

by Scott Roblin

Klingensmith emerging as WCBL’s top hitter ahead of Mavericks playoff push

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