One of Dylan Rosa’s goals for the 2016 season was to change how he handled himself in the batter’s box.
So far? Oh so good.
The Providence graduate has been a key component in Kent State’s lineup. Rosa, who has started 36 games, is batting .310.
The sophomore third baseman leads Kent State (27-10, 9-3) in total bases (84) and RBIs (40). He’s also second in runs (31) and doubles (13), and third in hits (44).
“My strengths at the plate are my patience and my approach,” Rosa said. “Last season, I would try to force and pull the ball too often … which I still do sometimes.
“My approach now is to really see the ball deep, and think (about) right-center (field). That allows me to stay on the baseball and really lets my timing dictate where I’ll hit the ball. My coaches always tell me that pulling the ball will come naturally and that I don’t need to try and pull the ball. This approach has really helped me offensively.”
Those outside the program have noticed of Rosa’s hitting. He was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week for March 28-April 3.
Over five games, he batted .500 (10-for-20) with eight RBIs, seven runs, four doubles and two home runs.
“It was pretty cool to win the MAC Player of the Week Award,” Rosa said. “It’s nice to represent my school and my team in such a great way. During the week, I didn’t really think of or realize how well I was doing at the plate. I was more focused on helping the team get wins and play good baseball.”
The highlight of the week was Rosa’s performance in a 9-7 victory over visiting Western Michigan. He batted 3-for-3 with a double, two home runs, four RBIs and three runs.
“I was just really seeing the ball well,” Rosa said. “I came up with a man on third and we were down by one run. I knew that all I had to do was shoot it in the outfield somewhere. But I ended up hitting an inside-the-park home run, which was nice.
“In my last at-bat of that game, I hit another home run, this time going over the fence. That really put the icing on the cake for that day and ultimately helped us get the ‘W.'”
Evansville baseball: One of the key players for the Purple Aces has been pitcher Brent Jurceka. The Sandburg graduate has made 17 appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.90 ERA. The senior right-hander is tied for the team lead in wins.
Jurceka also leads Evansville (21-14) with five saves and is tied for first with 33 strikeouts. In 30 innings, he has allowed 13 earned runs and nine walks.
Chicago State athletics: Four Southland residents from Chicago State have been selected for the Western Athletic Conference winter all-academic team.
Senior men’s basketball player Jawad Adekoya (Andrew) and senior women’s basketball player Layne Murphy (Rich Central) were honored. Also recognized were senior Kameron Jackson (Eisenhower) of the men’s indoor track team and junior Tochukwu Akujieze (Homewood-Flossmoor) of the women’s indoor track team.
Mike Walsh is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.
