Kasey Stanfield isn”t going to let a power surge go to her head.
The third baseman also doesn”t feel any added pressure to deliver the long ball hitting in the cleanup spot in the batting order.
Instead, the New Hope High School junior intends to stay focused and to do her best to make solid contact every at-bat.
On Saturday, Stanfield accomplished that goal, going 7-for-8 with a double and three home runs in season-opening victories against Greenville O”Bannon and Union in the Eupora Classic.
For her accomplishments, Stanfield is The Dispatch”s Prep Player of the Week.
“I didn”t even try (to hit a home run),” Stanfield said. “On the first one, I hit it as hard as I could and I got really excited. The second time, I just hit it and it happened. The third time, I just hit in and it happened. Every time I get up I just think basehit.”
Stanfield first found her power stroke last September when she hit the first two home runs of her career in a six-RBI showing in a 19-0 victory against Columbus. Stanfield hit the first home run even though she reached for the ball. Her latest home runs came on inside and on outside pitches.
Stanfield”s success came after a frustrating Friday in practice in which she didn”t feel she had found her stroke.
“I didn”t feel good Friday,” Stanfield said. “I had a fever and I was tired and I really didn”t hit well. On the bus ride there, I was thinking, ”That was practice. Today is a new day.” I knew I just had to get up there and be confident.”
Stanfield said she is more comfortable all around in her second season as a starter on the varsity team. She even admits to feeling a little more at ease playing third base. Even though she is more apt to field hot smashes, she said she puts thoughts like that out of her mind and does her best to make every play.
At the plate, Stanfield follows a similar strategy. She tries not to let one at-bat affect the next or to allow one home run to force her to try to do something that doesn”t come naturally.
“It is to the point now where let”s just do it,” said Stanfield, whose twin sister Erin, also is a member of the team. “If I become a home run hitter, that”s great. If I don”t, I will settle for basehits.”
Hitting behind Kaitlin Bradley, D.J. Sanders, and Lauren Holifield, Stanfield doesn”t feel any pressure to be a power hitter. As a whole, the Lady Trojans aren”t a home run hitting team. Their success comes more from being able to string together hits, whether it be singles or doubles or triples.
The maturation of Sanders, Holifield, and Stanfield could change that, though. But Stanfield is certain she won”t get preoccupied with hitting home runs because she knows that once you get fixated on the longball it is much easier to reach for pitches, to lose your rhythm, and to get yourself out.
Thanks to a vote of confidence from coach Tabitha Beard, who put her into the cleanup role, Stanfield will try to build on her productive start.
“When coach Beard said my name fourth I was like, ”She has faith in me and she has a reason to put me fourth, so let”s show her what we can do,” ” Stanfield said.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.