TicketsFeb. 6, 2006
by Becky Hart, Sports Communications Student Assistant
LaFringe Hayes is looking for three things this season - speed, improvement, and wins - and he's relying on more opportunities and past experiences to get them. Preparing for his final collegiate season, the senior outfielder has a good understanding of why he has been successful in the past and, perhaps more importantly, of what he needs to go even further.
With an athletic family, it was simple for LaFringe to decide how he wanted to spend his time. "My mom had played softball, my grandfather played baseball, my dad played baseball. It just came about playing in the backyard," said the Chicago native. "From then on, I just fell in love with the game of baseball and have been playing it ever since."
After hitting .560 as a high school senior, Hayes played for Oklahoma. Despite a successful two years, the speedster transferred to Cincinnati looking for a better fit and a team where he would have the opportunity to better showcase his talents. "I liked the stadium, I liked Coach Cleary and all the coaching staff," explained Hayes on why he chose UC. "I liked the people they had coming in. It just felt like a good situation to me."
It also turned out to be a good situation for the Bearcats. In his first season in Cincinnati, Hayes led the team with a .343 batting average, 14 stolen bases, and seven triples. It is his speed that has been one of his most important contributions to the team. "I've got a little piece of history that I could tell people," Hayes said of recording the first triple in UC Baseball Stadium. "It's always good to have something to be proud of. That's my one little thing I can be proud of."
Speed seems to be a major source of pride in the centerfielder's game. He has relied on his quickness to get this far and he's counting on it to take him even further. "I've just got to really work on using it more in my game than I have in the past, to get more out of it."
LaFringe won't be counting up his steals during the season, however. It's not his focus to keep track of achievements and make statistical goals. Instead, he's aiming for overall improvement. "My personal goal is to do better than I did last year," Hayes said. "I want to improve from last year to this year, not be the same as last year."
Armed with the experience from playing for the LaCrosse Loggers of the Northwoods League last summer, Hayes is looking for the chance to show how his hard work has paid off. "Playing in that many games, you get to really know your weaknesses, find out what you really need to work on to become a better baseball player," Hayes said.
The encouragement and help from his family and coaches have also been an important part of his success and progress. His parents helped "to push me, kept telling me that everything will work out the way it's supposed to," while the support of his tight-knit teammates and coaches has been one of the highlights of his time in Cincinnati.
LaFringe is looking for more highlights on the field for the 2006 season. Posting more victories is the primary goal. "This is my last year. I want to win." That includes concluding his college career with an NCAA appearance.
His sights are set on a BIG EAST Conference championship first, though. Hayes understands the need to respect his new conference opponents, but is not willing to back down either. "I'm not going to say it won't be tough," said Hayes, "but coming out of Conference USA, we played some pretty good competition ... I think we'll be well-prepared for what's ahead of us."
With his speed and penchant of seeking out the opportunities and experiences that will help him improve, LaFringe Hayes is set to provide some pretty good competition for his opponents and life.