TicketsMarch 8, 2011
By Shawn Sell
GoBEARCATS.com
To say that Jake Proctor struggled as a freshman in 2010 is an understatement. To say that less than one calendar year later, he may be on the verge of becoming a star in the BIG EAST may not be.
As a true freshman out of Cincinnati's Oak Hills High School, Proctor labored through a painful season that saw him hit just .111 in 40 games (24 starts) for the Bearcats. Despite the struggles, UC head coach Brian Cleary struck with Proctor and said he kept a positive attitude throughout.
"He played more than he probably should have last year and by that I mean we were forced to play him in some situations where it was difficult for him to have success," UC's skipper says. "To his credit, he kept battling all year when it was tough for him to battle and he never complained. He did have a difficult freshman year and I think the benefit to that is he got a lot of at-bats under his belt and our hope was it would pay off this year."
When the season wrapped up, Proctor says he took time to reflect on the difficulties he had endured. From there, he realized where his struggles lay.
"It was tough," he says of last season. "It was a long season for me. I took a step back at the end of the season and realized it was more mental than physical. You don't notice that until you take a step back and look at what I went through. This year, I've taken a different approach and my mental game is a thousand times better than it was a year ago."
Just three weeks into the new season, it seems that Proctor's mental approach, along with a summer spent in the weight room with strength coach Dave Andrews, is paying off. Through nine games, Proctor has nearly doubled his hit total from all of last season, entering this week at a .417 clip (15-for-36). While the sample size compared to last season is clearly smaller, Proctor is already making a believer out of his head coach.
"It's hard to draw a whole lot of comparisons just nine games in, but he is definitely much improved," Cleary says. "We knew going in after watching him in the fall (that he had improved). Watching the first few games he has played, he is clearly a different hitter. He has a much better approach at the plate and much better ability to recognize pitches; he is stronger and more athletic. He has really looked good so far and we just hope he can keep it up."
One of the highlights for Proctor already this season came on February 28th against Furman, when the sophomore connected on a game-winning three-run homer in the seventh inning. With the Bearcats trailing 6-4 late in the going, Proctor was able to go deep to lead his team to a 9-8 victory.
"I was doing my best to hang in there and I kind of knew this guy was going to give me a breaking ball because (another) at-bat before they threw me a fastball and I crushed it down the line for a double," he recounts. "So I knew he was working me off-speed and I battled a little bit through the at-bat. I definitely thought a slider was coming and he hung one up there and I put a good swing on it and I was lucky enough for it to get out. It felt really good."
What also felt really good for Proctor was his decision to become a Bearcat out of high school. After not being heavily recruited out of Oak Hills High, Proctor says the decision to come to UC wasn't difficult for a self-described longtime Bearcat fan.
"It was such an easy decision (to come here)," he says. "I grew up being the biggest UC fan of anything; I would cry when UC basketball would lose any game, I followed them so closely. I followed baseball too, but I was the biggest UC basketball fan. I've been a huge UC supporter since I was little. I love the city, I love the Bearcats; I love everything about it."
After taking two of three last weekend in a home series against Youngstown State, the Bearcats appear headed in the right direction. Despite some gaudy stats (.417 average, three doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI and three stolen bases), Proctor isn't focusing on his individual success, instead concentrating on how he can help his team win.
"I think our team is good enough to compete for a BIG EAST Championship," he says. "If I concentrate on that, I think personal goals will take care of themselves. Every time you step in the box, you have to think about what you can do for the team and if you think that way and never get too high or too low, things will work out the way you want them to. I haven't been obsessed with my stats this year, I haven't really paid attention to them, but it seems to be working out."
Perhaps the biggest key to things working out for Proctor is his physical stature. Standing at 6'1" and weighing right around 215 pounds, Proctor possesses quite the physical makeup. Because of that, he brings quite a blend of speed and power to the Bearcat lineup, where he has been a regular starter in centerfield and batting lead-off. Cleary for one sees a rising star in his young outfielder.
"He is physically one of the most impressive athletes in our entire department and I include the football and basketball guys (in that)," Cleary assesses. "If you talk to our strength and conditioning people, he is really somebody that you marvel at. He is 215 pounds, he runs a 6.5 60 (yard dash); he is an explosive athlete. He can play centerfield and is getting better at that. He can steal bases. He isn't great at that yet, but he is going to be. You've got a guy that is a phenomenal athlete; he has tremendous power, yet he is sitting in the leadoff spot for us. He is a really unique mix of power and speed. If he combines all of his talents and they all come together for him, I think you are looking at a guy that can be an absolute superstar."