There's only one way to step out of a shadow, and that is to stand in front of the object blocking the light.

In three of the last five games, Nathan Southard has done just that, moving into the third spot in the batting order ahead of fellow Tulane superstar Mark Hamilton.

At Tulane, the two future State College Spikes batted with Hamilton in the No. 4 spot and Southard at No. 5. While Hamilton collected lots of fame hitting 20 home runs and collecting 69 RBI, Southard quietly put together a solid season playing every game in center field and hitting .342.

In the three games that Southard has hit in the No. 3 spot for the Spikes, he has gone 6-for-13 with three runs and three RBI. In yesterday's game, he started the hit parade for the Spikes with a double in the first inning that ended up being the spark that led to a 12-hit performance by the team.

During that streak, Southard passed Hamilton and Jose Salazar for the lead in batting average.

Southard said that there is no specific competition between him and Hamilton for the batting average leader on the team, despite the fact that they have been teammates for so long.

"There's always a little, underlying factor that you wanna be the best but we don't have any special competition going on," he said.

Formerly in the two-hole, Southard said the adjustment to batting third has not been difficult and he embraces the potential, both good and bad, in the pressure spot.

"You kinda think there's a little more pressure and a little more expectations, but you like that," Southard said. "You live for those pressures, those moments and those roles, and hopefully I can continue to take advantage of it."

Southard was picked in the 17th round of the 2006 draft and started the season sitting on the bench behind former Spikes Charles Carter and Matt Wilkerson. After fully recovering from a minor injury, though, Southard made a full charge at cracking the lineup and now sits in the most coveted position of all hitters.

In only three short weeks he's turned a lot of heads, and even surprised himself.

"If you'd asked if I expected to be hitting in the three hole -- no, I didn't expect it," Southard said. "But being in this role now is a blessing. I've been playing well and coach put me in that spot. Coach has confidence in me and playing well will put you in those kinda spots."

Manager Mike DeJohn said that along with Salazar and Hamilton, Southard has been the only other consistent hitter in the lineup.

"Southard always battles at the plate and plays a good left field," DeJohn said. "He doesn't give his at-bats away."