After last night's loss, State College Spikes manager Brad Fischer calmly sat at his desk in his office. Left leg crossed over his right, Fischer drew a blank stare as he gazed ahead at nothing.
The soothing look showed a stark contrast to the sputtering offense Fischer has seen on the field during the Spikes' current five game losing streak. During that streak, the offense has combined for just nine runs.
But despite the slow offensive start two weeks into the season, Fischer isn't pressing his lineup for run production. Instead, he's taking a wait-and-see approach, giving everybody on the roster game experience.
"It really doesn't have anything to do with the way the last five games have gone," Fischer said. "It has more to do with the rotation we have with trying to get everybody game time. I don't want everybody sitting here, I want guys to get the game time and have the experience of playing."
Fischer said his lineup has never been identical from one game to the next. But the three-four-five hitters in the Spike's lineup have been a mainstay for the last week.
Matt Payne, Calvin Anderson and Quincy Latimore have jump started the offense by getting on base when the top of the order has struggled. Last night against Williamsport, Latimore ripped a second inning triple to the center field wall for the Spikes first hit of the night.
Anderson had to lead-off an inning twice, including the second when the Spikes recorded their first run since scoring two runs in the eighth inning on June 29.
"It's been kinda frustrating," Anderson said. "I've been having to lead-off every inning a lot of the time. I kinda gotta put it on myself to start hitting, getting into a groove, start getting confident cause who knows when I'm gonna get in a sitaution where I got runners on base."
Fischer has shown patience with the top of the order. He moved second basemen Chad Rice to the two-spot because of strong hitting. Rice followed up with a one-out double in the fifth inning. Centerfielder Ciro Rosero was moved back into the lead-off spot after sitting out on June 30.
Still, Fischer isn't concerned.
"I'm more interested in the players working on their swing and making solid contact," Fischer said.
"Hitting breaking balls, doing the things they worked on in the cage. If they do that then they're gonna have success. Im not so much worried about the results, I'm worried about the process."
Fischer pointed to Payne as developing a nice inside ball stroke. Catcher Matt Carver, who is known to pull the ball, roped two balls up the middle, one being an RBI single in the fourth inning.
With the constant lineup changes, the players remain focused on their individual ends. Anderson said as long as guys work on the essential aspects of their swing and practice situational hitting, there's no need to press to score runs.
Fischer doesn't seem to have a sense of urgency either.
"If somebody stood out and went out and did some big things I'd get them in the lineup," Fischer said. "But nobody's stepping up and doing that much that makes me gonna put 'em in the lineup."
