A.J. Casario entered the season as a budding star for the Terrapin baseball team.
The sophomore right fielder led the team in batting last season and was named to the preseason Wallace Award watch list for national player of the year.
But during a season-long slump, in which he is hitting just .156 and leads the team with 32 strikeouts, Casario has learned things don’t always go according to plan, and sometimes you just have to play the game.
“I was thinking too much and really pressing,” Casario said. “I wasn’t going up there and just playing.”
Casario said that after a while his problems at the plate became more mental than physical.
“I felt like my swing was the best it has ever been. In the cages, I’ve never felt that smooth before,” Casario said. “It’s just transferring it into the game, and mentally I was trying to do what I was doing in the cages too much.”
A hit, a sacrifice fly and a stolen base in Saturday’s 13-8 win at Virginia Tech has Casario feeling like his slump may finally be coming to an end. Only time will tell, but coach Terry Rupp was understanding of Casario’s struggles.
“It’s a funny game, and at any point in time hitters can get hot and they can get cold,” Rupp said. “I think it’s a case where a young hitter has never gone through a dry time, and he’s just got to get through it. Every great hitter goes through it.”
Rupp recalled former Terp star Anthony Buffone, who faced a similar slump during his sophomore year in 2002 before ending the season hitting .362 and finishing his career as the school’s all-time leader in hits.
Rupp’s experience in 13 years as a head coach has been of value to Casario.
“We had a meeting and Coach told me to relax, and that really helped me out,” Casario said. “Just to let it come and my natural ability would take over eventually.”
Tonight’s game against Coppin State will provide Casario another opportunity to work out of it, but regardless of the stats, he said the stress is off after Saturday’s performance.
“My confidence level is boosted a ton now that I know that I can just go up there and swing,” Casario said. “I’m not gonna say my numbers are gonna go up, but that helpless feeling I had at the plate is gone.”
It’s clear that if the Terps want to navigate their way to a successful season through the rough-and-tumble ACC, they are going to need Casario’s offense.
“He’s right on track,” Rupp said. “We need A.J. to get going to help us get through this end-of-the-season schedule.”
As for the preseason hype, Casario knows he probably won’t live up to it. But at this point it doesn’t matter.
“Mentally I’m out of it. My swing is not perfect, but it’s going to get the job done, and I think I’m ready to help our team offensively again,” Casario said. “As long as I can help the team out, it’s not something to stress about.”
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