Big West recognizes performance by Fogel

Because University of Hawaii baseball player Adam Fogel put his foot down, he went on to a productive four-game performance culminating in being named the Big West Conference’s field player of the week on Monday.

Fogel, a freshman who can play in the outfield or at first base, hit .750 (9-for-12) with eight RBIs in the ’Bows’ four-game sweep of San Jose State this weekend.

“I think it was well deserved,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said of the weekly award, the third by a ’Bow this season. “I’m happy for Adam. I think this is recognition of a young man’s talent and hard work. It started to pay off, and hopefully he’ll continue this hot streak he’s on. We’re not expecting 9-for-12 every weekend, but we know he’s capable.”

For Fogel, it started with changing his batting approach a week earlier. Since his freshman year at Palos Verdes (Calif.) High, Fogel, a right-handed hitter, raised his left — lead — foot as part of his stance. But he said he needed to tinker with the stance because of Division I’s harder-throwing pitchers. While the leg kick adds momentum to the stroke, it also makes it difficult to check or alter a swing.

“I got to this level, and seeing 90-plus every other pitcher, it’s tough to stay consistent with so many moving parts,” Fogel said.

In abandoning the leg lift, he retained his swing level and hand positioning. “I made (the adjustment) as simple as possible,” Fogel said. “I took (the leg lift) out, and it’s really worked for me so far.”

Fogel, who is 6 feet 5 and 200 pounds, is used to transitions. He played hockey and football — his father was a California quarterback — through middle school before focusing on baseball and basketball in high school. He did not play his senior season while recovering from a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder. He was the designated hitter on a club team last summer.

Fogel, who opted against surgery, rehabilitated with rest and then intensive physical therapy. Trapasso said Fogel’s success is not surprising to teammates.

“As funny as it sounds, we’re not seeing any kind of big improvement because we’ve seen him since September, and he’s been this good and shown us the capability of hitting like this since Day 1 in the fall,” Trapasso said. “None of this has come as a surprise to anyone on our ballclub. We know he’s locked in right now, and we hope he can continue seeing the ball the way he is right now for a few more weeks.”

Fogel, who overcame a hamstring issue earlier in the season, said he’s had spurts of good hitting, “but I never pieced it together consistently. And then things started clicking for me (this past week), and good things happened.”

As it is with most hitters on a roll, Fogel thought the ball appeared bigger in the first two games of the SJSU series. But on Sunday, he said, that “was not one of those games. It was kind of a lucky game. I kind of threw my bat out and the ball found it.”

One of his two hits that Sunday was his first UH home run.