Montgomery finding his groove at plate for UH
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
For Hawai'i's Tim Montgomery, seeing is believing.
• Who: Sacramento State (5-1) vs. Hawai'i (3-1) • When: 5:05 p.m. today and tomorrow, 1:05 p.m. Sunday • Where: Les Murakami Stadium • Parking: $3 • Tickets: $6 Blue and Orange levels; $5 Red level (adults); $4 Red level (65-years-and-older, students K-12 and UH students with IDs). By phone: 526-4400. • Radio: KKEA AM 1420 will broadcast all games live. • TV: K-5 will broadcast Sunday's game only. • Probable starting pitchers: Tonight: RH Marshall Plouffe (0-0) (1-0) vs. RH Chris George (1-0); tomorrow: RH Chris Kinsey (1-0) vs. LH Justin Cayetano (0-0; Sunday: RH Steve Cuckovich (2-0) vs. RH Ricky Bauer (1-0). • History: UH leads series 33-14; Hornets won 2 of 3 last year.
Since arriving here as a freshman three years ago, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound center fielder has been evaluated by coaches, scouts and national publications as having the "tools" to be a pro prospect. But his first two seasons with the Rainbows suggested some of his tools needed, well, retooling.
UH game facts
The tools of baseball are running, fielding, throwing, hitting and hitting for power. In recent years, strike zone judgment has become another tool. In two full seasons as a starter, Montgomery showed speed (13 for 16 in steals) and defense (fielding and throwing). Those are skills he has control over; opponents cannot make him run slower or drop a ball.
But hitting was another tune. Montgomery entered this season with a career batting average of .242 with 13 doubles, a triple and four home runs. His only home run last year came at Fresno State on his second to last at-bat of the season.
Worse was his walks/hit-by-pitch-to-strikeouts ratio. The last two seasons it was 19-116. He holds the school's single-season strikeout record with 61 and is 26 shy of the career mark held by Jamie Aloy over four seasons.
Although the Rainbows are just four games into their 56-game schedule, Montgomery has made strides — literally — in his hitting. Getting his front foot down earlier has allowed him to see pitches better. The result: 4 for 13 (.308) with a double and home run. But the not-so-obvious improvement is that he has walked or been hit by a pitch four times to three strikeouts.
"I'm just trying to get down earlier so I can get better pitch recognition and just become more selective, kind of better my walk-to-strikeouts ratio," explained Montgomery of getting his front foot down quicker. "I think that helps, the longer time to pick up the ball. That's the key to hitting, just to see the ball, hit the ball."
Of course, no one could be prouder of Montgomery's modest start than new hitting coach Brian Green. He said Montgomery has stretched his hitting zone, giving him a longer plane to make contact.
"I think mechanically that's what he's doing to allow that to happen," Green said. "The biggest key is he's in the zone longer."
Montgomery's two-run home run to left-center was an example of his potential. His homer not only cleared the original outfield wall, but had tremendous height.
"I probably hit higher ones that went 90 feet — pop-ups to the infield," Montgomery said. "That (home run) felt good to get one under my belt early in the year. Last year, I got my first home run in the last game of the season."
Montgomery said he wasn't sure if the ball was out initially. All he heard was first base coach Keith Komeiji's voice.
"Coach Meij was saying, 'Run it out,' " Montgomery said. "I didn't want to show anybody up."
With his hitting heading in the right direction, Montgomery's fielding is as good as ever. He has taken charge in center field, covering both gaps, as well as the shallow areas where infielders could make catches.
Green said Montgomery's value on defense helps him relax when it's time to bat.
"As good a defensive player he is, I think he knows the value he provides out there and that gives him confidence at the plate," Green said.
Notes
• Early starts: The UH athletic department is reminding spectators that the starting times for today's and tomorrow's games have been moved to 5:05 p.m., instead of the usual 6:35 p.m.
