In the opening game of his amazing weekend against Oklahoma earlier this month, it wasn’t the at-bat in the first inning in which Kyle Wood drilled a three-run double that provided him the most satisfaction.
Nor was it the plate appearance in the third inning in which he homered, giving the visiting Boilermakers a 5-0 advantage.
Rather, it was Wood’s third at-bat of Purdue’s eventual 6-3 victory over the Sooners that gave the Orland Park resident the best vibe.
“The one I was most happiest with was my third at-bat Friday night,” Wood said. “Their pitcher did a good job and I was down 0-and-2 right away.
“Then I fought off some good pitches. On a tough fastball, I hit a little flare over the shortstop’s head for a base hit. I was very happy with that at-bat.
“I didn’t get too big or try to elevate. I just took it at-bat by at-bat.”
All the 2011 St. Laurence graduate did in three games against the Sooners was go 9-for-11 with two home runs, four runs scored and seven RBI. He finished with 16 total bases and an on-base percentage of .786.
For his stellar performance, Wood was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Week for the timeframe ending March 8. It marked the first time the junior first baseman garnered the accolade. Wood is the first Boilermaker to win the award since April of 2013.
“It was an honor,” Wood said. “There are a lot of great kids in the Big Ten and to win that award was nice. I wish we would have won the series, but it was nice.
“It was nice, but it’s also humbling. Winning an award like that, you get recognition. It’s pretty cool, but I also have to stay level-headed and keep doing what I’m doing.
“After the last game, people texted me and Tweeted me. My dad joked with me that with the Wood luck, someone else would go 11-for-11 or something like that.”
In Purdue’s opening win, Wood was 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, four RBI and two runs.
One day later in a 7-1 loss, Wood was 2-for-4. He concluded the series on March 8 by going 4-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs in a 13-10 setback.
“I was feeling well and I took advantage of some mistakes their pitchers made,” Wood said. “I got down 0-and-2 in some at-bats. They pitched me tough, but I just hung with my approach and the ball just found grass all weekend.
“My one big strength is I have fast hands and quick hands. I won’t get beat by fastballs, and that allows me to see the ball longer and I can hit off-speed pitches.”
Through the first 17 games of the season, Wood leads Purdue in batting average (.381), on-base percentage (.467), hits (24) and home runs (2). He’s second in RBI (12), tied for third in doubles (4) and fourth in runs (10).
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Along with his Big Ten plaudit, another highlight for Wood thus far this spring was Purdue’s three-game nonconference series with visiting Northern Illinois. Not only did the Boilermakers win the last two games by a combined 33-7, but Wood also competed against his younger brother Brad, who is the Huskies’ freshman third baseman.
“That was a lot of fun,” Kyle Wood said. “I’ve never played against him. There is definitely a sibling rivalry there.
“We had a lot of family members who took the trip down and we were able to be with them, too. On the field, we were going back and forth a little bit.
“We didn’t make it too obvious, but there were definitely some things that were said. We were just joking here and there.”
Lucky guy
McKendree University sophomore defensive end Lucky Baar has received First-Team All-America accolades from the Associated Press and Beyond Sports Network.
The Morgan Park graduate, who was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year for 2014, earned Little All-America recognition from the Associated Press.
The AP Little All-America team – an award first presented back in 1934 – is comprised of the top players from NCAA Division II, III and the NAIA. Baar also was named to the first team defense of the BSN NCAA Division II All-America team. He is the first Bearcat football player to collect AP and BSN All-America honors since the McKendree football program was revived in 1996.
This season, Baar set new school and conference marks with 261/2 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback sacks. He also established new team and league records, thanks to a 51/2-sack performance in the Bearcats’ 53-43 victory at Southwest Baptist University in October. Baar had multi-sack performances in four of McKendree’s final five games.
Mike Walsh is a freelance writer.