After Hunter Ridge hit .277 in 76 games last season for the Slammers, he was hoping to be a regular in the 2016 lineup, too.
It hasn’t worked out that way for the 25-year-old North Carolina native.
“It’s been a very hard adjustment for me, but you’ve just got to accept your role,” Ridge said. “I love being here. I love playing under ‘Ice’ (manager Jeff Isom). But it has been a little tough.
“You’ve just got to stay in the game all the time. You never know when you’re going to be called. The next day you could be starting. You have to stay in the game for that pinch-hit opportunity or when your next at-bat might be.”
Lately, Ridge has made the most of his opportunities. He hit a two-run homer Sunday to help the Slammers avoid a sweep with a 7-4 victory over Florence in Kentucky. Good timing, too. His parents and fiancé were among the fans.
“That’s the first time they’ve seen me play this year,” Ridge said. “The result was fantastic. It couldn’t have been any better.”
The outfielder/designated hitter had played in only 21 of 59 games going into Tuesday’s series opener against Evansville at Silver Cross Field.
“He hasn’t had a whole lot of at-bats this season compared to other guys, but he comes with a positive attitude every day,” Isom said. “He’s ready to play. He’s a guy who everybody in the clubhouse likes and likes being around.”
Ridge was 3-for-8 with four RBIs in his previous three games. That also includes an RBI single when the Slammers rallied with a six-run ninth inning last Wednesday, but lost 8-7 to Southern Illinois.
Ridge raised his average to .204 with the three-game streak. He played in eight of the first 24 games, a quarter of the season, and was hitting only .130.
“Early in the season when I was struggling, I was trying to do too much, trying to hit the ball out,” Ridge said. “The last couple games that I let it come to me, I started to show my stride, hitting line drives.”
Ridge batted .329 at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and is the school’s all-time leader in hits. He played for Gateway of the Frontier League in 2014, his first pro season, before he signed with the Slammers.
“You’re never guaranteed a position, you’re never guaranteed a spot,” Ridge said. “You’ve always got to fight for it. Everybody here is fighting for a spot, not just for here but to go on to the next level.
“The way I look at it, I’m out here playing something that I love. Not everybody is given this opportunity. I’m just trying to take advantage of my opportunities.”
Joliet began a nine-game homestand Tuesday with a 1-1/2 game lead over Washington and 21/2 games over Windy City in the East Division.
The Slammers were 2-10 in their previous 12 games before Sunday’s victory in the series finale.
“We hit a little bump in the road here,” Ridge said. “As bad as we have been playing, I don’t know if it’s sad we’re still in first or if it’s a good thing. But I’d rather have the bump in the road now than in the last 15 games of the season.”
It won’t surprise Isom if Ridge is a late-season contributor.
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“It’s not an easy position that he’s in,” Isom said. “I know he wants to play every day. Everybody does, but he’s accepted that role and done a great job.”
Tim Tierney is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.
Up next: Evansville (Hunter Ackerman 3-3) at Slammers (Liam O’Sullivan 6-0), 10 a.m. Wednesday.