Sure, Andrean’s Jack Vogt is more comfortable these days.
The junior third baseman has earned a consistent role for the 59ers, after all.
But given the higher stakes Vogt associated with this season, he felt much different just a few months ago.
“I was more nervous for this year,” he said.
Vogt struggled at the plate throughout his sophomore season, first at the varsity level and then even after moving down, and he didn’t want that to happen again. So he went to work in the offseason.
The results are obvious. As defending Class 3A state champion Andrean (26-6-1) prepares to play Norwell (23-7) in the semifinals of the Oak Hill Semistate at 1 p.m. Saturday, Vogt can expect to bat in the heart of the order. He’s hitting .393 with two home runs and 19 RBIs.
Vogt most recently made his presence felt in the 59ers’ 9-4 win against New Prairie in the Plymouth Regional last week, igniting a four-run rally with a double in the fifth inning.
Andrean coach Dave Pishkur raved about Vogt’s performance.
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“He’s hit the ball really well,” Pishkur said. “He’s been the toughest guy on our team to strike out. And he plays a really good third base.”
As it turned out, Vogt’s concerns about this season didn’t survive the 59ers’ opener.
“I got my first hit in the first game,” he said. “That’s when it was like, ‘Oh, this is easier now.'”
Last season wasn’t easy for Vogt at all. He started it on Andrean’s varsity roster but got just one hit in 14 at-bats — and even that one required some luck, according to Pishkur.
“He did not hit the ball hard one time,” Pishkur said. “It wasn’t pretty. He came back with something to prove, that he was better than that.”
But that opportunity didn’t arrive until this year because Vogt wasn’t able to get on track at the junior varsity level, making his sophomore season one to forget.
Vogt eventually figured out the problem.
“It was just my swing,” he said. “It was my setup and my hand positioning and how I was moving before I was about to hit.”
Vogt refined the fundamentals of his swing throughout the summer, fall and winter, and he emerged as a different hitter. Teammate James Kirk noticed that early this season.
“All through the winter, he just put his head down and worked,” Kirk said. “He had one early game with a few hits, and you could tell that his presence in the box was a lot better. He was more confident, and his swing just looked way better.”
Vogt said the mechanics of his swing continue to evolve.
“Even during the season, we’ve still made improvements to it,” he said. “It’s an ongoing process, but I think it’s going pretty well this year.”
Pishkur hinted that more work will come for Vogt.
“He’s not afraid to try things,” Pishkur said. “He’s a big, strong kid, and he’s very capable of doing it. With some changes, he might be an even better hitter next year.”
Vogt acknowledged his swing isn’t perfect — “far from it,” he said — but he has come to believe that he can find solutions. He was even considering tweaks after a subpar batting practice on Thursday.
“I started opening up my swing in the middle of the year,” he said. “But I might go back to closing it up now because I just had a terrible day. I have to keep changing, I guess.”
Vogt sounded confident that he would have any issues fixed before Saturday.
“I’ll just do what I did last week,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.