He might have been back from his wrist injury, but sophomore outfielder Logan Sowers wasn’t comfortable.
In his return to the lineup last Wednesday, Sowers went 0-for-2 despite a 27-run outburst for IU against Butler. In the first two games of the series vs. Indiana State this weekend, Sowers hit three singles in eight at-bats.
Then, Sunday, Sowers became comfortable again. He hit two home runs with three RBIs in a 5-3 extra-innings win that gave IU the series against Indiana State.
“The wrist has been feeling good the last week,” Sowers said. “It’s just a matter of me getting comfortable again in the box.”
Sowers looked uncomfortable in his first at-bat Sunday, striking out after lunging at a curveball.
The first pitch Sowers saw in his second at-bat Sunday was also a curveball. This time, he sent the pitch over the wall in center field.
Sowers said he wasn’t sitting on the curveball, he just saw a pitch up in the zone and made solid contact.
“The first at-bat I swung at some bad pitches, but then I got myself together and swung at some good pitches,” Sowers said. “It was a really offensive day today, so I just tried to get the ball in the air.”
The next time Sowers was at the plate, he once again waited for his pitch. After watching two pitches below the zone, he squared up a fastball and sent the ball careening off the scoreboard.
That was the key, Sowers said. He just needed to wait for a pitch in the zone he could drive. He didn’t wait his first at-bat. He waited for his next two at-bats and drove in all three of the runs IU needed to make it to extra innings.
Sowers also put IU in a position to win by waiting for his pitch leading off the ninth. This time, the pitch never came and he walked.
“I was looking for something in, something I could pull, and then the 3-1 pitch, I just couldn’t get the barrel on it,” Sowers said. “But I’ll take a walk in that situation any day.”
Sowers missed 11 games after bruising his wrist in the second weekend of the season at Cal State Fullerton.
Sowers is only a sophomore, but he started every game his freshman season. On a team without a lot of experience offensively, he also has the most career home runs of any one on the roster.
During his first game back against Butler, even though he didn’t record a hit, IU scored 27 runs against Butler. Earlier this season without Sowers, IU scored two runs vs. Butler.
IU Coach Chris Lemonis also said Sowers isn’t back to 100 percent. That didn’t stop him from carrying the offense.
“He’s close,” Lemonis said. “It’s nice to have him back, and he hit two moon balls today, so it was nice to have him back in the mix.”
