By Jared Wicks
LIVERPOOL, N.Y.– Give Ben Mauseth credit. The Oneonta infielder knows how make a good first impression.
Heading into Sunday’s afternoon tilt with the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs, Mauseth was the hottest hitter in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. At the start of play was batting .538 with seven hits, six stolen bases and one home run in 13 ABs with the undefeated Oneonta Outlaws.
The sophomore shortstop has made quick adjustments traveling from over a thousand miles away to play in the NYCBL.
“I just think about staying with the ball and going wherever it’s thrown,” Mauseth said. “Really you don’t have to worry about where it goes you just have to see it and hit it.”
Attending Grand Canyon University located in Phoenix, Arizona and growing up in Tubac, Arizona, Mauseth’s competition (mostly from Upstate New York) has little to no advantage on his approach.
“It’s tough to know his tendencies…if pitching to our strength doesn’t work, we adjust from there.” Jr. Chiefs manager Chris Haynes spoke about facing a hitter like Mauseth whom you have no knowledge of, especially early in the season.
Mauseth’s hot hitting has head coach Joe Hughes adjusting Ben’s spot in the lineup, moving him from first to third.
“Adjusting to more off speed pitches is something I need to work on” Mauseth remarked as a big difference he sees at the plate now batting third.
The opposing pitchers of the NYCBL though are not the only ones having to adjust. Coming from the hot desert of the southwest to the colder climate of the north east, he has had to adjust as well.
The differences are not just weather but the game itself Mauseth feels is played differently between the competition he sees in the WAC conference compared to the NYCBL. “The talent is still here, but around here (Northeast) they play different….a lot of people here get right after it.” Mauseth said.
Make no mistake about it though Mauseth feels that the level of play in the WAC conference he plays in during the NCAA regular season is no joke. “Definitely” he said emphatically when asked about the competition at Grand Canyon. “Here (NYCBL) I’m more relaxed.”
Mauseth’s relaxation at the plate has made Hughes’s job easier when it comes to dealing with a player with his unique ability.
“Ben’s a really good athlete, he can do a lot of things for you, he can bunt, run, hit from both sides of the plate….he has a lot of pop for a smaller frame guy.”
Referring to Mauseth’s baseball IQ, Hughes said: “He knows the game and his knowledge of the game and makes a great addition to our team.”
Mauseth as well as pitchers Jaren Drummond, Ethan Evanko, and outfielder Matt Haggerty are part of a group of players who came to Oneonta thanks to Coach Hughes and his friendship with Clay Bellinger. The former New York Yankee and Oneonta native currently resides in Arizona and is friends with another former Yankee and Grand Canyon University head coach Andy Stankiewicz.
Stankiewicz came up through the Yankee system and played Single-A ball with the Oneonta Yankees of the New York-Penn League in the late 1980’s. He knows well what it is like to spend a summer at historic Damaschke Field.
Mauseth went 1-5 Sunday afternoon as Oneonta defeated the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs 9-6 in NYCBL action at Hopkins Road Park.
Four games in and everyone in the southern Otsego County area is happy for the cross country connection. Ben and the Outlaws sit at 4-0 and lead the Eastern Division heading into a Monday doubleheader tilt against the Cortland Crush.
Contributing to this article: Nick Ristoff/New York Collegiate Baseball League
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