Iowa’s Reese Moore finds success by hitting to the opposite field

IOWA CITY - Reese Moore has become one of the Big Ten Conference’s top hitters this college baseball season.

The Iowa Hawkeyes sophomore catcher-DH ranks top 10 in batting average, top 13 in on-base percentage, top five in slugging percentage and OPS. That’s good, and a marked improvement from a season ago.

The reason for that marked improvement is because the Van Meter graduate has found something: the opposite field. In the case of the left-handed hitter, that’d be left field.

“To see him hit a home run the other day to left, I was just kind of chuckling to myself,” said Iowa Coach Rick Heller, whose team began a three-game Big Ten series Thursday afternoon at Minnesota. “Because when he first came here, he couldn’t have done that. And even a good chunk of last year, that just wouldn’t have happened.”

Moore, who red-shirted as a freshman, hit .287 in 51 games last season for the Hawkeyes. That included five home runs and 32 RBIs.

He already has seven homers in his first 23 games this season, going into Thursday with a .382 batting average and 24 RBIs. His slugging percentage was .474 last season and a robust .763 so far this season.

  Buy Photo

“I would say, more or less, it’s just going up there with confidence,” Moore said. “With my swing, I know anything in the strike zone I can do damage on. I think that’s the biggest thing. Knowing I’m the best when the ball is in the strike zone, and I’m not chasing.

“When I’m getting my pitch and just hammering it.”

Moore has almost as many walks (12) as strikeouts (14), which goes back to be more selective. He was this week’s Big Ten Player of the Week, going 8 for 15 with four home runs and nine RBIs in four games.

“I would just say I’m more locked in,” he said. “Last year, I kind of threw away some at-bats that I wish I had back. This year, obviously, I’m still working on that. I’m trying to improve. But I would say that’s probably the biggest difference from last year to this year. Treating every at-bat like it matters, no matter the score. Whether we’re up big or down big. Just be locked in and focus when I step into the box.”

“He has worked hard,” Heller said. “Like all young kids, he had to come in and make some adjustments that aren’t easy. This year, he has done a really good job of just taking what comes to him.”

And going the other way.

“He is a pull hitter by trade, and this year his ability to go the other way has really opened up his game,” Heller said. “It has closed some holes that people could attack in previous at-bats. Because when he does that, he’s not susceptible as much left-on-left against a breaking ball. He’ll stay on it and go that way, which has really changed the dynamics of Reese as a hitter.

“He is seeing it great right now, barreling up the balls that he is getting. He’s in a good place. But the big thing for me is he’s just maturing. The more at-bats he gets under his belt, the more quality pitchers he sees, with that ability now to go the other way has really turned him into the hitter you see now.”

Iowa went into Thursday’s game with a 14-9 overall record, 7-2 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes and Golden Gophers are scheduled to play a doubleheader Friday beginning at noon.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com