Xavier baseball rolls by Benton with Winker, Pick

CEDAR RAPIDS - It didn't take long for Cedar Rapids Xavier to get back into the routine of a high-powered offense and concrete pitching.

The Saints knocked off Benton Community, 7-1, last night behind the arm of Cal Winker and the bat of Adam Pick.

'We had some pretty good swings tonight, but it all started with some pretty good pitching,” Coach Dave Schemmel said. 'We had a stretch where we just couldn't throw strikes. The pitchers threw well tonight and that's key.”

Pitching six strong innings, players like Winker are helping to fill the void of recent Major League Baseball draftee Mitch Keller. While impossible to fill such a role, Winker said they're doing their best.

'I didn't practice that much during the offseason, but the coaches have me on now because I need to be one of the leading pitchers,” Winker said. 'I'll get more pitches in and try to fill that spot.”

While Winker was busy doing his part on the mound, Pick punched out a grand slam in the second inning, pushing the score to 6-1. Pick has been in a slump, hitting below .200.

Pick and his coaches agree it was uncharacteristic of him to be hitting so poorly and hope last night's game was the beginning of getting back on track.

'Adam needed something like that to happen,” Schemmel said. 'For him to get a couple good swings in, hopefully he remembers his approach on those types of things.”

Pick said he knew the ball was gone the moment it left the bat. He said it was nice to get back to where he wants to be as a hitter.

'I've just got to stay back on the ball; just wait back and drive the ball to the opposite side of the field,” Pick said.

After losing someone like Keller, the Saints are beginning to reexamine and adapt.

'We've lost a couple games that we should have won. And our players know that,” Schemmel said. 'It's in the back of their minds that we can play better than the games that we lost.”

Pick said there's obviously room for improvement. 'We can be a much better team,” he said.