Can't catch a break: Hogs not dwelling on catcher Koch's slump

FAYETTEVILLE -- Catcher Grant Koch squared some balls up and drove in a couple of runs during the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks five-game run at the SEC Tournament last week, but it did not help the team's lone All-SEC first-team selection emerge from a hitting slump.

Koch went 2 for 15, including an RBI double and a sacrifice fly, to help the Razorbacks surge to the tournament final against No. 3 LSU. Coach Dave Van Horn dropped Koch from cleanup to No. 7 in the lineup during the tournament, but he's certain the former Fayetteville High School standout is ready to return to his role as a strong contributor as the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville enters the NCAA Fayetteville Regional this week.

"He was the hard-luck hitter in that tournament for us," said Van Horn, who also noted Koch's strikeout in the second inning against LSU with one out and runners on second and third. "But then his next three at-bats he hits line drive deep right, line drive into right-center that's caught by the center fielder, and then he flies to the wall in left-center. He has nothing to show for it."

Koch said "I'm good" when asked about his tough-luck status in Hoover, Ala.

"They're going to fall, you know what I mean," he said. "I guess you call it the game owes me one or whatever, but no, I hit a lot of balls good. I saw it well. That's all you can do. I'm fine with it, all good. Just carry it into this weekend."

Koch, who hit .276 with 2 home runs and 14 RBI as a part-time starter in 2016 as a freshman, made a huge jump as a sophomore in all facets of his game.

After starting the season 1 for 8, Koch went on a tear, with 15 hits in his next 35 at-bats (.429), including 4 home runs and 14 RBI, to raise his batting average to .372 during a stretch when several other Razorbacks were off to slow starts.

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Koch helped fuel the Razorbacks' 25-6 start and rise in the rankings, one season after Arkansas failed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2001.

"He's gotten bigger and stronger," Van Horn said. "We knew he was the guy. He improved his whole game: throwing, catching, blocking. And then the fact of just him and the pitchers, he's really improved."

Koch said he worked on "every facet of the game every single day" and did not take a day off during the offseason.

"I think my offensive approach ... and learning what pitchers are trying to do to me has improved," he said. "Catching wise, I just put in work to make myself a more all-around catcher, throwing out runners and controlling the game and controlling the pitching staff -- which is another big one -- controlling the pitchers and knowing how they work and having good relationships with people."

Koch's seasoned approach caught the eye of his teammates.

"He's a very mature young man for a sophomore; I love talking hitting with that kid," junior outfielder Luke Bonfield said.

"He's been a huge factor," junior pitcher Trevor Stephan said. "He's helped me get better as a pitcher, and he's easy to trust back there. He's just a wall behind the plate. He helps throw out runners on the base paths, and he gets it done at the plate."

Junior first baseman Chad Spanberger said Koch's offensive improvement is rivaled by how he's improved as a catcher.

"He's a captain, so we follow him," Spanberger said. "He's our leader. He doesn't say much, but we follow him by his actions."

Shortstop Jax Biggers said there was a good reason Koch was voted first-team All-SEC by league coaches.

"He's one of the best hitters I've seen," Biggers said. "He's got power and everything is natural. He can hit to both sides of the field. With two strikes he can get it done.

"I could go on and on about him. The way he hit in the fall and the way he's hitting now is unreal. He's definitely the best hitter I've seen my age in my time of life."

Biggers also raves about Koch's defense, which includes 16 runners caught stealing in 42 attempts (38.1 percent).

"I think he gets so many extra strikes for our pitchers," Biggers said. "Balls that are just a little bit off, he's able to frame them in there and get the umpire to call them a strike. And of course his blocking, he's unreal."

Koch kept his average as high as .330, second best on the team behind Jake Arledge on April 1, before it began trickling down.

Van Horn said Koch was having to catch virtually every game because of backup catcher Alex Gosser's arm injury, but he's seen Koch retain his strength through the slump.

"He's watching his batting average drop, he's not feeling good," Van Horn said. "We just tell him, 'Your day is coming.' Maybe it's this weekend. I feel like he's fine."

Koch assured Tuesday he is fine.

"I take a lot of pride in taking care of my body," he said. "That's huge for me. Like when we're having all those midweeks, it's not really the games that gets to me, it's more the time that I have to recover and work on my body.

"A lot of times when you're playing game after game after game, it gets hard to squeeze time in. But no, I feel great and I think not having the midweeks and having a little bit of time off here and there, especially in Hoover, it's really good. I felt fresh every day this week."

Sports on 06/01/2017