Starting off in a slump, especially a season that comes with such high expectations, is never easy. Senior second baseman Charlie Zebig carried the weight of that scenario into the batter’s box.
An 0-for-8 in May is merely a bump in a long season. An 0-for-8 slump in March while staring down the throes of a .000 batting average can cause a hitter to grab the bat even tighter.
Zebig’s leadoff single Monday then came with a huge sigh of relief.
“Getting that felt good, especially at the start of the game, trying to get the guys going,” he said. “Hitting leadoff, I like to attack that first pitch. In my last five at-bats, I saw like six pitches.
“I really tried to attack that first pitch.”
Zebig, an Augustana recruit, kicked off a four-run first inning with that solid single, briefly giving the Cadets their first lead of the spring. But Ottawa Marquette rallied for a 12-5 nonconference win.
Luke Young notched a two-run double followed by a two-run single from Alex Saling, both coming with two outs in that first inning. Later, Saling also singled and scored for Marmion (0-4).
The Cadets were held scoreless in their first three games, putting up a .109 batting average as a team. That big first inning came as a relief to Zebig and Co.
“Our offense hasn’t been anywhere the first three games,” he said. “Definitely getting that helped our guys a lot. We got over that hump with those first couple runs, that feeling of being in a rally.”
Marmion coach Aaron Nieckula hopes that will lead to a breakout after a rough start to the spring.
“To put a few runs on the board was good to see,” Nieckula said. “It was an opening. Hopefully, we can build off it. I thought we had a better offensive approach, a better focus and a better mindset.”
Marmion graduated 14 seniors. That means this year’s five seniors, led by Zebig, have new roles. This is their group, and they’re trying to find a way to turn things around.
“It’s a new team,” Nieckula said. “You have new personalities around. You’re a leader now. Those guys are seniors. Last year, they had a leadership group in front of them. They’re the people now.”
That isn’t lost on Zebig. After the 0-3 start, he helped lead a team meeting.
“We called an audible,” Zebig said. “A couple seniors called a meeting before a lift. We talked it out Saturday morning. We definitely are all on the right track. We have a really talented team.
“We just need to start getting over that hump and need to find a way to win some games.”
One thing off Zebig’s plate is his college decision. In October, he committed to Augustana.
“I went to the state games for Prep Baseball Report and that’s where Augustana reached out to me,” Zebig said. “My parents and I went to visit there, and we really loved it.”
Emmit Collins, one of his best friends on Marmion’s baseball team, decided to reach out to Augustana after he found out Zebig did.
“We were on a retreat for school and they texted me that they wanted me on their campus immediately,” Collins said. “I went back for a second visit and committed on the spot.”
Future memories are now on the way, but Zebig first wants to finish strong for the Cadets.
“I want to enjoy my senior year, but obviously, I’m super excited for college baseball and rooming with one of my best friends,” Zebig said. “It definitely makes the shift to college really comfortable.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
