Tennessee Tech star shining still as DH
Kevin Strohschein has found a way to keep hitting through an elbow injury that will require offseason surgery.
Strohschein, normally an outfielder for Tennessee Tech, was injured in March while pitching in a game against Lipscomb. He hasn’t pitched since and has been restricted to designated hitting most of his junior season, yet he performed well enough at the plate to be named Ohio Valley Conference player of the year for the second time.
He’s a major reason why Tennessee Tech (52-10) carries the nation’s most potent lineup into an NCAA super regional that starts today at Texas (40-20). The Golden Eagles are the first OVC team to reach a super regional, and they can earn a College World Series invitation by winning the best-of-three series against the Longhorns.
“It’s kind of surreal,” Strohschein said. “You watch it on TV, and it’s always the big schools.”
Tennessee Tech has made it this far largely thanks to a roster that leads all Division I teams in virtually every major hitting category. The Golden Eagles, who have averaged 10.2 runs and 2.2 home runs per game, are batting .338 with an on-base percentage of .434 and a slugging percentage of .589.
“It’s not just hitting the long ball,” Texas coach David Pierce said. “They do a lot of the little things offensively. They are good with two strikes. They are patient. There’s a reason why they hit so many home runs. They work to get pitches. Then they can create offense
with the short game.”
Strohschein has played a big role in that production. He’s batting .386 with a .441 on-base percentage and 18 homers and 67 RBIs.
Those numbers would be impressive enough for a player at full strength. Strohschein has been playing hurt since injuring his right elbow March 6. The injury helps explain why Strohschein wasn’t one of the eight Tennessee Tech players drafted this week. That number set a program and conference record, with the previous best five.
“It was tough to deal with, one of the tougher things I’ve had to really go through in my life honestly, but it is what it is,” Strohschein said of his injury. “I’ve just come to accept it.”
Strohschein can’t even throw from the outfield, but his injury apparently hasn’t bothered his swing too much. His batting average has slightly increased in the months since he was hurt, and he believes an improved mental approach has made up for any physical limitations.
After a stellar freshman season in which he was named OVC player of the year, Strohschein struggled a bit as a sophomore. His batting average dropped from .393 in 2016 to .292 in 2017, when his on-base percentage dipped from .447 to .351.
“My sophomore year, I put all kinds of unneeded pressure on myself trying to outdo my freshman year and thinking about MLB and all that kind of stuff, instead of just going out there and playing,” Strohschein said. “I just got caught up in stats, I guess, is the big thing that happened to me.”
He entered this season with a different mindset. He avoided getting down on himself when things went wrong and didn’t set statistical goals aside from vowing to improve his strikeoutto-walk ratio, something he has accomplished.
Although he changed his mental approach, Strohschein didn’t alter the work ethic that helped him become a Division I prospect in the first place. Golden Eagles coach Matt Bragga marvels at the number of hours Strohschein spends in the batting cages.
“Let’s say you go home and come back to the office at 10 p.m. just some night on a random Wednesday or Tuesday,” Bragga said. “I hear the crack of the bat out in our ‘hack shack’; you go out there, and it’s not always just Kevin, but Kevin is a guy, that’s what he does. … On a Tuesday night at 10 o’clock, it’s not a surprise to see him out hitting.”