May 19, 2004

White rebounds to post solid numbers for Tigers

After a rocky start to the season in which he was hitting just .240 through the first 23 games, Cowley County Community College sophomore left fielder Dwayne White has been one of the Tigers’ most consistent hitters over the past two months.

White has hit safely in 25 of his last 28 games and has batted .390 (39-100) with three home runs, 11 doubles and 24 runs batted in during that span. White’s average has climbed to .326 on the season, and he is tied with Clay Blevins for the team lead in runs batted in with 43.

White’s performance did not go overlooked as he was recently named to the First-Team All-Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division.

“Last year, I set that goal for myself and I didn’t get it, so I tried to work extra hard this year to get it,” White said. “It feels pretty good when I can accomplish one of my goals.”

White, who has struck out just five times in his last 100 at-bats, and only 13 times on the season, did not let his early season struggles affect his attitude at the plate.

“I just tried to stay positive and keep working hard,” White said. “I figure if I can put the ball in play every time, then it gives our team a chance to be successful.”

After hitting nearly .400 as a freshman, Tiger head coach Dave Burroughs knew it was a matter of time before White came around at the plate.

“Maybe he had a little too much pressure on him, or was trying to carry the club by himself early in the season,” Burroughs said. “But the main thing is he’s corrected it. I like seeing him up in big situations for us, because I’ve got confidence in him that he will do the job.”

It’s no coincidence that the Tigers went just 15-8 during the first 23 games of the season, and have gone 24-9 since. Cowley recently finished as Jayhawk East champions for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons, and enter the Region VI Tournament at Wichita’s Lawrence-Dumont Stadium as the East’s No. 1 seed.

White is hoping for a chance to play in the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.

“If we just play our game, stay within ourselves and don’t try to do too much (at the Region VI Tournament), we should be just fine,” White said. “Staying focused is the main thing.”

White, who was a first-team all-conference and first-team all-state selection as a senior at Independence High School, has signed with Oklahoma State University. He also was drafted by the Texas Rangers in last year’s Major League Baseball draft. So, he will have some decisions to make once the season is over.

However, for now, White is just focusing on helping the Tigers in their quest to reach the NJCAA World Series.

“This has been one of the best experiences of my life,” White said. “If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would. I wish I had another year here.”

Burroughs is hoping to see White play a few more weeks for the Tigers before having to say goodbye to the talented sophomore.

“He’s a great kid,” Burroughs said. “We will definitely miss him.”