Schuyler continues to swing hot bat, but Dragons routed by Great Lakes

He’s been the most consistent bat in the Dayton Dragons line-up in the first month of the season.

Jay Schuyler went into Sunday’s game among the leaders in the Midwest League with a .352 batting average and a team-leading 14 RBIs.

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“I’m just trying to keep things slow and simple in the box, and put myself in a good spot to get a good swing on a pitch,” Schuyler said “Life is always easier when you’ve got some fast guys in front of you getting on base and opening some holes.”

There’s an old adage in baseball that says when a hitter is swinging a hot bat, the ball looks a lot bigger than it really is. Schuyler certainly doesn’t dispute that.

“It definitely seems like it’s moving slower at times, and then when you’re not going as well it sort of looks like a ping pong ball,” he said.

Schuyler hit .272 at short-season Billings last summer and now he knows there will be an adjustment to a full 140-game schedule in Dayton in 2019.

“There’s definitely a mental toll that goes along with that,” Schuyler said. “Just trying to stay healthy…and trying to find a way to do one thing good every day because you can’t get a hit every day and you have to find other ways to help the team win.”

Getting off to a fast start is something every player in any sport is hoping to do, but the southern California native knows the game can knock you down in a hurry.

“Baseball is all about consistency so you’re just trying to keep on the good streaks as long as possible and the bad streaks as short as possible,” he said.

Schuyler extended his hitting streak to five games in a row with a ninth-inning single on Sunday. He came home on a home run from Juan Martinez, but it was too little and too late for the Dragons.

Great Lakes broke the game open with an eight-run sixth-inning on the way to a 14-4 victory and a third win in a row at Fifth Third Field.

The Dragons have the day off Monday before taking off on a western road trip that starts in Peoria Tuesday night.

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