The way things have played out for Ozark in its first 25 games, the Tigers have had four left-handed hitters not only earn starting jobs but solidify themselves among the Tigers’ top batsmen.
While Nixa has just one southpaw in its starting nine, Ozark features lefty starters in Hudson Roberts, Peyton Bullinger, Truman Griessel and Rylan Sutton.
It’s the most lefties coach Justin Sundlie has had in his lineup over his four seasons with the Tigers.
“I like having a balanced lineup. It changes things up on the opposing pitcher,” Sundlie said. “We're not doing it on purpose. We’re just looking for guys to put good swings on the ball. Those guys are doing it.”
Ozark (13-12) entered this week having won four of its last six games. Over that span, the Tigers averaged 5.6 runs a game.
Roberts usually is second in their batting order, while Griessel, Bullinger and Sutton are in the bottom half of the lineup. Ozark has been anything but top-heavy. The Tigers have received just as much production, and sometimes more, from the bottom of their lineup as the top.
Naturally, the lefties have a bit of a kinship unique from their right-handed hitting teammates. After all, they’re seeing things in the batter’s box from the same perspective.
“Usually, ‘Hud’ will come back in the dugout, if he were to get out, and relay to us what he saw, whether the pitcher was trying to throw him away or any off-speed or any movement," Griessel said. “That allows me to know that going into my at-bat and be able to adjust to the pitches.”
“We're always chatting in the dugout about what the ball is doing to us lefties, if it's coming into us or away from us,” Bullinger said. “It’s a great help having four lefties in the lineup because you can talk to the guys and see what's going on at the plate.”
Sutton is the only pure lefty among the foursome. He hits and throws left-handed. Roberts, Bullinger and Griessel all throw right-handed.
“I golf left-handed,” Griessel said.
“I'm right-eye dominant and I lead with my right (shoulder) the majority of the time (in football)," Bullinger said. “I’ll also push off with my right foot.”
Sutton didn’t have much success upon briefly trying his hand at being a righty.
“At one point, I was struggling from the left side and I thought switch-hitters were really cool," he said. “I was really young and immediately got away from that and needed to trust myself and my swing.”
Bullinger’s father throws and bats left-handed. Peyton figures that's why he first grabbed a bat as a lefty.
“I was 4-5 years old going into T-ball and I picked up a bat and my hands were where they should be for a lefty,” he said. “I’ve stuck with it.”
“My parents tried to get me to swing right-handed,” Griessel said. “But that didn't work out. I was more comfortable swinging left-handed. I’ve been like that ever since. Left-handed felt right and felt good."
MLB managers do everything they can, it seems, to keep a left-handed hitter from facing a left-handed pitcher. But the Tigers’ lefties don’t feel they are suspect against southpaws.
Last week, they totaled 10 hits against Glendale lefty Drew Wedgeworth, one of SWMO’s best senior pitchers.
“I'd like to think it doesn't bother me and I don't think too much about it,” Roberts said of hitting a left-hander. “I try to get a good pitch to hit, no matter who is throwing against me.”
“I have the same mentality as I do with any other pitcher, I'm looking for a pitch I can put into play,” Griessel said. “Whether it's a lefty or righty, it doesn't matter to me. If they're going to throw something to me over the plate, I'm going to hammer it.”
