Cotuit catcher Jack Natili (Cincinnati) was on a tear this week, which may be an understatement. The rising junior batted .625 with five home runs and 14 RBIs. Some players won’t achieve those totals in a full season, but he did it in five games.
After an outstanding week at the plate, the Bearcat slugger was named CCBL Player of the Week for July 5-11.
"It's great [to win the award], it's a good confidence booster. Starting slow can sometimes strain your mental, but you must stay the course and let things play out," says Natili. "That's been big for me. The most important thing is staying dialed and in the same daily routine."
His hot stretch began on July 5, when he went 2-for-4 with a solo shot in a 19-3 shellacking of Brewster. However, that was just the beginning for the Venetia, Pennsylvania native. Over the next three games, he blasted four home runs, two being grand slams.
Baseball is a team sport, but Natili's impact over the past seven days was unmatched. His two-homer game against Orleans led to a 2-2 tie, and his grand slam against Y-D kick-started the Kettleer offense on its way to an 8-2 win.
"He's just showing it off, he really is. He struggled a bit offensively early in the summer, but he's a tough kid, he's a grinder, and he just keeps making progress," Cotuit manager Loren Hibbs said after the win over Y-D.
While he was already heating up, his five-game stretch catapulted him into being the West Division's starting backstop in the CCBL All-Star Game on July 19.
With the catcher being hit with multiple honors at once, it can be challenging for an athlete to handle the added pressure of those awards. However, Natili says he wants to remain consistent and not get caught up in everything.
"It's been good [the success]. I'm just trying not to get too high or too low, not riding any waves. The success is nice, but I want to keep my mental sustainable and move forward," he said.
