FALMOUTH, Mass. — In his Kettleers debut, Caden Bogenpohl (Missouri State) made his name known among the Lowell Park faithful fast. A three-run homer put the Ketts up, 6-0. It seemed the Kettleers' offense had found its missing piece.
Since his first game July 1, Bogenpohl has been cold at the plate. Heading into Tuesday’s game against Falmouth, he was batting .185 and had recorded just one hit in the last week.
A hitting slump like that can be hard on any player, but Bogenpohl has kept his head held high.
“This game is full of failure,” he said. “My mental game is taken to another level in college, and I always lean back on that to try and get out of it.”
Bogenpohl suffered a groin injury in the spring, which he spent time rehabbing for three weeks before returning to the diamond in June for his hometown Cape Catfish.
“He missed a lot of time before coming up here,” Cotuit manager Loren Hibbs said. “He’s still trying to find his groove.”
Bogenpohl did just that against the Commodores, playing a massive role in a must-win game. In the 6-2 victory, he accounted for three RBIs and reached base all four times he stepped up to the plate.
Two of his knocks came in the top of the seventh, when he brought Cam Johnson (Oklahoma) and Dean West (UCLA) home on a bases-clearing single to center field to put the Kettleers up, 6-2.
With Tyler Albanese (San Jose State) tossing a gem of a sixth inning out of the bullpen, having that extra cushion was important to Bogenpohl.
“(I) always want to tack on some more runs and take some pressure off the guys in the field and on the mound,” he said. “It’s always good to get some insurance in the game.”
In his four at-bats, he faced three different guys on the mound. The constantly changing arms, however, didn’t change Bogenpohl’s goal: attack.
“(I) have to make sure to be locked into the scouting report and really get a feel for what they have,” he said. “(I) commit to a plan and find what works for me.”
With 10 games left in the season, and Cotuit currently on the outside looking in in the playoff picture, breaking out of an offensive slump like the one Bogenpohl had is crucial in making a run in the postseason.
“Showing up every day and going to work,” Bogenpohl said of how the team can use this win as momentum. “I’m excited for the last 10 games.”
