College baseball: OC's Springer, UTPB's Forest lead in many ways

For different reasons, they have arrived here.

First base.

UTPB senior Logan Forest is making the transition from left field because, well, he can.

Last season, the Falcons already had a solid first baseman. Forest, who had played first base most of his career, didn't complain. He produced. He batted .382 with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs and a .643 slugging percentage.

Odessa College sophomore Preston Springer, who's already committed to perennial power Wichita State, is moving over from third base for a couple of reasons.

There's hope the position switch will help him at the next level. And, said OC head coach Brian Blessie, at first base Springer can "really concentrate on hitting balls and playing defense at first base and not worry about little things at third base."

As the Wranglers and Falcons seasons approach, this much is certain.

Neither team has to worry about first base. 

>> LOGAN FOREST

UTPB has a lot of question marks.

Are the arms reliable on this pitching staff? Can the defense improve after a less-then-impressive offseason showing?  

Forest is not one of them.

"It's nice to write his name and number on the lineup because you know you're going to get production," Reinke said. "That's definitely not a question mark. He will be the center of attention on a lot of things we do offensively."

Opposing pitchers also will focus on Forest, which didn't happen last year. At that time, he had just arrived at UTPB after transferring from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Granted, Forest graduated from Midland Lee and also played for Midland College, but there was still an adjustment period. Before he could show the rest of the Heartland Conference what he could do, he had to show his teammates.

"Last year I was more of the new guy who transferred into the semester," Forest said. "I was just trying to produce and show I'm worthy to be out there."

Forest struggled early in the season.

It took a conversation with Reinke to get on track.

"We tried to make sure he understood he didn't have to be the No. 1 guy in the lineup, which he ended up being at the end of the year," Reinke said. "There was no pressure on him. We had some good hitters in the middle of the lineup, and it just sort of relieved him after the first couple of weeks when I said said, ‘Look, you're gonna be just fine. You don't have to be the No. 1 guy. There's plenty of guys that can hit around you.' And that was the thing. We knew he could hit."

The results were exceptional. Slotted in the batting order next to Will Basom, who hit .354, Forest notched a team-best .454 on-base percentage and earned first-team all-conference honors.

"I think last year when I came I put more pressure on myself," Forest said, "but then I relaxed and loosened up and things started happening."

Heartland Conference teams quickly found out who the new guy was.

"He's a big, big kid that you have to worry about every time he steps in there," Oklahoma Panhandle State head coach Jason Kueffler said. "There's a sort of an intimidation factor. If you make a mistake, he'll make you pay."

>> PRESTON SPRINGER

Springer is the poster boy for Odessa College.

"Every school's got that one kid, and he represents everything you want to have representing your school, your institution and your program because of the character of the kid, his ability to the play the game, his ability to be well-liked by his teammates," Blessie said. "He's just a wonderful kid, and unfortunately we're only going to have him for one more semester. He's special, and he's going to hit, he's going to hit every day. That's what he does - he hits."

Last season, Springer hit .424 with a .669 slugging percentage, 14 doubles and 47 RBIs - all team-highs.

Springer's fine start began even before the season's first pitch.

"Everything that they learn here is what they're going to learn in pro ball," Blessie said. "Preston bought into that as a freshman in the first week he was here. He was all ears, he listened, he bought into it, and he was rewarded. Obviously, he's gifted. He has that ability. But on top of it, he was very coachable. He bought into what we were telling him and understood we were going to make him a better player.

"(He has) tremendous hand-eye coordination," Blessie said. "The barrel stays in the zone for a very long period of time, and when you do that, you're going to make contact a lot."

With success came the cleanup spot and more caution from opposing pitchers.

Springer adjusted.

"Last year, I saw a lot of outside pitches and I just lived there," he said. "I made a living off of hitting it in gaps. Really, I just changed my approach and tuned it down and made sure I was on base and getting other guys opportunities to knock me in. And when other guys were on, I put it on myself to knock them in."

Springer was recruited heavily and landed with Wichita State, which has made seven appearances in the College World Series. Head coach Gene Stephenson rarely recruits junior college players, but Springer's handshake - and his skills - impressed.

Springer's handshake feels like a used-car salesman - quick, strong, with a little arm wiggle - but he isn't selling anything.

His handshake comes across as genuine.

"A lot of guys today, no matter how good they are, they're afraid of failure," said Stephenson, who is second in all-time college baseball career wins. "I don't think he's that kind of guy."

>> BIG BOPPERS

Using different paths, Springer and Forest have arrived at another role in their final season.

Team leader.

Forest is well aware of his team's youth. UTPB was 35-21 last year and finished fourth in the Heartland Conference. The Falcons return no starting infielders from last year's squad. Of their top nine hitters in terms of batting average last season, they return the first (Forest) and ninth guy, catcher Robert Leigh.

Leigh likes the team's chances with its No. 1.

 "I'm just really glad he's on our team," Leigh said. "He's one of our main bats. We're probably going to jump on his back."

Forest said he expects an emotional season. His family watches the home games.

Still, this season will be different.

"This year, I feel more of a returner and leader," said Forest, who may occasionally be asked to play left field. "I'm a senior, I'm a returner. I ended on a good note last year. I feel comfortable and everything. I know what to expect from the other teams in the conference, and I didn't last year. I think it'll be a lot easier year, transition-wise."

Springer is still learning to play first base. One thing he won't have to worry about picking up, though, is leading the team. He did it his senior year in high school, and now he leads a Wranglers team coming off a 27-23 overall record in 2008 and 13-19 mark in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference - a fifth-place finish that put them one game away from the Region V Tournament.

"I feel like it's time for me to step up," Springer said. "I feel like last year I should have stepped up and been the leader. With a lot of guys leaving and a lot of guys not making it, I figure it's my time to step up and shine. And that's what I want to do."