Swift Current’s Ethan Murdoch was rewarded for a fine season at the plate when he was named the Saskatchewan Premier 18U AAA Baseball League South Division Top Hitter.
“It’s really cool. We were just in Regina last weekend and there are lots of guys on those teams that are really good players, a couple guys from the White Sox that are really good players, that had good years too. It’s nice to be considered, to know that people see the work you put in and have you up there with the best of the best in the league. It feels really good to be recognized for that, just to know that my name was the top of people’s minds, just knowing that there are so many talented players in our league,” said Murdoch.
The second-year catcher was second in the 13-team league with a .457 average as the Swift Current 57’s finished with a 5-8 record.
“I like to be pretty aggressive up there. As I’ve gotten older I have learned how to work the count a bit more, but I’ve always been someone who likes to take what you’re given early on. I think that’s a really overlooked approach is just going after it early in the count. I like to get hits on the first pitch. I find that usually what you get at the start of the count is usually the best pitch that you’re going to get to see. I like to attack a fastball early in the count. But if it ends up getting later in the count, two strikes, I just put the ball in play and that works pretty well. I just usually try to hit the ball hard… I just try hit the ball hard, get it in play, and make something happen.”
Murdoch was also second in the league with a 1.363 OPS and a .743 slugging percentage. He finished the season with 16 hits, 21 runs scored, and eight runs batted in. Almost half of his hits were for extra bases with five doubles, one triple and one home run. He worked his way to 14 walks and only struck out six times this summer. Murdoch also finished 12-for-12 on stolen base attempts.
Read the complete story in the August 27 edition of the Southwest Booster
