It is still early in the 2018 softball season, probably too early and too far away from conference play to be making any real conclusions about teams in the OVC, but 19 games into the season for Eastern, one thing seems to be clear; the Panthers are going to hit for power.

Eastern did see nearly a 40-point drop in its slugging percentage after this past weekend from .461 to .424, but let’s not let one 1-3 weekend distract from what the team has done with the bat this season.

Although they hit just one home run in four games this weekend, in their 15 previous games the Panthers had an OVC–most 15 home runs on the season and still lead the conference with 99 runs scored this season.

Eastern has two players in the top five of the conference in slugging percentage.

Left fielder Mia Davis leads the team and is third in the OVC with a .786 slugging percentage and catcher Haley Mitchell is fifth at .750.

Mitchell is also second in the conference in home runs (5) and total bases (42).

Hitting for power is obviously the single-easiest way to score runs, but it can only take a team so far if no one is getting on base, but that is another area the Panthers have been highly successful in this year, simply getting on base.

Eastern has a .351 team on base percentage with Davis holding a team-high .469 number and junior outfielder Kayla Bear behind her at .438. Bear is also 10-of-11 on steal attempts this season.

Bear has been hitting at the top of the lineup along with junior Mady Poulter (.397 OBP) and those two hitting in front of Davis and Mitchell has been big for the Panthers this season.

“(Bear) is a great table-setter. (Poulter) is in a new spot for her right now, doing a nice job. Then Mitchell and Davis come up to the plate drooling to drive them in if they are on base,” said head coach Kim Schuette. “That’s contagious to our other players and there are now other kids stepping up to help too.”

Davis and Bear make up just two of the seven Panther players with an OBP above .340.

The Panthers are not focused on just power and getting on base and Schuette said they want each player “to be good at what their good at” and that players knowing their role and performing in it when needed is key.

“Our job offensively is to attack at the plate, gather the situation (and) information then play,” Schuette said. “Some (players) bunt and play small ball so pop ups and strike outs are not good for them. Others are singles, doubles hitters and then others are power hitters. We want kids to swing it and play.”

After the most recent weekend, the Panthers were passed in slugging percentage by Belmont and Eastern Kentucky, but Schutte is not concerned with what other teams are doing.

“(We) don’t care where we compare as individuals, how we compare to other OVC teams,” she said. “I want to take care of our team as a whole and each player individually.”

JJ Bullock can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]