FAYETTEVILLE — A slight change in his batting mechanics helped Heston Kjerstad break out of an early-season slump last week.
Batting .214 and mostly ineffective with runners in scoring position through six games, Kjerstad's right leg kick was not as defined as when he had hit well in the past. It threw his timing and rhythm off, and he struck out at a higher rate than anyone else on the team.
First-year volunteer coach Taylor Smart noticed the inconsistency.
"When it's going good in the past, he had a higher leg lift," Arkansas hitting coach Nate Thompson said.