GALION, Ohio — Galion’s Ridge Winand is no longer the best kept secret in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.
A rising redshirt sophomore at Ohio State, Winand was selected the GLSCL Player of the Week for week four. In six games, Winand batted .417 with two doubles, a triple a home run and five runs batted in.
The Clear Fork graduate played sparingly for the Buckeyes in the spring and was a late addition to the Graders’ roster. He spent the first few weeks of the GLSCL season fine-tuning his swing.
“I’m feeling really good at the plate right now,” Winand said after going 3-for-4 with a home run in Sunday’s 8-1 loss to Grand Lake. “I knew it would take some time to get comfortable, but I’m starting to come around.
“I’m trying to see the ball deep and see it backside. That’s my game.”
After bouncing around the lineup early, Winand has settled into the heart of Galion’s order. He ranks third on the team with seven extra base hits and is the only player on the roster with more walks (10) than strikeouts (9).
“For Ridge, it was a matter of getting comfortable at the plate. Like a lot of our guys, he didn’t get a lot of at bats in the spring,” Galion manager Taylore Baker said. “The more at bats he gets, the more comfortable he feels in the box.
“There were certain pitches he was struggling with earlier that he is seeing really well now. He has a consistent approach and as he feels more comfortable, he can be more aggressive.”
After a rough start, the Graders (7-22) are 3-3 in their last six games. Galion hosts the Richmond Jazz on Wednesday before getting back-to-back days off on Thursday and Friday.
“We’re playing so much better,” Winand said. “We’re figuring it out. We’re going to be fine.”
