FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas freshman Joe Serrano got some important advice from hitting coach Todd Butler before the 2012 season.
It wasn’t what the Arizona native, who was eager to play baseball, wanted to hear, though.
“He said, ‘You have the swing. You’re a good player. You’re a good hitter. You’re just not ready yet,’” Serrano said Tuesday, looking back on the early-season conversation with Butler.
“I kind of took offense to that. I was like, ‘What do you mean I’m not ready yet?’”
It has taken some patience, but Serrano understands now. Serrano needed time to learn the ropes during his first season in college baseball whether he liked it or not, and believes it is paying off when it matters most.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Serrano was in the lineup as Arkansas’ designated hitter in two of three Houston Regional games and aided an offense needing tough outs. He went 4-for-7 in two games against Sam Houston State, which included a career-best three hits in the regional final Sunday. It helped him land on the all-regional team.
The success also has given Arkansas (42-19) confidence Serrano can produce again this weekend, when it plays No. 4 national seed Baylor (48-15) the Waco Super Regional.
“He did a tremendous job and hopefully he will pick up where he left off,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “He is a good hitter.”
Serrano is one of two freshmen getting opportunities to contribute every game after being eased onto the field this season. Outfielder Brian Anderson is a starter, too, holding down a spot after playing sparingly early this season. Arkansas first baseman Dominic Ficociello said the Razorbacks have needed their contributions late in the year.
“You have to have a couple of guys that can step in and really produce,” said Ficociello, who was a regular as a freshman. “Serrano, it’s taken him a little longer to get into it, but every time he gets his chance he really steps up for us. He has quality at-bats. He’s smart. He’s confident at the plate. That’s the big thing with both of them is that they’re not scared.”
Serrano said he just had to wait for his opportunity. But learning from the dugout wasn’t the most frustrating part of the season for him. It was dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that hampered him when Van Horn was ready to put him in the lineup on a regular basis.
Serrano first suffered the injury running the bases against Stephen F. Austin in mid-April. He came back, but reinjured it two other times at Florida and against Louisiana Tech.
“On the way to first base, I did not feel good,” Serrano said. “It’s been a struggle.”
Van Horn was particularly frustrated with the reoccurrence against Louisiana Tech, too.
“I remember talking to him in the dugout because I was disappointed,” Van Horn said. “I was disappointed for him. I told him, ‘You were going to play and now you are hurt again. We have got to figure out a way to keep this thing loose. When you are the DH you may have to run between innings or whatever.’”
Serrano did not play in the weekend series at Tennessee. He also missed the Southeastern Conference Tournament trying to get healthy.
The down time — which also included nine days off before the NCAA Regional — proved valuable.
“I’ve kind of been babying it since trying to get fully healthy,” Serrano said. “Now I am and it’s just amazing to be out in the field again.”
Serrano singled in his third at-bat in the Houston Regional and said it helped his confidence. He followed it up two days later with the best performance of his career.
Serrano, who recently received another message from Butler, will be looking for more success when the Waco Super Regional begins Saturday.
“Coach Butler came up and he was like, ‘You’re turning into a ballplayer,’” Serrano said. “I said, ‘I know exactly what you mean. I wasn’t ready at the beginning of the year, but it feels great to be out there playing the game I love.’”