'He's A Gamer' Toups getting hot at just the right time for Naturals

SPRINGDALE -- Northwest Arkansas manager Vance Wilson said Corey Toups is always ready to hit, and the second baseman proved it lately to help the Naturals back to the Texas League Championship Series for the second straight season.

The Naturals combined for 60 hits and 10 home runs in the 3-1 North Division series win over Springfield. Northwest Arkansas will try to keep the bats hot when it hosts Midland at 7:05 p.m. tonight in Arvest Ballpark to begin the best-of-five Texas League Championship Series.

The RockHounds, the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, swept the Naturals in the championship series a year ago and are looking for their third straight Texas League title.

Toups was responsible for a good chunk of that production against Springfield to the tune of 7-for-15, four home runs, six runs scored and seven RBIs in the lead-off spot.

"He's ready for a fastball when he wakes up in the morning," Wilson said. "He's always ready to hit. Some guys come up and take pitches. Corey's looking for a pitch when he walks to the plate and ready to put a swing on it. That's hard to teach.

"It's hard to teach guys to be ready, be on time and not miss fastballs."

Toups was called up to Northwest Arkansas late in the first half and started strong, hitting .322 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in July. His average fell to .246 in August, but he's bounced back with a strong September. Toups is 12 for 31 (.387) with five homers, nine RBIs and 11 runs scored in 11 games.

The 23-year-old said he just tried to study what Springfield pitchers did against him about a week earlier and adapt when he saw the Cardinals again in the playoffs.

"They pitched me, man, the best they had ever done against me," Toups said. "I studied how they pitched me and just tried to maintain my approach this time around, stuck with it and it paid off for us."

Toups hit just .252 in 41 games at Wilmington before his promotion to Northwest Arkansas, but Wilson said with his solid approach and hitting mechanics he's gotten better at a higher level. He finished the season with the Naturals at .275, 10 home runs and 36 RBIs along with 16 stolen bases in 86 games.

"He's a gamer," said Wilson, who caught in the Major Leagues for eight seasons. "He keeps his mouth shut, does what he's supposed to do and lets his talent speak. A-ball is tough. I remember I hit .240 in A-Ball. Some guys hit better as they move up.

"Typically, if your mechanics are right, you have a good approach and a good mental outlook, I think you're going to keep getting better as you move up. I think Corey's one of those guys."

The aspect of his game that's shown great improvement is his defense, but there are other things that Toups still needs to work on, Wilson said.

"He's got great work ethic and works on playing shift in batting practice," Wilson said. "He doesn't have to be told. His speed's good. His base-running instincts are very good. As a two-hole hitter, he's got to get better bunting and hitting the ball the other way.

"When a kid comes like that, the defense was the main thing. Let him get his feet wet hitting and fix the defense."

Toups said making the transition from shortstop to second base wasn't difficult, but it was different.

"It's just a different arm angle, different angle on throws and playing the shift," Toups said. "Turning the double play as a shortstop everything's in front of you."

Toups said the Naturals have come together in the final weeks of the season, having won 8 of their last 11.

"It's a long season, and everyone wants to go home," Toups said. "But once you start winning ballgames and get into the playoffs, it's a lot of fun. We're enjoying our time together."

Sports on 09/13/2016