By Roscoe Nance
Sport is full of stories of athletes who have phenomenal first seasons and are flops in their second go-round. But Norfolk State infielder Alsander Womack, a 2018 Freshman All-American, isn’t trying to hear about any so-called sophomore jinx.
Womack, the son of former professional baseball player Tony Womack, is among the top 30 hitters in Division I with a .386 average after holding down the top spot for much of the baseball season even though he says the second year has been a challenge.
“I stepped up and understood my team was going to be looking for me to produce like I did last year,” Womack said. “I saw it not only as an opportunity to get better for my team, but also to do better for myself.”
Womack has focused on being more patient at the plate, taking more walks and waiting for his pitch.
“I’m grinding out at-bats a little bit better than I did last year,” he said. “It has really paid off for me, especially at the beginning of the year when I got off to that hot start. I kept working on it, working on it, and it clicked. I’ve had some games that weren’t my best. But I like to be a tough out when I can and not make it easy on the pitcher.”
Womack is No. 30 in the nation in batting with an average more than 50 points higher than last season.
Womack credits his improved batting average to the time he spent with his dad and older players over the summer talking about hitting. Those conversations all came back to one central point.
“They said it’s all about patience,” he said. “That’s the key to success in this game.”
In addition to talking baseball, Womack spent several hours a day in the batting cage six days a week fine-tuning his swing and mentally preparing for his sophomore season. He worked on hitting the ball back side, hitting the ball inside and using his hands better.
“I was mentally preparing myself to understand there’s a scouting report out on me,” he said. “They’re not going just throw me fastballs. They’re going to try to make me chase (bad pitches). I have to wait for my pitch.”
Womack also spent part of the summer playing for Kernersville (N.C.) in the Carolina-Virginia Collegiate League, a wood bat league for college players of all levels, and was selected for the All-Star Game.
“Playing helped me with seeing the ball better and perfecting what I wanted to work on coming into this year,” Womack said.
Womack’s summer regimen is paying dividends in his stats other than batting average. He is second in the MEAC in on-base percentage (.459) and fourth in slugging percentage (.510).
“He has been more consistent,” Norfolk State head coach Keith Shumate said. “He did a really good job last year. He was a really good college hitter. I think he has gone to an exceptional level this year. He stayed true to baseball. He has a plan of attack, and he’s been very consistent.”
Shumate was in his first year at the helm of the Spartans last season, and he says it took him only a few practices to recognize Womack’s hitting talent.
“I attribute that to Al and his dad and the hard work they did,” Shumate said. “He had an idea what he was doing before he got here. His work habits stick out. Most hitters go into the batting cage and they become undisciplined at some point. They’re going to swing to hit the ball in the air for power and get away from their game-time swing. There is a big difference in the results you see in batting practice and your game swing. He is constantly working on his game swing. He is very disciplined in that he is constantly doing what you’re supposed to be doing to prepare to hit in games. He’s preparing for the tough pitches.
“A lot of guys are looking for a juicy pitch, their pitch down the middle. He knows the game is not played that way. You’ll get those pitches from time to time. He’s going to do a good job. No matter what the count is, he’s going to be a threat to hit the ball hard somewhere.”
Womack has benefited greatly from being the son of a former Major Leaguer. Tony Womack was a second baseman who spent parts of 13 seasons in the big leagues with seven teams, with a .273 career batting average while playing in 1,300 games. He was an All-Star as a rookie with Pittsburgh Pirates in 1997 and World Series champion with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 and he has a wealth of knowledge about baseball in general and hitting in particular that he shares with his son.
“I’m blessed every day to still have him around,” the younger Womack said, “and to be able talk to him every day and for him to see me do what I love. I know he loves watching me doing it. He’s the biggest influence I have. He has put him huge amount of hours with me. He’s always willing to talk to me and help me. I can’t say thank you enough.”
The two text back and forth about different aspects of baseball and Alsander frequently sends his from video clips of his swing for him to critique.
It’s not a case of like father, like son for the Womacks when it comes to hitting, however.
“The big difference between us is my dad was a speed guy (he led the National League in stolen bases three times),” Alsander Womack said. “I’m not like him at all. We’re built two different ways. I’m a contact power hitter with a little bit of speed. He was a very fast player.
“Those differences don’t change the similarities in our swing. He teaches me to get on top of the ball, don’t try to lift the ball out of the park. The home runs will come. I take it he knows what he’s talking about even though he tells me I’m stronger than he was at this age. He understands I’m going to get underneath the ball at times and try to hit it out of the park. But regardless, he knows I need to try to get to the same position (each at bat) and try to drive the ball.”
The tips Womack has gotten from his father have paid dividends as evidenced by his ranking among the top hitters in nation. He says he is flattered to be among the top 30 hitters in the nation, but team goals are more important; the Spartans have wrapped up the Northern Division regular season crown and will look for their first MEAC title this Wednesday through Saturday, when the MEAC Baseball Championship is held in Daytona Beach, Fla.
“I was blessed when I found out I was No. 1 in the nation (earlier in the season),” he said. “This game is so up and down. I’m okay going up and down. As a hitter, average is always going to go up and down. It was crazy to see that. I try not to put too much focus on that and focus on the goal ahead as a team. It’s not about averages or personal records, it’s about let’s handle business, win the division, go into the (MEAC) tournament, handle business there and see what we can do in the (NCAA) regional. That’s what we’re looking for to. I’m glad I’m on that list. I put in a lot of work. But that’s not why I play the game. I don’t play for records or stats or accolades. I play the game to win.”
That aside, Shumate says he is not surprised that Womack is ranked among the nation’s top hitters.
“It’s no surprises here,” Shumate said. “His game is going to play against anybody, with whomever, in whatever league he’s playing in. It’s baseball 101; he’s mastering the hit tool. The hit tool is the hardest tool to master in baseball. The hit tool allows you to hit for average. Whether he finishes first in the country or 50th in the country, he’s one of those guys.”
Shumate says there is little difference between the No. 1 batter and No. 50 batter in the country. He says the common denominator between all of the top hitters at any level is that they consistently hit the ball hard; what separates them in terms of batting average is who lines out most. He points out that Womack was 4-for-12 in the Spartans’ three-game series against Delaware State earlier this season but several times “he smashed the ball and the center fielder caught it.”
“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Shumate said. “He did everything right. That happens to everybody. You know who it happens to most? It happens to the good hitters. The bad hitters don’t line out that much. Batting average is a very small indicator of how good a hitter he is; he has a very high slugging percentage, a very high on-base percentage and he still will take a walk. He’s not a super selfish hitter of any kind. You see a guy like that a lot of time who is unwilling to take a walk. He is a complete hitter for this level, and he continues to hone his craft.”
Womack’s ultimate goal is to follow in his father’s footsteps and play in the Major Leagues. He will be eligible for the draft next year, and Shumate sees no reason for him not to have a big league career.
“His potential is to go as high as you can go,” he said. “If you want to pick his game apart, you can do that with any player, but this guy has the most coveted tool in all of baseball. There are five things in baseball a player can do. He can field; he can run; he can throw; he can hit for power; he can hit for average. There are a lot of guys in the big leagues who can hit for power but they don’t hit for average.
“Those efficient hitters in the big leagues might .295 one year; the next year it might be .350, depending on their luck. He’s always going to be that type of hitter. He has that tool. As long as he makes that adjustment he’ll have it. I think he can play at any level.”