After a slump, embattled LSU Tigers first baseman Zach Yorke silenced doubters, smashing two crucial home runs to reignite his season.
As the LSU Tigers took the field on Tuesday night in their 15-5 run-rule win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, one player in particular had extra racing through his mind: Zach Yorke.
Yorke was a highly-touted transfer, brought in from Grand Canyon University in hopes of filling in some of the power lost at first base with Jared Jones headed to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
He made a fast impression with two home runs quickly, but the production at the plate has been inconsistent at best. It culminated on Friday night when he struck out four times, three times looking, in a 4-2 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, which Yorke described as the worst game of his life, per John Eads of WAFB. Tigers head coach Jay Johnson was quick to support him.
"He texted me at 1 AM that night and was just like, stay positive. Teammates love you, I love you," said Yorke before describing meetings that helped him stay positive despite the struggles. He did not play in the series finale.
In his return to the lineup, though, Yorke looked like a new man. He reminded everyone why he was signed in the first place, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and a walk. He's now up to six home runs on the year.
LSU doesn't need him to hit two bombs every night, though they wouldn't complain if he did. He has proven that he can give great at-bats. He's drawn a team-high 22 walks. He's also struck out a team-high 22 times.
Yorke is now slashing .275/.464/.525 on the year. His .989 OPS is second-best on the team. It feels safe to say that the 22-year-old is far from the team's biggest concerns at the plate.
Perhaps he is past the sluggish start to conference play and will be more prepared to help the Tigers win their first SEC series this year. It had been a month since his last home run. Sometimes one just needs to see something go in.
Last year, with Grand Canyon, he slashed .339/.447/.632 with 13 home runs and 10 doubles. He had a 147 wRC+. While it would be hard to translate that exact production when jumping up to the SEC, it's good to see at least a fraction of it so far. He should know remember that he has it within him to rake.