When Syracuse head coach Shannon Doepking first met sophomore Gabby Teran last fall, one of the first things Teran asked her new head coach was how she could improve.

Doepking responded that Teran used too much of her hands when she swung, Teran said. Doepking developed a plan for Teran to fix that, part of the coach’s larger idea for SU to blast more home runs.

Teran had a .319 batting average as a freshman but still wasn’t satisfied entering the offseason. She spent more time in the weight room, putting on extra muscle in her legs. Teran also tweaked her swing to bring back techniques, like increased lower body movement, that she used before SU at Marist (Georgia) School.

Entering this season, it appeared those changes would pay off. But going into this weekend’s games against Illinois State, Florida A&M and No. 3 Florida, Teran has just three hits in 24 at bats. As Syracuse (2-6) struggles in nonconference play, the team can benefit from improved play from Teran, one of its best hitters in 2018.

“I definitely think my hitting has improved,” Teran said. “… I do feel more efficient in my movement.”

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Early in the fall, Teran and Doepking built a tighter schedule. Instead of laying around her apartment, she’d text her teammates, seeing who wanted to work out with her. When she saw teammates in the locker room, she’d ask if they wanted to go hit.

She and Mike Missen, SU’s assistant strength and conditioning coach, also started to focus more on her form to prevent future injuries. He meticulously watched her squats, correcting her into the right position: knees out wide and back straight. Once she perfected her form, she increased the weight on her shoulders, building more muscle.

“If you look at her, she’s jacked,” senior Hannah Dossett said. “She’s put a lot of work in the weight room.”

Teran focused the rest of the time on little changes to the structure of her swing. Doepking wanted her to rotate her hips more so she could access the power from her legs, instead of relying on her elbow and arms.

To start, Teran did half swings with a resistance band to create tension, allowing her lower half to generate all of the power. Instead of a longer movement, the small swing placed more pressure on her legs to complete the motion.

Once she mastered the technical aspects, Teran hit off a tee. That led to live pitching, which sped up her swing as she prepared for games. Through eight games this season, though, it hasn’t translated into success on the field.

Teran is hitting just .125 in SU’s first eight games. In last weekend’s stretch against No. 19 Indiana and Penn State, she went just one for 12. But Teran isn’t fazed. Teammates have praised her faster shoulder-to-hip speed despite the lack of early results. She’s trying to slow down the process on the field, easing her mind to focus on simpler goals.

“Going up to the plate with an approach and sticking to that approach,” Teran said. “Not getting anxious with yourself, just staying within yourself.”

Published on February 21, 2019 at 12:07 am

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