Shortstop Zobrist impressing at bat and in the field Sixth-round pick earns promotion to Class A Salem By BRIAN MCTAGGART Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle After not being drafted following three years at Olivet Nazarene University, Ben Zobrist decided to transfer to Dallas Baptist to give himself an opportunity to perform at a higher level. "I thought it might be a good opportunity to see what I'm made of," he said. Zobrist caught the eye of scout Rusty Pendergrass, who convinced the Astros to select the shortstop ?in the sixth round of last year's draft. Now Zobrist is proving he can play at the professional level, too. Zobrist, a switch-hitter, was batting .325 (13-for-40) with 13 walks and an on-base percentage of .500 through 13 games for Class A Salem. He hit .304 with a .415 on-base percentage in 68 games for Class A Lexington before getting called up late last month. "He had a very good first half," Astros director of player development Ricky Bennett said. "He's got good instincts and is always at the right place at the right time. Offensively, he makes good contact and has a good idea of the strike zone. Those are a few of the reasons why he's had success so far. " Zobrist led the New York-Penn League in hitting last year at .339 for Tri- City. "My best asset offensively is knowing the plate and knowing the strike zone and taking the pitches I don't like and waiting for pitches I can drive," Zobrist said. "Defensively, I feel there are a lot of improvements that need to be made. I'm pretty solid on the routine plays, but plays that stretch me out I need a lot of work on." But like most players in their first full professional season, Zobrist's biggest challenge has been trying to make it through the grind of a long year. "I've never played this many games in a row," he said. "I'll definitely work out in the offseason a lot more on my lower body and legs. I'll make sure my legs are ready to make the season. I don't think I'm totally prepared to go at it 100 percent the whole time. I wish I had been better-prepared. I definitely will be next year." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bb/3271780 --

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