swing and a miss

Granted, the Mississippi Braves have run into some stout pitching in their season-opening series against Pensacola. But surely there is more pop in the bats than what they’ve shown so far at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The M-Braves are 0-4 and have scored just five runs. More troubling: They’ve struck out 46 times, 16 in one seven-inning game on Thursday. There are prospects aplenty at the top of the Double-A club’s lineup, but they’re not hitting their weight. Braden Shewmake, Atlanta’s No. 4 prospect, doesn’t yet have a hit. No. 3 prospect Shea Langeliers has one. Leadoff batter Justin Dean is at .167, 3-hole hitter Trey Harris .154, C.J. Alexander .143 and Greyson Jenista .200. The pitching has been OK, keeping the team in games for the most part. Victor Vodnik, the top-rated pitching prospect on the staff (No. 15), goes tonight against the Blue Wahoos’ Jeff Lindgren. Will the bats break out?