Chris Sidick is one hitting instructor who practices what he teaches.
Sidick owns and operates C-Side Sports Academy in North Strabane Township by morning and roams center field for the Wild Things at night.
"Everything I teach, I use on the field," Sidick said. "The physical part of hitting that I teach, I learned in college at Marietta. It's breaking the swing down to three parts.
"The mental part of hitting I learned from my managers here (John Massarelli and Greg Jelks). I teach how to be a zone hitter, pick one of the four quadrants and look for a specific pitch in a specific quadrant."
Putting his hitting theories to practice this season has led to Sidick garnering his first trip to the Frontier League All-Star Game, which will be played later this month in Traverse City, Mich.
On Friday, Sidick led Washington's 14-hit attack by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and a stolen base as the Wild Things defeated the Florence Freedom, 12-8, at waterlogged Consol Energy Park.
Sidick reached base four times on the night, including twice in Washington's six-run first inning. He also scored two runs and drove in another. The Cecil native began the night hitting .301. Not bad for a player known as a slow starter.
"I usually don't turn it on until July, when the Wild Things play their best baseball," Sidick said.
Those slow starts are why Sidick has never been a mid-season all-star despite hitting .287 over his first three seasons in the league and owning many of the Wild Things' hitting records.
"That makes me appreciate it a little more," Sidick said. "I was thinking that I didn't want to play in this league seven years and not make an all-star game. It's nice to get in one.
"I think my approach at the plate is more relaxed now. Even when I'm making outs, I'm doing it on my own terms. When I first came into the league, I didn't have pitch recognition. If the ball was over the plate, then I was swinging. Now, I have a professional approach. That's why my walks have increased each season."
The big first inning Friday, which featured triples by Sidick and Nathan Messner and a double by Jacob Dempsey - all in the first four batters against Florence starting pitcher Liam Shanahan (2-4) - gave Wild Things starter Mike Schellinger a big early cushion. Schellinger (6-2), who also was named Thursday to the all-star game, went seven strong innings, allowing six hits and striking out 11. He issued only one walk.
"He's not afraid to come after you," Florence manager Jamie Keefe said. "He throws strikes. We didn't get many 2-0 and 3-0 counts. When we did, we hurt him."
Schellinger's performance impressed a youth baseball team from his hometown of Syracuse, N.Y. The team was in Wheeling, W.Va., for the Beast of the East tournament. When it game was rained out Friday, it began its trek back to Syracuse and stopped in Washington to watch the game.
"There were a few kids here that went to the same high school I did, some that I give lessons to back home," Schellinger said.
After falling behind big early, Florence pulled to within 8-4 in the fifth inning behind home runs by Kelly Hunt and Garth McKinney. Washington, however, scored in the bottom of the fifth as Sidick doubled, stole third and scored on Phil Butch's groundout.
Sidick, who has purchased a building in Houston and plans to move his growing baseball academy there in September, doubled and scored against the seventh as the Wild Things opened up a 12-4 lead.
Extra bases
Dempsey had three hits and three RBI. Messner and outfielder Brad Arnett, who was signed Thursday after being released by Southern Illinois, each had two hits for the Wild Things. ... Seven Washington players had at least one RBI. ... The Wild Things' flurry of roster moves continued. In addition to Arnett, Washington signed former Washington & Jefferson College pitcher Sam Mann. A right-hander, Mann was released earlier this year by Kalamazoo. Mann had a 1-1 record and 7.89 ERA in five games with the Kings this season but was 6-2, 3.65 last year. Pitcher John Leonard (0-1, 10.34) was released at catcher Pat O'Brien (broken thumb) was put on the retired list. ... Josh Lex hit a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning for Florence. ... Hunt has 11 home runs in only 85 at-bats.