After slow start, Newark Charter grad a big hit for hometown Hens as key games loom

It’s hard to hit a baseball, even for those who’ve been swinging at them and frequently socking them most of their lives.

Slumps and slow starts are inevitable, even for those adept enough to be playing NCAA Division I baseball.

“From the day you start playing,” Brett Lesher said, “you just know you’re going to have ups and downs.

“It’s just all about finding your confidence and knowing that you’ve played this game for years and you’re going to figure it out eventually.”

As he struggled to find his stroke earlier this spring for the University of Delaware, Lesher kept that perspective in mind while knowing, if he continued to skillfully man his shortstop position, the offense would come.

Now it has, and the Blue Hens are benefitting as they head into a pair of crucial Coastal Athletic Association series that will shape their postseason fate.

Lesher takes a .308 batting average, third best on the team, with him as the fourth-place Blue Hens (25-21 overall, 12-9 CAA) travel to fifth-place Stony Brook this weekend trying to remain in the top six of the CAA standings, which earns conference tournament qualification. A home series against UNC-Wilmington next weekend closes the regular season.

DIAA DILEMMA: High, rising costs may force high school championships out of UD facilities

The last time Lesher was on Long Island, for Delaware’s April 5-7 series at Hofstra, he came home batting .217. That was after spending much of the first month of the season under .200.

Delaware coach Greg Mamula’s faith in Lesher never waned and he kept trotting him out there to play shortstop.

“I definitely take a lot of pride in my defense,” Lesher said, “and knew if I could help my team in that way and just push through at the plate it would come.”

Watching video from the fall of good at-bats was also beneficial and to “know that it’s there,” Lesher said. That led to what he termed “tiny mechanical adjustments” and better concentration and selectivity at the plate.

“We saw last fall that he was our best hitter,” Mamula said. “He’s a kid who hasn’t played a whole lot of baseball [at the college level]. Was hurt for a year [broken toe] and didn’t play much in 2022. Last year was really his first taste of college baseball, kind of an up and down season for him.

“But it’s there and we’re finally starting to see it. Just thrilled for the kid because of the work he’s put in and he’s waited his turn to be an everyday player in this program. He’s making the most of it.”

Smacking a grand slam in a March 26 win at Penn fueled Lesher’s confidence and a 3-for-3 day with another homer and three RBI at Lafayette April 9 was a springboard.

“Sometimes all it takes is one swing,” Lesher said, “especially a big one like [Penn]. That can do a lot for you as a hitter.”

Lesher is now third on the team in RBI (42) and has seven home runs, which is nice production from the No. 9 spot in the batting order.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: How 2025 move to Conference USA may challenge UD teams

“The defense was what allowed him to stay in the lineup when he wasn’t swinging the bat earlier,” Mamula said. “When we got into April we could see the offense coming. He was starting to hit baseballs farther, wasn’t chasing outside the zone as much. It’s been really good for the last month or so.”

It also doesn’t hurt to have a familial sounding board like dad Brian Lesher, his former Newark Charter coach. A first-team All-State first baseman at Newark as a senior in 1989, Brian Lesher parlayed a stellar Blue Hens stint of his own into a 12-year pro career that featured 108 MLB games with three teams.

“We’re always talking,” said Brett, whose older brother Zach also starred at Newark Charter and played for Delaware. “The baseball never stops in our house, which is great. I can call him whenever I need to and, obviously, he knows so much about the game and how hard it is.”

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Newark Charter grad Brett Lesher finds groove for Delaware Blue Hens