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Erik Lis has been an offensive star for the Snappers

By Matthew Hager
Beloit Daily News

Erik Lis is going to accomplish a goal he set at the beginning of the season next week when he plays in the Midwest League All-Star Game in Davenport, Iowa, on Tuesday night.

Don't be surprised if the hard-hitting Beloit Snapper accomplishes much loftier goals before his career is over - maybe even playing in the Major Leagues.

Lis is among the league leaders in several offensive categories through Thursday's action, and the first baseman/designated hitter leads Beloit in almost every offensive category.

The season has been great, Lis said before the Snappers embarked on their first half-ending road trip to Cedar Rapids. I'm having a lot of fun here, and my teammates are great. We have good coaches, and we all learn a lot. It's fun to play every day.

It's hard not to have fun with numbers like Lis has. Coming into Friday's game at Cedar Rapids, he was tied for second in the MWL in batting with a .324 average and was tied with Dayton's Jay Bruce for the doubles lead with 23. His on-base percentage of .412 is second best, and his slugging percentage of .536 is fourth best. Lis is also tied for second in extra-base hits with 31.

Lis has also been clutch for the Snappers this season, winning several games with some late-inning heroics.

He's pretty much carried us for quite a lot of the time offensively, Beloit manager Jeff Smith said. Even when we were struggling, he was having good nights offensively. He gives himself a chance every time up.

The Oak Lawn, Ill., native was a ninth-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in the June 2005 draft out of Evansville (Ind.) University. He played for the Purple Aces through his junior season, where he finished as the school's third-best all-time hitter with a .353 average. However, it was his time in the Texas Collegiate Summer League between his sophomore and junior years that really got him noticed. He was the player of the year in the TCSL and after an impressive junior campaign at Evansville, the Twins drafted him.

It was a dream come true, Lis said of being drafted. A lot of people aren't fortunate enough to get drafted, so I feel very lucky to be one of the guys who got on that list.

In his short time as a professional baseball player, Lis has already garnered a lot of praise. As part of the Appalachian League champion Elizabethton Twins last season, he earned the Minnesota Twins' Player of the Month award in July after hitting .407 (24-for-59) with 11 runs scored, eight doubles, four home runs and 21 RBIs. All this after hitting only .192 in June.

I guess baseball is a game of adjustments, and I was not swinging at good pitches early, Lis said. I worked with our hitting coach, (former Major Leaguer) Jeff Reed, and he really helped me out a lot. I got my swing down and started hitting the ball well.

Now it's the MWL noticing him. Not only is Lis a good hitter - he is also a smart one. He leads the Snappers in walks with 33, showing a patience at the plate his is proud of.

I try to get good pitches to hit, and capitalizing when you get a good pitch to hit, Lis said. I think that's a big key, to be patient and not swing at balls out of the zone.

Smith said Lis' mechanics at the plate are a big reason for his success.

He has the type of stroke - a pretty short stroke - that gives him the opportunity to have some success, Smith said. He's pretty patient too, and that helps a lot here.

As for the rest of the season, Smith said pitchers in the league will pitch Lis differently the rest of the season.

I think he'll have to make adjustments at the plate, Smith said. He's going to be fine though. He needs to be consistent, work on his defense at first (base) and he'll be just fine.

Lis, who seemed surprised when hearing his offensive statistics, said he's just living the dream.

I couldn't be happier, he said. I'm having fun and hopefully I'll keep doing well and I'll keep moving up. Numbers-wise, I'll let things take their course and see where they're at at the end of the season. Then I'll know if I had a good season.

That may be a goal easily reached.

Posted: Saturday, Jun 17, 2006

Miracle Lis gets some MVP-type advice

By Dana Oppedisano
Naples Daily News

FORT MYERS Erik Lis could have sworn he was done stargazing.

The 23-year-old was waiting for the Twins team bus to roll out of Sarasota last week, still processing the tips that Justin Morneau another smooth-swinging, lefthanded first baseman had offered during batting practice, when a familiar voice caught his ear from a few rows back.

He goes, So, where you playing this year? Lis said of the start to his second conversation with the AL MVP, one that stretched down most of I-75. I said, Fort Myers. He goes, Oh, OK. Then we were talking about hitting the whole ride back. It was pretty cool. He gave me some advice about approach and knowing what to expect. He actually helped out a lot.

That wasnt the first time and, if things go as planned for the Oak Lawn, Ill., product, it wont be the last, either that hes been linked with Morneau.

Theres the position, though Lis days at the only one hes ever played could be numbered, what with the spot seemingly occupied in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.

Then theres that stroke, the one that can drop balls into the gaps as well as the cheap seats, the one that crushed Midwest League pitching at low-A Beloit last season.

I never want to say I surprised myself, said Lis, who in his first full season as a pro led the league in hitting (.326), on-base percentage (.402), slugging percentage (.547) and blasted 16 homers with 70 RBIs. I set myself up with high expectations. I dont ever want to be surprised that I had a good year. I always want to be able to say that.

With those numbers, maybe the only surprise is that he wasnt in Fort Myers sooner.

He was something to watch, said Miracle infielder Juan Portes, Lis teammate at Beloit last summer. He concentrated every at-bat. He practiced hard everyday. You can see he wants to do everything he can do out there. Hes confident. He can drive the ball to all fields, hit for power, move guys over. Hes the whole nine yards.

The early returns are suggesting as much, but Lis is hardly done making adjustments.

Where last year he moved from short-season rookie ball to a 140-game schedule, hell be feeling out a Florida State League with bigger parks, mature pitchers with full offspeed arsenals and, of course, 90 percent humidity this summer.

On top of that, Lis is making a shift to the outfield, a move that should be as beneficial for his own career track as for manager Kevin Boles flexibility in the lineup.

As many as four other players on the Opening Day roster could play first for the Miracle this season, and the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Lis, who grew up worshiping Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko in the Chicago suburbs, has started in left in each of the teams first two games of 2007.

The more versatile you can be, the quicker it will be for them to move up to the big leagues, Boles said, acknowledging such a switch can make for a shock at first. Youre talking about angles from a left or righthanded hitter, first-step quickness, initial reads. All that, plus backing up bases when the balls not hit to you. Those ins-and-outs, if you havent played there, it takes a while to feel that out.

Lis said learning to read the ball off the bat has made for the biggest adjustment so far, but hes sure not shying from a challenge. After all, the last time he had to adjust to the unknown, it was the first 10 games of last season and the rest of the Midwest League knows how that turned out.

This is a game of adjustments, and I think Ive gotten pretty good at those, said Lis, who recorded his first hit for Fort Myers when he singled in the sixth inning of Fridays home opener against Sarasota. Ive got to take this opportunity and do the little things. Ive got to catch the ball. Thats the big thing. Catch the ball.

Said Boles: Hes a ballplayer, a gamer. Hes a guy that grinds it out, even when things arent going well. He comes ready to work everyday. This guy wants to make it to the big leagues, and its going to be fun to watch him develop.

Saturday, April 7, 2007