By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Joe Huwer's experience level entering the 2008 Hays Larks season was far different than any of his teammates.

While nearly every Lark played in at least 40 spring games and collected over 100 at-bats, Huwer had to redshirt after he transferred from Nebraska to Washington State this spring.

Huwer's at-bat on June 1 was the first time he had ever faced a college pitcher in an actual game.

The lack of at-bats hasn't derailed Huwer's year. He has contributed all season, rarely struck out and delivered a two-RBI single in Game 1 of the National Baseball Congress World Series in Tuesday night's 10-0 win against the San Diego Waves.

"To compete at this level, it's a real confidence booster," Huwer said.

The Larks' starting left fielder, Huwer carries a .286 average and has just 14 strikeouts in 116 plate appearances, the lowest rate of any Lark.

He has 20 RBIs, including two game-winning hits, and is among Hays' leaders in several offensive categories.

The Larks will play Game 2 of the NBC World Series tonight at 5 p.m. against the Southern California Fire at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium (KAYS 1400).

"He has accomplished a lot this summer," Hays Larks manager Frank Leo said.

Huwer, though, has always been accomplished at every level and every sport he has ever played. A Boise, Idaho native, Huwer didn't play spring baseball his first two years of high school.

Instead, he participated in lacrosse, earned all-state honors and scored two goals in the state championship game as Timberline High School won the Idaho title.

"The transition from baseball to lacrosse was pretty good because I could swing the lacrosse stick left-handed and I could get some whip on that thing," Huwer said.

Huwer was also a two-year starter in football and is also an avid Frisbee golf player and skier ("every chance I get," he said) who has skied in several states and has skied off cliffs and rock faces occasionally.

Huwer, who played summer baseball every season, joined the spring team his junior year. His left-handed swing produced a .390 batting average with a .700 slugging percentage as a junior and .565 as a senior.

A left-handed hitter with an open stance (more open than any other Lark), Huwer holds the all-time Idaho career batting average record and earned Class 5A Southern Idaho Conference Player of the Year.

"It was just kind of natural to me," Huwer said of his stance. "My dad (a former University of Colorado football coach and Xavier University football and baseball player) is more of a natural swing.

He doesn't want to make every person have the same swing, because not everybody has the same swing. That just felt the most comfortable to me."

"I have a tendency to get out in front of the ball and lunge at the ball and that kind of keeps me back longer," he added.

Huwer, whose brother Josh played for Emporia State University, played in the prestigious 2006 Area Code Games, one of the best high school showcases in the country.

His team included Hilton Richardson and Keaton Hayenga, both 2007 draft picks of the Kansas City Royals; Greg Peavey, a member of the 2006 U.S. Junior Olympic team and Kawika Emsley-Pai, a participant in the 2008 NBC World Series.

Huwer signed with Nebraska before he transferred to Washington State and had to sit out the 2008 spring year before he joined the Larks.

Huwer, one of five position players for Hays, was one of two not to see at least 100 spring at-bats and 40 games.

"I have had a few guys over the years that wound up getting redshirted and didn't get at-bats and they really have a hard time adjusting particularly to the breaking pitch, the off-speed pitch," Leo said. "Joe has (adjusted). ... He hasn't been striking out much this year."

Huwer has struck out 12 percent of the time, the best rate of any Lark this season - after seeing just live pitching in practice once a week all spring for Washington State.

He has been able to hit well with two strikes, including one game-winning hit against Liberal on June 15 where he lined a single between shortstop and third base.

"He can pull with power, but when he has to go the other way, particularly with two strikes a lot of times he does," Leo said.

While Huwer's season line of 286/345/400 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) is behind several other teammates, only Huwer and Rich Michalek rank in the top four in several "productive" categories.

Huwer has hit .321 with men on base and carries a .382 mark with runners in scoring position, third behind Kevin Hennessey (.415) and Michalek (.389).

Huwer leads the team in scoring a runner from third base and less than two out with a .769 percentage (10-for-13) and ranks fourth in success advancing runners - the percentage of times a batter advanced at least one runner during a plate appearance - with a .508 mark.

"I think I have accomplished exactly what I want to do," Huwer said.