By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

The numbers might look impressive for Thomas More Prep-Marian sophomore Kaylee Hoffman, but Hoffman still made changes in her batting and pitching during Monday's practice.

Hoffman is batting .450 as the team's leadoff hitter and carries a 8-1 record with a 0.61 earned-run average as one of the team's aces, along with junior right-hander Maddie Holub. However, the numbers are below what Hoffman delivered her freshman year when she earned first team all-state status as an outfielder.

Head coach Alan Billinger said he doesn't thinking Hoffman is hitting like she is "capable of hitting." Hoffman has also had some trouble with her rise ball grip.

"She has been struggling with that thing," Billinger said.

Hoffman will have a chance to work out the new changes when TMP-Marian (17-1) plays Colby (18-1) on Senior Day today in a doubleheader that starts at 4 p.m. at TMP field. The Monarchs need two wins to set a school record for victories in a regular season with 19.

Batting-wise, Hoffman, a left-handed hitter, modified her stance. Throughout the season, Hoffman has had a closed stance with her right (front) foot closer to the plate than her left. She has also crouched over the plate.

"(We are) having her stand a little bit straighter instead of having her bent over so much," Billinger said. "I would like her to stand up a little bit straighter and open up a little bit more. She has got, to me, too much of a closed stance. When you do that, you are seeing the ball with just one eye, instead of both eyes."

Hoffman, who went 10-1 with a 0.12 ERA last season, has upped her strikeout and walk rate from her freshman year. But Hoffman has changed her rise ball grip because of recent problems.

"We put the fingers flat (on the ball) instead of tucking one of them," Billinger said. "Her hands are probably not as big as they need to be for the tuck, it is more the index and middle fingers doing most of the spinning.

"We are anxious to get her outside, because this new grip, she was able to throw it harder and I think it moved better that any of the rise ball grips have done for her so far," he added. "She has done a real good job (Monday) with it."

Mall adjusts

Senior Maddy Mall has also changed her hitting approach. She started off the season well but fell into a slump. Mall moved off the plate so she could turn on the inside pitch.

"I crowd the plate too much, so therefore I have been having trouble hitting the inside strikes," she said. "I am getting called on that a lot because that feels inside to me. I took a step back and now I can get the inside pitch. I can get my hands inside and drive it down the left side."

Mall is batting .357/589/429 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage), the best average and slugging percentage of her career. Against Goodland in the Monarchs' last doubleheader last Friday, Mall went 2-for-5 with a double.

Altman hitting well

Freshman catcher MaKenzie Altman has steadily moved up in the batting order throughout the spring. She started eighth and has since batted sixth and fifth. Altman, though, has warranted one of the power spots in the batting order.

Altman leads the team in batting (.487 average) and is among the leaders in on-base percentage (.769) and slugging percentage (.718). Altman, who is 7-for-9 in the last four games, could even supplement Holub as the cleanup hitter.

Holub, after hitting nearly .600 as a sophomore, is batting .467.

"(Holub) has not been getting hits like I think she is capable of," Billinger said. "We may look to put MaKenzie Altman in the No. 4 spot and put Holub back up to 3 or 5. I don't whether there is too much pressure on her (Holub) right now ... with pitching and trying to hit like she did last year."

Stramel at third

Billinger has looked for consistency at third base all season and said Monday that sophomore Jessa Stramel has the edge on sophomore Sophia Schippers. Stramel has the higher numbers, but several of Stramel's five homers came with a strong wind and against weaker opponents.

Billinger, because of TMP-Marian's strength and the weaknesses of most of the Monarchs' opponents, evaluates based on practices rather than games.

"I just think that she is probably hitting the ball a little bit better," he said of Stramel. "I think she is doing a better job on the defensive end and I see it in practice."

Regionals and top records

The Monarch baseball team (6-10) will finish its regular season on the road against Colby today.

TMP-Marian is the No. 5 seed in the Class 3A Holcomb regional and will face Larned (8-8) in the first round on Monday.

Larned beat the Monarchs twice earlier this season, including once by run rule.

Lakin (18-0) is the No. 1 seed in the regional.

Softball-wise, the Monarchs, at 17-1, don't have the top record in the state. McLouth (17-0) and Wichita Independent (18-0) are both undefeated, while Osage City is 18-1.

Salina-Sacred Heart, the defending Class 3A state champions, lost twice to TMP-Marian earlier this season and is 13-5.