After making his mark at Lamar University, which included a career .340 average with a school record 22 triples and the 2006 Southland Player of the Year award, Delome is now continuing his consistency in pro ball. The 21-year old left-handed hitter is batting .324/.375/.510 in 26 games.
“I expected to succeed as a pro, but I didn’t think it would happen this quickly,” Delome explained. “I thought it would come later in the season but I’ve made the adjustment to pro pitching much quicker than I thought I would have.
“I think part of the reason I’m succeeding is the consistency of the pitching. You know they are going to stay in a certain zone. It helps you know what to expect when your in a hitters count and they are going to throw your pitch so you can wait back and time it well. I had talked to some friends who played pro ball and they said that if you’re a good hitter, it gets easier as you progress because the pitching gets more and more consistent.
“Another part of it is my ability to hit with a wood bat and to hit these guys’ off-speed stuff. I’ve always had the ability to stay back and wait for the pitch, which has helped me with the off-speed pitches. One thing I'm working on is making sure I get my front foot down in time so I’m not late on pitches. I’m focusing on swinging at good pitches, not chasing anything and staying out of pitcher’s counts, I just want to be a tough out everytime up.”
Delome played shortstop in high school and then switched to right field when he got to Lamar. They moved him to centerfield as a junior, which has meant that he’s only played centerfield for the past 6 months.
“I’m working on reading fly balls off the bat and taking the right routes,” Delome said. “I love playing centerfield though because it gives me a chance to show off my speed unlike playing in the infield, and it’s also exciting because of the opportunity to make diving catches.”
Delome doesn’t consider himself a power hitter, but he thinks he has the ability to hit the ball into the gaps and drive some runs in. “My main focus is to put a good swing on the ball, and if I do that I have the ability to hit the ball out of the park.”
Delome still has a lot of room to fill out his body at 6-2, 195 lbs, but he said putting weight on is not his focus right now.
“I just want to maintain the same weight for the rest of the season,” he told HoustonHardball.com. “My first priority is to stay healthy for the rest of the season. During the off-season, I’m going to put on some weight and also hopefully add some speed.”
The ValleyCats are struggling at 10-18 in last place of the Stedler division, and though Delome remains optimistic, he has alternate plans in mind just in case.
“We’re playing better having won 5 out of the last 7, but if we don’t make the playoffs, it would be nice to have a chance to keep the season going and get called up to Lexington.”