NWL notes: Hancock back on track

Faced with sinking statistics and sagging confidence, right-hander Justin Hancock was sent from the Midwest League's Fort Wayne TinCaps to the Eugene Emeralds. Rather than sulk, Hancock met his challenge head-on and took his fate into his own hands.

With just a few adjustments to his routine, his future with the Padres organization suddenly seems much brighter.

Hancock has been nothing short of spectacular since joining the Emeralds, compiling a 3-2 record and 1.81 ERA in nine games. His 42 strikeouts, as well as his ERA, are fourth best in the Northwest League -- a far cry from his time in Fort Wayne, where he was 0-4 with a 6.95 ERA in 13 games.

"I had one bad inning, then I had a couple more after that, then I just got hit around a little bit," said Hancock, a ninth-round pick in 2011. "You shouldn't be getting hit around like that -- my confidence dropped, and that led to walks."

It was clear after his time in the Midwest League that something needed to change. Though his mechanics were already sound, he needed a fresh approach.

When he first arrived in Eugene, he met up with pitching coach Nelson Cruz and manager Pat Murphy, who offered the 21-year-old some advice that helped him right out of the gate.

"When I first got here [Murphy] took me off to the side and said, 'I know people have told you you're good. I want you to go out there and pitch the ball the way you're capable of doing and go after hitters,'" Hancock recalled. "'Your mound presence is huge. You just need to have that mind-set to go after batters, and if they hit it, they hit it.'"

The results came quickly for Hancock, who tossed five shutout innings in his first start for the Emeralds on June 17 and leads the league in WHIP at 0.92.

The challenge all professional athletes face is when they encounter adversity for the first time. Though it took its toll early on with the TinCaps, he sees a lot of good that the rough times have produced.

"You just have to learn from your mistakes," he said. "Everyone's going to get hit around once in a while, but I'm glad it happened to me now, rather than later."

Now, as confident as ever, Hancock will relish the opportunity to return to Fort Wayne, and move even further in his professional career.

"I want to get back there and show them what I've got," Hancock said. "I'm ready to go out there every single day and work hard."

Rock the vote: Boise first baseman Rock Shoulders has reached the final round of MiLB.com's Moniker Madness tournament. The 20-year-old Cubs prospect is facing Rougned Odor of the Hickory Crawdads for the title of best name in Minor League Baseball. Voting concludes Aug. 6.

Welcome to the bigs: Mike Olt, who played with the Spokane Indians in 2010, was called up by the Texas Rangers Thursday to join them in the thick of their pennant race. Olt hit .287 with 28 home runs this year with Double-A Frisco and becomes the 29th former Indian to appear in the Majors 2003.

Who's hot/not: Boise shortstop Stephen Bruno has hit .314 with one home run and six RBIs in his last 10 games. Eugene right-hander Tony Wieber has not allowed an earned run while striking out eight in his last 7 1/3 innings. Tri-City outfielder Jarod Berggren has hit just .130 in his last seven games, while Yakima lefty Alexander Carreras is 0-2 with seven earned runs allowed and seven walks in his last 11 2/3 frames.

He said it: "He was hitting a few too many balls to right field. So we said, 'Hey, if the ball's inside, you've got to pull it.' Then he hit the ball out of the park a couple of times and kind of liked that." -- Boise Hawks hitting coach Bill Buckner to the Idaho Statesman on the progress of Gioskar Amaya.