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'Stang of the Week: Karsten Streiby
Q&A with Martinsville's hot-hitting first baseman
Karsten Strieby plays first base for the Martinsville Mustangs and is hitting .302. When he’s not fielding grounders, Streiby is likely joking around with his teammates. Strieby is a junior at Georgia College & State.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
By CHRIS PRIDE - Bulletin Sports Writer
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Washington native Karsten Strieby has made himself right at home on the East Coast this summer.
The 6-foot-6 first baseman has started in all but two of the 20 games he's played in this season. On top of his .980 fielding percentage and 130 putouts, the Georgia College & State junior is also one of the Mustangs' top offensive producers. Prior to Saturday’s game, he is second on the team in average (.302), third in slugging percentage (.365), on-base percentage (.362), and runs scored (6). His 19 hits are tied for third and his seven RBIs ranks fourth.
This past week, the Mustangs saw a five-game losing streak come to an end, but over that spell, Strieby managed to string together a five-game hitting streak. Ironically, that streak came to an end during Martinsville's 7-5 win at Asheboro Thursday. He hit .471 over that stretch with two runs batted in.
Bulletin sports writer Chris Pride chatted with Strieby in this edition of Mustang of the Week.
Chris Pride: Superstitions are a part of baseball, are there any that you have?
Karsten Strieby: I'm not too into superstitions, but a little bit, like if I get a few hits in a game I might wear the same pair of socks. I'll definitely wear them the next game.
CP: So have you been wearing the same pair for the last five days?
KS: Yeah, they've gone through the washer, but still the same socks. Some guys are big into that stuff, but I'm not too much into it.
CP: What was the key in putting together a mini hit streak, when the team as a whole has been struggling to find consistency?
KS: I think mainly it's just between the ears, I had to get my confidence back. I was struggling for about a week, hit a couple balls hard but just couldn't find the holes. Then I got some to drop, started seeing the ball better, put better swings on the ball, and got my confidence going.
CP: I know some people don't always like their name, or wish they had a different one, but to me, Karsten Strieby sounds like a baseball name. Do you think you have a baseball name?
KS: You know when I was younger I wasn't a big fan of it, because kids gave me a hard time since it was different. Now I like it. My brother Ryan plays AAA, so I guess it's starting to become a baseball name now.
CP: Are there any nicknames developing with some of the players, do you have one?
KS: There are. I haven't really gotten one yet. We have a great group of guys though, and we spend a lot of everyday around each other. We're starting to blend pretty good.
CP: What's something people should know more about you?
KS: I'm a big kidder, always joking around trying to have fun. I try not to take the game so negatively, sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself. I like playing jokes on the guys, keep it relaxed.
CP: What's your favorite Matt Duffy moment so far?
KS: Probably when he got ejected the other night. He has a lot of passion for the game, backs up all his players, and if he thinks the umps are shorting his players, he's going to let them know. He just has our backs and that's a sign of a good coach.
CP: If you could play another sport, what would it be?
KS: I played basketball and football in high school, but I'd say basketball is my second favorite sport.
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