Del Oro's Belding finding his stride with Potters

Collegiate summer baseball is built on experience and development, and few players are gaining more of both than Masen Belding with the Lincoln Potters. While most summer rosters are filled with college players or incoming freshmen, Belding is making the most of a unique opportunity. Fresh off his junior year at Del Oro High School, he's spending the summer in Lincoln and testing himself against Division I-caliber competition. The LSU commit was one of the top players in the Sac-Joaquin Section, leading the Golden Eagles to the Division II championship and batting .344 with 30 RBIs and eight home runs. While adjusting to facing college players, Belding says he's learning a lot and believes the experience will pay off during his senior year. "It's been an incredible experience. There's nothing better than being out here with all these boys. The older guys took me under their wing right away," said Belding. "The competitive level is insane; it's nothing like I've seen before. It's definitely improving my game. I've learned so much in the box, behind the dish, in everything." Belding is batting .229 with five RBIs in 11 games. There was a learning curve for the young bat at first. He struck out six times in his first four games but has adjusted to the pitching and has two three-hit games and four doubles. Belding said one of his biggest areas of improvement has been his approach at the plate, noting he has learned how to relax by taking deep breaths and adjusting his swing as needed. He also said the environment at McBean Stadium is unmatched compared to anything he has seen before, especially at the high school level. Belding believes the crowd at McBean is good preparation for what he will see in the SEC after graduating. "My first game here, I definitely had some jitters but I learned to accept it pretty quickly," said Belding. "All these fans are absolutely incredible. They have your back no matter what. If there's a bad call at the plate, they're letting the umpire hear it and you feed off of that, too. They feed off you. You feed off them. It's awesome." Belding said he's happy to be back in a familiar area following his summer experience with the Ohio Warhawks. "I spent about three weeks over there. It was good to be away from home for a bit and a fun experience," said Belding. This summer in Lincoln also could impact his draft stock. As a highly touted recruit, it's a chance for Belding to showcase his abilities for big-league scouts. He says he doesn't feel any additional pressure or nerves about the idea of playing for scouts however, as he plans to take the same approach every day. Said Belding, "It's the same game. I've been playing since I was a little kid. I just trust myself and trust that God has a plan for me and go from there."