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But the junior outfielder is still trying to figure out how to use his speed to steal bases.

As ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ begins Big 12 play with a three-game series against Cincinnati starting Friday at Hi Corbett Field, Summerhill has been successful on only 4 of 9 steal attempts. Last year, he was 7 of 13. That puts him at 50% since he became a regular. The rest of the Wildcats have an 81.4% success rate over that same span.

“It hasn’t been great, and I’ll be the first to admit that,� said Summerhill, who’s excelling otherwise on offense, including a .369/.453/.631 slash line and a team-high four triples.

“Hopefully Coach Hale keeps trusting me.�

UA coach Chip Hale said he’ll be more judicious when it comes to giving the green light to run now that conference play is starting. The green light is earned, not given, and Summerhill hasn’t earned it quite yet.

“That’s our job, to get him better,� Hale said. “We’re going to have to pick better pitches for him to run on.

“Most of the teams we’ve played this preseason have been very quick to the plate. Cincinnati does a good job of it, too. We’ll get some teams where we feel like the times are longer, and the catcher doesn’t throw as well. But so far, most teams have been very attentive to our runners.

“And he’s got a name. He’s out there as one of the best players in the country. So obviously they’re gonna target him.�

Summerhill experimented with a different type of leadoff in the last summer, and it helped. He stole 12 bases in 15 attempts (80%).

Summerhill learned the “momentum steal� or “vault� from former teammate Emilio Corona, who had an 84% success rate during his college career. The idea is to start moving before the pitcher goes to the plate instead of starting from a flat-footed position.

Corona taught Summerhill the technique last season, but he was hesitant to try it in games that counted in the standings.

“I wasn’t gonna put it into play, what he was teaching me, in high-leverage games where I come back to the dugout (and have to say), ‘Oh, I was trying something.’ That’s not what you want to tell your coach,� Summerhill said before the season. “I was able to try it up in the Cape, and it really worked.�

Summerhill might be able to learn something from Cincinnati. The Bearcats lead the Big 12 with 46 stolen bases. They have been caught only four times. Junior outfielder Landyn Vidourek leads the conference with 14 steals and has yet to be caught.

“They’re a little different than what we’re used to seeing,� Hale said. “They’ll do a lot of bunting. They’ll run a lot. They’ll put a lot of pressure on you.�

‘Kram’ sessions

Owen Kramkowski’s sophomore season did not start promisingly. The right-hander couldn’t get out of the first inning on Feb. 15 vs. Clemson. He allowed seven runs and got only two outs, putting his career ERA at an unsightly 49.50.

But Kramkowski was able to bounce back because he knew he hadn’t pitched that poorly. Six of the eight hits he surrendered were singles, and four came with two strikes.

Kramkowski learned that he just needed to be more precise. He’s had no trouble throwing strikes; he has yet to walk a batter in 17⅓ innings after yielding five bases on balls in 1⅓ innings as a freshman. However, as Hale noted, “There’s no pitcher alive that can pitch down the middle of the plate anymore.�

Kramkowski has worked within his margins much better the past three outings, yielding five earned runs in 16â…” innings for an ERA of 2.70.

“I love the path I’m on,� Kramkowski said. “Just need to keep on working (and) trust in the process.�

Kramkowski’s progress was disrupted during his junior year at Walden Grove High School when he suffered an avulsion fracture in his elbow. He pitched just 20⅓ innings that season and only 7⅓ as a senior.

“It was tough,� Kramkowski said. “But I learned so much from it. You learn how to take care of your body a lot more. That was the biggest part for me. You gotta use that time to try and get the best you can.�

UA coaches had high hopes for Kramkowski last season after he impressed during bullpen sessions and intrasquad scrimmages. He struggled in real games. But that experience might have benefited him in the long run.

“There’s a reason I came here,� Kramkowski said. “Freshman year, it’s not going to be ideal all the time. It’s going to be rough. ... You get beat up your freshman year. It’s a learning experience.

“It’s already happened. What can I take from it now? That’s the mentality after last year.�

Working with pitching coaches Kevin Vance and John DeRouin, Kramkowski added a cutter to his mid-90s fastball, sweeper and sinker. He also added 10 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-3 frame, bumping his weight to 170 pounds.

“Kevin and John were really focused on him in the fall, getting him back to what they thought he could be,� Hale said. “His velo ticked way up. He’s got great breaking stuff. It’s going to be exciting to see how he does in this league.�

Inside pitch

– While ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is sticking with the same weekend rotation — Collin McKinney followed by fellow right-handers Kramkowski and Smith Bailey — Cincinnati’s rotation is in flux. Multiple Bearcats are fighting an illness that’s running through the team. Their starters are listed as TBA.

– Continuing a positive trend from a year ago, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ ranks in the top five nationally in fewest walks per nine innings (2.22; second) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.35-1; fourth). The Wildcats finished first in both categories last season.

– UA left fielder Easton Breyfogle is questionable to play this weekend after suffering a strained quadriceps muscle Tuesday vs. ASU. TJ Adams likely will start if Breyfogle is unable to play. Adams, a redshirt sophomore, hit .357 in 42 at-bats last season.

– ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ (12-4) has won 12 of its past 13 games, with the only loss coming vs. No. 2 Tennessee. Cincinnati (11-6) has won six in a row.

– Hale on playing in the Big 12 Conference for the first time: “We’ve played TCU. We’ve played Texas Tech. We know what they’re all about. But it’s going to be a completely new situation when we go on the road, where we’re going to stay, where we’re going to eat. We’ll just have to get used to it. And when game time comes around, just play good baseball.�