JETHAWKS NOTEBOOK: HE'S CHARLIE HUSTLE COTA TRIES TO SHED LAZY LABEL.

Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer

VISALIA - JetHawks outfielder Jesus Cota doesn't blame his teammates for openly criticizing his lack of hustle on a crucial play in Friday night's 7-2 loss to the Visalia Oaks.

The JetHawks had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the second inning when Dwight Edge a hit an apparent run-scoring single to left field. But J.P. Schmidt (Highland High of Palmdale) threw out a jogging Cota at the plate and the play went for an odd 7-2 fielder's choice.

JetHawks manager Bill Plummer benched Cota after the play.

``If I was the one that hit that ball, I'd have been upset, too,'' Cota said. ``That takes away a base hit and an RBI from him and it cost our team a run. I could understand them being angry at me.''

Cota's lack of hustle on the play actually cost the JetHawks two runs. Josh Kroeger, the next batter, hit into an inning-ending double play that would have scored a run in a no-out situation.

Cota got an earful from his teammates when he returned to the dugout.

``I just had to eat it,'' he said. ``I had to take it like a man and come back the next day and do the best that I could.''

Since the episode, Cota has improved his intensity level.

After hitting a two-run homer in his first at-bat in Saturday night's 5-3 loss to Visalia, Cota beat out an infield single in the third inning, and he ran the bases at full speed on fly outs in each of his next three at-bats.

In Sunday's 7-0 victory over Visalia, hustling down the first-base line allowed Cota to reach on an error with two outs that set up a three-run inning in the top of the seventh.

``He's made an obvious adjustment and I think everyone is glad to see it and I think deep down he's glad to see it, too,'' JetHawks second baseman Andy Green said. ``I know he can do it and that's a facet of the game that if he can continue to improve in will improve his stock in the (parent Arizona Diamondbacks') organization.

In his last at-bat in Saturday's game, Cota was midway between second and third by the time the putout was made on a towering pop fly to short field.

``The right fielder looked lost, and by the time I got to second the ball still wasn't down so I just kept running in case he dropped it,'' Cota said.

Cota had never been criticized for lack of hustle but acknowledged that he knew many in the California League have tagged his laid-back demeanor as lazy. He's eager to lose that label and said JetHawks fans should expect to see him go all-out as the team makes a push for the playoffs in the final week of the regular season.

``I'm definitely going to hustle now,'' he said. ``There's always people watching you and people talk a lot - people talk about you. Everybody's watching you all the time, so you have to do everything right.

``You've got to learn from your mistakes and move on. Take the positives out of it and hustle next time and don't let it happen again. I guarantee I'm never going to get thrown out like that at home again.''

--Corey keeps going: JetHawks first baseman Corey Myers went 2 for 5 in Sunday's game, extending his franchise-record hitting streak to 28 games - the longest active streak in professional baseball - entering Monday night's game against Rancho Cucamonga.

Both of Myers' hits figured prominently in Sunday's game. He had an RBI single in the top of the third inning that broke a scoreless tie and a two-out run-scoring single in the seventh that made it 5-0.

Myers can tie Brent Gates' California League record 35-game hitting streak if he hits safely in the JetHawks' seven remaining regular-season games.

--The other hitting streak Scott Hairston has hit safely in the 11 games he's played as a JetHawk since being promoted from Single-A South Bend (Ind.) in the Midwest League, where he started a combined 19-game hitting streak.

Hairston went 3 for 5 with a homer and two doubles in Sunday's game. He was batting .392 (20 for 51) with three homers, seven doubles and 14 RBI entering Monday night's game since coming to Lancaster.

--Injury update Scott Barber, who's been on the disabled list since Aug. 22 with a shoulder strain, will be activated Thursday. He'll be used out of the bullpen when he returns. ... Relief pitcher Greg Belson is day to day with a shoulder strain.

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JESUS COTA

JetHawks outfielder has shown more hustle recently.