Logan Morrison: 8 straight hits

Logan Morrison has reeled off a few hitting streaks this season, but none as condensed as his effort this weekend.

Morrison collected a hit in his eighth consecutive at-bat as part of a 4-for-5 five-RBI effort Sunday, powering the Jupiter Hammerheads top the Palm Beach Cardinals, 12-8, at Roger Dean Stadium.

Coming off a 4-for-4 game on Saturday, the 20-year-old first baseman extended his "hits" streak to eight at-bats before taking a called third strike in the eighth inning. He drilled two-run homers in the first and third, lined an RBI double in the fourth and singled and scored in the sixth.

"I'm happy, but there's always room for improvement," Morrison said. "You can't be too happy or else you'll think you know everything."

For eight plate appearances, Morrison did appear all-knowing, though he downplayed the streak.

"It's nice, but at the same time, I wasn't worried about it," he said. "You're just trying to get a hit and dealing with the present."

The former 22nd-round Draft pick is 24-for-44 (.546) with four homers and 11 RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak. Both of Sunday's roundtrippers came off Cardinals starter Brad Furnish.

"In the the first AB, he was working me in and he threw me a changeup and over the plate," Morrison recalled. "I just recognized it and hit over the fence in right-center."

He came to the plate in the third, looking for a heater.

"He went away first and then the next pitch, it was a fastball in," Morrison said. "I was waiting for him to come back in."

It was the fourth four-hit performance of the season for the Kansas City native, who has 16 hits in his last six games. Sunday's effort was the third time he has driven in at least four runs.

"I've just been loose and relaxed, getting my pitches to hit," he said. "I'm not swinging at balls and I'm being patient."

Morrison strung together a 15-game hitting streak from June 5-24 after recording an 11-game run from April 20-May 12.

"I'm staying on balls, I'm not being afraid to be jammed," said Morrison, who leads the Florida State League with a .355 batting average, nearly 100 points higher than his 2007 mark. "I'm not pulling off and trying to hit home runs."

Still, the long balls are coming. He ranked third in the Marlins' Minor League system with 24 homers last season and participated in Home Run Derby at this year's FSL All-Star Game.

"I wanted to not worry about the home runs this year," he said. "If they come, they come. And they've come lately."

Morrison surpassed a 3-for-4, four-RBI effort against Daytona on April 27 but said he tries not to dwell on past performances.

"It's not what you did in the past, it's what you're doing in the present," he said. "I don't really think about the streaks unless someone tells me. My cousin will text me and say, 'Hey you've hit in whatever games,' and I'm like, 'OK, thanks.' I don't really know about them otherwise."

Morrison split his rookie season between the Gulf Coast League and short-season Jamestown in 2006. He hit .267 with 24 homers and 86 RBIs as a South Atlantic League All-Star last season at Greensboro before earning a promotion to Jupiter this spring.

All-Star Jeff Allison (7-7) recorded the win, despite giving up five runs on seven hits over five innings.

Furnish (7-8), a former second-round pick, was charged with six runs on seven hits over four frames.

Matthew Arburr and Charles Kingrey each drove in three runs for Palm Beach (20-21).

Logan Morrison has got to be climbing up prospect ladders. He seems to be advanced in maturity as a hitter just as porcello is as a pitcher. Already realizing he doesnt have to go for homeruns everytime up and accepting that they will come. This is what makes elite hitters like pujols for example. I am more impressed with a guy who will hit 25-30 homeruns and bat .330 vs a guy who hits 40 homeruns and hits .260. Where does morrison rank in your eyes? Top 75 prospects? how bout among firstbaseman?