Great Scott

If there is one Wild Things player who is swinging the bat well during this homestand, it's second baseman Scott Lawson.

The lefty hitter is 5-for-14 with two home runs, two walks and a stolen base. That's what Washington manager Darin Everson expected when he signed Lawson during the offseason.

A native of Grapevine, Texas, Lawson was drafted in the 29th round by the Tampa Bay Rays last spring but was released after hitting .262 with two teams (one rookie level, one Classs A). Everson targeted Lawson as a player to sign for several reasons, among them he played at Miami (Fla.) -- the Wild Things have three former Hurricanes -- and he liked Lawson's speed.

Throughout Lawson's career, he has shown flashes of brilliance. At Miami, he hit three home runs in three consecutive at-bats during an NCAA tournament game against Texas A&M. With the Wild Things, he has a team-high three home runs, including a game-winner in a 1-0 win at Joliet.

Defensively, Lawson began the year at third base but was shifted to second, where he played with the Hurricanes. He's shown that he's more suited for second base, and even showed terrific range. He made a diving stop on a ball hit up the middle Friday night by Normal's Tyler Keeble. Lawson quickly got to his feet and threw out Keeble. It was the kind of play that hasn't been seen by a Wild Things second baseman since the days of Ryan Ellis.

What Everson especially likes in Lawson is his speed. It's one reason he moved Lawson to the leadoff spot in the batting order and dropped Chris Siick into the No. 3 hole.

"Lawson has the ability to be a really impactful player and play at a higher level, if he can use his speed as a tool," Everson said. "That's why I wanted him -- because of his speed."