Like the gradual development and growth of field corn during June and July, Northampton head Connie Mack coach Glen Benes sees his club maturing in a similar fashion.

The K-Kids version in the Lehigh Valley Connie Mack league had been hovering around the .500 mark throughout the season before a recent slide left them with an overall 3-7 mark to begin this week's play.

However, the K-Kids had a recent 16-6 victory over Freemansburg before they dropped a 10-6 decision to Coplay. During the middle of the season, they pieced together a modest two-game winning streak with a 13-4 victory over Moore Township and a 13-8 triumph over East Stroudsburg.

"It has been an up and down season for us," said Benes, who has been coaching at various levels of baseball for 37 years. "At this point, we have been doing better than I thought we would.

"We have a number of kids here who are playing out there for the first time, but they have been getting used to every phase of the game. We have kids who are coming here from the lower leagues and it has been a big transition for them. We have been showing signs of having a better finish to the last part of the season."

Benes has been pleased with the play of Matt Wechsler, who has played the outfield and pitched for the Kids. James Benes, the coach's son, has also been a mainstay behind the plate. Mike Kovalchik has been another regular contributor, as he has pitched, and played first, short, and center field.

Ian Csencsitz also has apparently found a home at second base for the K-Kids.

"Those guys have been there for us all season," said Benes. "They have hit the ball consistently and have played the field well. When we look at our team, they have been our leaders on and off the field.

"But we need to have more players being able to contribute."

Along with some depth overall problems and the lack of steady hitting, Benes is optimistic his team can also find consistent pitching.

"We really don't have enough arms at this point," he stated. "When we hit the ball well, we win games. But if we're not hitting, we'll struggle."

Despite some struggles, Benes plans to maintain a positive outlook for the remainder of the season.

"Last year, we had a team that was expected to do very well, and we didn't get as far as we thought we would," he reflected. "This team can still surprise some people. We have a good chemistry here and they just have to get some more experience. If we continue to do the right things out there, we'll grow some more over the next few weeks."