There, in the indoor batting cage, center fielder Jeremy Owens worked with Sea Dogs batting coach Mark Budaska — this after having played all 14 innings of the twin bill.

“It was just a little fine tuning,” said Owens.

The Red Sox picked Owens in the Rule 5 draft in December knowing he was a project.

While speed and defense were his strengths (Owens has averaged 45 stolen bases per year and is rated the best defensive outfielder in the Red Sox’s system by Baseball America), offensive production was completely a different matter.

A career .248 hitter, Owens started last season with San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate in Portland, Oregon, but was demoted after hitting just .174 in 13 games. He spent the rest of the season in Class A, where he hit just .230.

The big concern has been Owens’ inability to make consistent contact.

Coming into the season, he had struck out 775 times in 599 minor-league games.

That trend has continued with the Sea Dogs, where he fanned 27 times in his first 55 at-bats.

“I’ve been like that my whole career,” said Owens. “I’ve always been very aggressive with a wild swing.”

“Jeremy’s a phenomenal talent, but he’s got that issue with the strikeouts,” said Portland manager Ron Johnson. “We’re going to try to do everything we can to cut them down.”

If there is one thing working in his favor, it’s Owens’ willingness to take instruction and translate it to the playing field. Whereas in the past he admittedly did things his way, Owens has put his trust in the Red Sox coaching staff and it’s starting to pay dividends.

The night after the impromptu session in the batting cage with Budaska, Owens belted his first home run of the season over the left-field wall at Hadlock Field.

On Wednesday night, at the suggestion of Johnson and minor league hitting coordinator Orv Franchuk, he dropped a pair of bunts, both of which he beat out for hits.

“It gives him a good look at the ball,” Johnson said of the bunts. “We’re going to try to push that and see him do that a little bit more.”

In extra innings of the same game, he drove another ball over the wall to start a three-run rally.

“I feel like something clicked,” said Owens. “I’m starting to feel real comfortable.”

While he continues to make strides at the plate, Owens, a former eighth-round pick of the Padres in the 1998 draft, has been stellar defensively.

He began the recently completed homestand by robbing New Haven’s Kurt Keene of a hit with a running catch before slamming into the center field wall and ended it by playing a line drive by Reading’s Juan Richardson off of the wall in left-center field and firing a perfect strike to second base to cut down Richardson, who was trying for a double.

“He shows you every tool you want to see, from speed to arm strength to instincts as an outfielder,” said Johnson. “He’s got power and tremendous heart and desire. The only negative right now is the contact issue.”

More double duty

With the Sea Dogs roster depleted by injury, John Nathans had to catch all 14 innings of Sunday’s doubleheader against New Haven. The next night, he was right back at it, with a little different twist.

Nathans was the designated hitter, but also had to sprint out to the bullpen between at-bats to warm up pitchers.

“He was all over the place,” said Johnson. “If we get an effort like that from everybody on a daily basis, we’re going to have a tremendous amount of success.”

Nathans went into the season knowing he would likely be the odd man out when Kelly Shoppach completed his rehabilitation assignment in Florida.

Injuries to Brian Loyd and Andy Dominique pressed the Richmond grad into action and may have extended his stay in Portland.

While he’s here, Nathans is hoping to soak up as much as he can from his first Double-A experience.

“There are a lot of veteran guys on this team who have been great, ” said Nathans. “They’ve been a big help.”

Around the minor leagues

Former Red Sox prospect Seung Song tossed the first no-hitter in Harrisburg history as the Senators beat Erie 2-1 Monday night. Song, who was traded to Montreal as part of the Cliff Floyd deal last season, allowed an unearned run in the ninth inning.Jason Coulie hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to lead Rancho Cucamonga to a 4-3 win over Lake Elsinore Tuesday in the Class-A California League. The Bates grad, a ninth round selection of the Anaheim Angels in the 2000 draft, had gone 118 at-bats without a home run.Former Sea Dog Jaime Jones has resurfaced in the California League. Jones, a first-round bust after he was chosen by the Florida Marlins with the sixth overall pick of the 1995 draft, had been out of the game since being released by the Marlins on June 1, 2001. He was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks and was hitting .321 for the Lancaster Jethawks heading into the weekend.

Bill Foley is assistant sports editor. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]