VIDALIA — It was a cold spring in more ways than one for former Vidalia High School standout Jarrett Hoffpauir.

The third baseman, who now plays his home baseball games with the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse N.Y., now has his batting average up to .291 as of Sunday after starting the season slow up north.

“I had a tough first couple of weeks with the weather,” Hoffpauir said. “But now it’s getting back to normal. The first month or so is pretty rough on everybody.”

Hoffpauir had a big month of May to get back on track. He hit .338 with 13 RBIs in the month.

He has fallen off a bit in June, and he said he is trying to reduce the bad streaks.

“It’s getting better, but I’m big on being consistent and getting better and working every day,” he said.

Not only did Hoffpauir start the season slow, his team, the Syracuse Chiefs, did as well. But June has the Chiefs playing red-hot baseball. The team had won 12 out of its last 13 games going into Saturday’s contest with the Norfolk Tides.

“(The streak) got us in the hunt, and we are playing really well,” he said.

Hoffpauir said he knows his ultimate goal is still a major-league call-up, but he is trying to enjoy Triple-A ball more this year after battling through injuries the past few seasons.

“I just take it day by day,” he said. “I come out and play hard every day. I can’t control the uncontrollable.

“We are a pretty good team, and I just go play hard every day and enjoy playing baseball. I got caught up trying to get to the next level, but I want to focus on playing the game and enjoy that I get to go out every day and play baseball for a living.”

Hoffpauir said he is excited about being a part of an organization as hot as the first-place Washington Nationals.

“They have a good young club,” he said. “The guys have a lot of enthusiasm.”

Hoffpauir said the Nationals’ style of play has trickled down into the Chiefs’ clubhouse, and he enjoys being a part of the organization.

He said he also got the opportunity to play with young phenom Bryce Harper this season.

“He plays the game the right way,” Hoffpauir said. “He kind of gets a bad rap sometimes, but he is only 19 years old.”

Hoffpauir said the rest of his summer is focused on being consistent and trying to get his team into the postseason.