Meet Scott Skammer

Scott Skammer is a senior management major with a minor in accounting. He plays outfield for the Wilkes University baseball team. He took the time to sit down and talk to The Beacon about the season and hopes for making the playoffs.
What is the feeling you get from baseball that no other sport gives you?
Probably winning, when you get the last out, and just getting a hit is a great feeling.

What is the moment in the sport that will stand out forever for you?
Probably our last series against King’s and Manhattanville, we played great as a team and we ended up sweeping King’s, which puts us in a great position for playoffs, if we play well the next couple of weeks, so that was a great weekend for us.

Tell me a little bit about what you like to do outside of baseball.
I did a couple triathlons last summer, I bike over a thousand miles a summer. I have a race in June, July and August this year, so I’m getting ready for that. It keeps the summer going by fast. I’d take my cycling over running any day though, running kind of hurts the knees after a while.

What’s your favorite band?
I like modern rock, Rise Against is my favorite; Breaking Benjamin, Red Light King I like a lot.

What’s going through your head when you’re playing baseball?
On-deck is pretty much easy, you want to get your pitch in your spot and make sure you don’t miss it. But in the field, you’re just saying “who’s on base, how many outs are there, who am I going to throw it to if it’s hit to me?” Just basic baseball knowledge.

What’s the farthest you’ve ever thrown?
I’ve never actually measured that. Centerfield to home is pretty far, it’s probably 75 to 80 yards.

What is your mentality when you’re out there playing?
I guess always be ready for anything, not just be sitting out there daydreaming. You’ve got to watch every pitch, get ready for every pitch. You don’t want to miss anything, because a ball in a high sky, a blue sky, it’s tough to see. If you don’t see it off the bat it’s tough to pick it up.

What do you think about when you think of baseball? What would you say is the defining act?
It’s definitely a team sport. Everybody has to work together to win. You need to have all nine guys working together, and that’s how you win ballgames.

What do you try to do to build team unity?
We always try to do stuff together. When we went away for our spring trip, we ate together, we always left together, people would room together, you learn different ways people act on the team. Everybody has a different personality, but we all get together in the same way. Everybody treats each other with respect.

What would you say is the inside joke of the baseball team this year?
I’d say it’s our inability to put the tarp on the field in an effective time. It takes us a while, most of the times we have to roll it up and unroll it about four or five times to get it right.

Is there anything you want to get across to all your fans?
I just want to say our new baseball coach is doing a great job. I think he’ll do a great job in the future if he stays here at Wilkes University. Team chemistry this year has been great. Teamwork’s been great, if everybody works really hard, and hopefully we’ll have a great end of the season and make the playoffs.

Do you have any one goal in mind?
I definitely want to make the playoffs, our team as a whole hasn’t made the playoffs the last three years that I’ve been here. Hopefully, for my senior year we can make the playoffs and maybe even win the MAC Conference.