Former Manchester High pitcher second in NCAA with 8-0 record
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Anthony Gadson-agadson@timesuniononline.com
MUNCIE — Two years removed from pitching for the Manchester Squires, Scott Baker is finding his groove with the Ball State Cardinals. Going into tonight’s start at Miami (Ohio), the 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-handed hurler’s 8-0 record has him tied for second in NCAA Division I baseball for wins, while he’s also carrying a 1.91 earned run average. “I’ve always thought I was a pretty good pitcher, but this year, I’ve really settled in and my confidence has swelled up,” Baker said Thursday afternoon in a phone interview. As a freshman, Baker appeared in 15 games, starting three, and finished the year with an 0-1 record and a 6.15 ERA. His numbers weren’t bad for a true freshman, as he discovered the college game was tougher after posting a 1.31 ERA and school-record 103 strikeouts during his senior season at Manchester. “In college, you have to have multiple pitches for strikes,” he said. “You can’t just throw fastballs by everybody like in high school. It’s a quicker game because you’re playing with the best players out of high school.” With one collegiate season under his belt, Baker also got a boost going into this season, as Rich Maloney returned to manage the Cardinals, replacing Alex Marconi. Maloney coached Ball State between 1996 and 2002, going 256-144-1 before leaving to coach Michigan for 10 seasons. In his last season at Ball State, Maloney was the skipper of the team that produced pitcher Bryan Bullington, the No. 1 overall selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2002 MLB draft. Despite Bullington flaming out in the pros, Maloney has shown he can take pitchers to the next level. “It’s mostly just mental stuff, making sure I come out for the game ready and having the right mindset,” Baker said of Maloney’s coaching approach with him. In nine appearances this year, Baker’s pitched 61-1/3 innings, allowing 52 hits and 17 runs, 13 of which were earned, while striking out 58 and walking 19. Of those numbers, his walk-to-strikeout ratio is the biggest change from his freshman campaign, when he walked 23 and struck out 30. “My confidence level is definitely higher this year,” he said. “I have the confidence to throw whatever pitch I want regardless of the count. “I haven't really changed any of my pitches, it’s just been knowing what to throw at what time and setting up pitches,” he added. “I have a better strategy for getting people out.” His improvement from one year to the next isn’t something new for Baker. While at Manchester, coach Jack Rupley saw him turn a corner in his sophomore season, when he went 5-3 with a 2.39 ERA and posted 64 strikeouts, earning a selection to the Three Rivers Conference second team. “During his sophomore year, he really began to come around,” Rupley said. “We had some other players, so pitching was all he really needed to focus on. He didn’t have to worry about coming in at another position. He started understanding the game a little bit more. His mechanics got a little bit better, and that’s when you started thinking, ‘If he begins to develop pretty well, he could do OK.’” And develop he did. As a junior, he went 8-0 with a 1.25 ERA and 56 strikeouts, followed by a his stellar senior campaign, both of which made him first team TRC selections. “He had a build that schools look at, because he’s a tall kid with long arms,” Rupley said of the college interest Baker began getting in high school. “In his junior and senior seasons, his velocity really got up there. With (Ball State coaches) getting to spend a little more time with him, he’s developed really well.” Now in college, he’s improving again, accounting for half of the Cardinals’ 16 wins and none of their 17 losses, while also earning the Mid-American Conference West Division Pitcher of the Week award four times. If he continues on this trend, it’s likely MLB scouts will begin taking notice, although he won’t be eligible for the draft until after his junior season. “I still have a lot of room to grow,” Baker said. “I’ve just been working everyday to get better. “My goal is definitely to play pro ball,” he added.
