I chatted with shortstop Joe Sclafani '12 to talk about his unusual sophomore Summer experience and Dartmouth baseball's impressive postseason run.
Who are you playing summer ball for now and where are you playing?
JS: I'm playing summer ball for the Morehead City Marlins in Morehead City, N.C. The team is part of the Coastal Plain League, which is one of the premier leagues in the country.
How important is it to play summer ball? How much does your coach stress playing baseball all summer?
JS: Summer ball is extremely important, in regards to college and pro ball. It's important for college because position players need to continue seeing live pitching and pitchers need to be facing live hitters. For pro ball, scouts want to see that you're able to hit with a wooden bat and it gives them the opportunity to watch you over the summer if they want.
How many kids who seriously play summer ball are pro prospects?
JS: Essentially every college player that is taken in the MLB First Year Player Draft every June has played summer ball.
Talk a little about your postseason run. Did you guys ever feel intimidated playing teams like the No. 11 University of Miami?
JS: Our postseason run was one of the most amazing and memorable athletic experiences of my life. Not only were we playing perennial powerhouses like Miami and Texas A&M [University], but we were also on national television on ESPNU playing in front of thousands of people. We were never intimidated by these teams and we played like we had nothing to lose which we didn't and almost pulled off what would have been a couple of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
Did you guys feel any guilt ending Florida International University's season and consequently postponing Garrett Wittels' historic hitting streak until next year? How did it feel to be so close to a part of baseball history?
JS: We felt no guilt about ending Wittels' season. We actually wanted to be the team to end his streak straight up, but the fact that he has to wait an entire year to see what happens with his streak was great too. It was great to end his season.
Did you ever get a chance to talk to Wittels before or after the game? What could his mindset have been like?
JS: I got the opportunity to talk with him a little bit while each of us were on second base because he plays shortstop too. He was a pretty down-to-earth guy. He said that he was really nervous when the streak was around 30 games, but after about 40 he stopped worrying about it and just tried to help his team win, which I thought was an awesome approach and the reason why he was successful.
I saw Sam Bean '11 on SportsCenter's Not Top 10 after the Regional. How was the clubhouse reaction to that?
JS: That was hilarious. There was no real clubhouse reaction to that because we had all left campus at that point so other than a few texts having a good laugh about it there wasn't really much said.
What are some of your personal goals and plans regarding baseball and your future at Dartmouth? What else would you like to accomplish here?
JS: As far as my personal goals go, I'd like to win two more Ivy League Championships to [win four of four] and solidify Dartmouth baseball as a dynasty. I would like to win a Regional and advance to a Super Regional for the first time since 1970. I'd like to win Ivy League Player of the Year honors before I graduate. Most of all, I want to solidify Dartmouth baseball as one of the premier programs in the Northeast and have other teams know that they're going to get a hell of a game if they sign up to play us.
How do you see your future in baseball playing out? Should I be on the lookout for a Joe Sclafani rookie card?
JS: I feel that if I continue to work hard and really put forth the effort to improve my game that I will hopefully get drafted. And as far as that goes, I hope my passion will let me advance as far as my ability will allow me in pro ball. So who knows, you might be picking up a Joe Sclafani rookie card in the future.
