(Photo Credit: Shelly Newman)
by Zevan Shuster
For North Shore High School baseball coach Scott Lineman, the potential of his team heading into the 2020 season is endless. And with potential, come high expectations.
“I expect to compete at a high level, and we’re going to try and win the league. We have an extremely tough league this year, where it won’t be easy to come and get the number one seed, but it’s something we’re going to be fighting for,” Scott Lineman said.
At all levels of sports, winning is a result due to a long, complex process that takes place both on and off the field. It’s a journey that encapsulates every important aspect of what it takes to build a team, and get the sum of the team, to be greater than its individual parts.
“We’ve been trying to build our team unity early during the winter workouts we’ve been having. So, we’ve been in the weight room, we’ve been hitting in the cages, we’ve been doing our throwing program, and we’ve had all our players working together and pushing each other, and motivating each other, which we hope is going to benefit the camaraderie going into the season, which will help us play better together.” said Lineman.
The head coach knows his team must be ready for anything, including and especially, the unknown.
“Obviously, when the season starts, there’s going to be some competition at certain positions, there’s going to be competition in our pitching rotation to see who’s going to be our number one starter, and who’s going to be batting leadoff for us. There’s a lot of unknowns out there because we don’t have a lot of returning starters,” said Lineman.
With change often comes uncertainty, but optimism is a necessary component for Coach Lineman to get the most out of his players and his team.
“All my players that are going to be competing have ability, and have been really working hard in the weightroom, getting bigger and stronger,” remarked the head coach. “I definitely feel like with the competition that’s going to come up for competing for starting spots, both in the lineup and in the field, is going to benefit us and make us hungry to compete this year.”
Along with optimism rooting from present potential, motivation from past shortcomings can help lead this group of young men to the promised land.
After falling short last season in the quarterfinals, coach Lineman feels extremely confident that his newbies can take the program to new heights.
“We graduated all our starters (pitchers) from last year, that were also two year starters. They’re gone. So, this year, we’re going to be looking for three brand new starters pitchers in our rotation,” said Coach Lineman.
“We have three seniors that I feel can step up to the plate. Or to the mound I should say.”
Pun intended or not, Lineman believes in his players ability to compete, perform, and win at an elite level.
“Andrew Jarkow, Dan Pepe, and Matt Falcone are guys that were our starters when they were on JV. They were our three starting pitchers. They all played summer baseball, and they have all been in the weight room working out hard,” said in optimistic Lineman.
“Those three guys will be in the rotation, but we just don’t know in what spots, or in what order.”
As the late, great, Kobe Bryant personified, hunger and motivation will drive you to perform your best, and opportunities are things that must be taken advantage of.
“Being seniors, and really not getting a lot of playing time last year, they’re hungry to compete. They’re motivated to show what they can do in the field,” said the head coach.
Beyond just his players on the field, coach Lineman has his own approach to the game, that often tilts toward the old school variety. What is he sensing in the game? What does his gut tell him? And what should he take into account, and when?
“What’s great is that my assistant coach, Rob Gates, who’s been with me now for five years, we work very well together,” said coach Lineman. “He does a lot of the scouting and deals with a lot of the analytic stuff when it comes to other teams hitters, their spray charts, where they’re hitting the ball, or if they’re aggressive at the plate,” he said.
As important as chemistry is between players, it can be equally as important amongst the coaching staff.
“He (Gates) really looks into that, which really allows me to coach from my gut, to see how my players are feeling that day, to see who’s hot, who might come up big in a certain situation. We kind of feed off of each other in that way, both in games and in practices to see what’s going to work best for our team,” said Lineman.
When all else fails, coach Lineman will is a baseball traditionalist in that he will let his gut instinct prevail.
“I’m still kind of old school. I like to kind of coach from my gut for the most part. I like to see how the game is going… when I talk to my players, I can see who’s focused and who’s not. There are certain things that analytics can’t tell you.”
Though the head coach acknowledged that they do look at situational analytics hitter by hitter, pitcher by pitcher, and count by count, the human element is forever important to him, both for himself, and the players he coaches.
And one thing any coach loves is something they can rely on, something they know they can count on when all else fails.
“Obviously, I’m looking for another big year out of my senior Will Scarola. Will is going to be at Hofstra next year. Will is a very versatile athlete. He’s a three sport athlete… He’s been a starter on the varsity baseball, basketball, and football team’s since he was a starter.”
The starters this year, new and old alike, are going to need to perform at a high level for this team to get where coach Lineman believes in can.
Everybody will get to step up to the plate. Or mound. Or both.
