Mac Sceroler delivers a pitch this season for Southeastern. The former Denham Springs High standout was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. (photo courtesy of Southeastern Sports Information)
Mac Sceroler is hoping the patience he's showing to begin his pro baseball career will pay dividends down the line.
His high school coach is counting on it.
"He's confident in his abilities," Denham Springs coach Mark Carroll said of Sceroler. "God blessed him with a tremendous amount of talent, but he'll work and he's willing to listen and try new things. Some of the guys that have been in the big leagues and some of the coaches and stuff there that he's going to be exposed to now (in pro baseball), they'll show him some things and teach him some things and he'll work at it. And that's the part that's going to get him in there (to the Major Leagues), I think."
Sceroler, the former Denham Springs High and Southeastern Louisiana pitcher, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 5th round of the Major League Baseball draft earlier this month. Since then, he's made his way to the Reds' Rookie League team in Billings, Mont., where he has yet to throw in a live game.
Following the draft, Sceroler said he spent about a week-and-a-half in Denham Springs while his agent and the Reds hammered out details on a contract.
After that was settled, he traveled to Phoenix, where Sceroler said he went through physical exams with the Reds' trainer and multiple doctors.
"They were doing all of the bells and whistles," Sceroler said. "They were doing everything right. Every single detail -- the muscle in my shoulder -- they were checking that to see if I'm healthy and all that. I passed it all good."
"I was there less than 24 hours, then after that I was on a plane coming to Billings, Mont., for rookie ball," Sceroler said.
And the Mustangs are taking things slowly with Sceroler, who went 9-2 with a 3.81 ERA this season for Southeastern, compiling 110 strikeouts in 101.2 innings.
"Being that I threw 101 innings for school this past year, they don't want me to overthrow," Sceroler said. "And I haven't been on a mound since my last regional start, so I got up here and they put me on a throwing program -- like a very light program."
Sceroler threw his first bullpen session on June 24 and has another scheduled later this week. After that Sceroler said he "should be good to go" for live-game action.
"It went good," Sceroler said of the bullpen session. "I was a little rough. I haven't thrown a baseball at 100 percent in about three or four weeks, but just getting back into the swing of things slowly. You know, finding my release point again and feel through all my pitches, so that's pretty much what I'm doing."
Sceroler said it's tough watching games from the bullpen, but he also realizes the approach the Mustangs' coaching staff is taking with him is part of a bigger picture.
"My coaches up here, they care more about the health of every individual player than winning, which is great," Sceroler said. "So they're not going to overthrow you ... If you're not feeling healthy one day, they just scratch you off the list."
Carroll, said he knows his former pitcher would like to help his team, but he also knows the Mustangs won't get any complaints from Sceroler.
"He's fine with that," Mark Carroll said. "He's going to do whatever he's got to do to help his team win and for him to improve as a player and be able to reach some of his goals later."
When Sceroler is ready to pitch, he'll be limited to three innings and will be used as a starter. Once his three innings are up, another starter will take the mound and go three innings -- a term called 'piggybacking.'
Although he has yet to make his professional debut, Sceroler said he's learned a few things during his short time with the Mustangs.
"The talent here, even at the rookie ball-level, it's just crazy," Sceroler said. "Every dude who steps foot on the field has big league potential. You know, that's why they're playing professional ball. The talent of every player is really pretty impressive, honestly."
And he's also made some observations he hopes will help him once he sees his first game action.
"I am learning that all these professional hitters, they love the fastball," Sceroler said. "They love whenever pitchers groove fastballs, so if you have control of your stuff and you can just bury that, then they're swinging about 85 percent of the time. So that's good to know going into my starts."
