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Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(article posted by Lauren Brightmore, Student Sports Information Assistant)

May 9, 2011 - There is no “I” in team, nor is there an “I” in the name Dan Scott.  A true team player, Scott has meant a great deal to the recent success of the North Central College baseball program.  Last year Scott was named to the All-CCIW (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) Second Team and was one of nine recipients of the ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) Central Region Gold Glove Award.

As a starting outfielder, Dan goes wherever he is needed, playing each outfield position this season. He has adjusted well, errorless in the field.  In addition to his flawless fielding, Scott is the go-to guy on the base paths. In fact, the first game of the spring season Scott hit a solo home run, assisting in the non-conference game win against the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.  He leads the team in runs scored (35) and has a .470 on base percentage. He also has amassed 35 hits and 14 steals for the season. 

 As a physical education major and a coaching minor, Scott has found great value in his classes and practicum experiences.  His work on the field and in the classroom has earned him an Academic All-CCIW honor.  He hopes to spread his love for the game to others as a coach one day. 

Get to Know Dan Scott

Q: How long have you been playing baseball?

A: I started when I was four years old, so I've been playing about eighteen years.

Q: Are you a Cubs fan or a Sox fan?

A: I'm a diehard Sox fan.

Q: What outfield position do you play?

A: Actually, I've played all three this year.  I started in center, and then we made some lineup changes and I moved to left, and then we made more lineup changes and I moved to right.  Center is my favorite though. 

Q: What do you like most about outfield?

A: Running down fly balls is probably my favorite thing.  Ever since I was a little kid I've always liked to catch fly balls, diving and running for them.

Q: What do you do better than anybody?

A: I think I'm pretty patient.  I'm good at not being overwhelmed (laughs). 

Q: Are you feeling confident about the remainder of the season?

A: Yeah.  Last year we had a great season, then got to the regional tournament, and were like “woah, we haven't done this yet.”  Now I think we've built on the experience of last year.  If we lose, it's over, so we have to find a way to keep it going.  

Q: What team would you like to beat the most?

A: That's a tossup between the conference teams of North Park, Illinois Wesleyan, and Carthage.  They have always been the most competitive teams we've played, and each team is ranked in the region. 

Q: As a senior how have you stepped up in terms of leadership?

A: I always try to lead by example.  I'm not a scream-yell-in-your-face person.  With the freshman and some of the younger guys on the team, you just have to keep encouraging them if they're struggling.  I just keep hustling everywhere and try to keep things positive.   

Q: What has been your favorite class at North Central?

A: My favorite class has been Psychological Aspects of Coaching with Coach Al Carius.  That class was awesome.  After he would get done teaching a class, I'd be all ready to go out and play baseball.  He has a very positive view about everything. 

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I will be doing my student teaching in the fall, and then I'm going to try to find a job teaching PE somewhere.   I definitely want to coach too, whether it's baseball, football, or basketball.  I liked all the ages I've worked with in my practicums—elementary school, middle school, and high school.

Q: What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

A: I work at the box office in Wentz for North Central, answering phones and selling tickets.  I have been a student-athlete mentor and a member of the orientation staff.  I was also the coordinator for the winter baseball camps.

Q: How did you get involved in the baseball camps?

A: I did it as an internship for my coaching minor.  Coach Joe Heller did this as his coaching internship, so he thought it was a good idea.  I ran seven camps every Friday night from December through February.  I'd have to staff them with baseball players and make up lesson plans for kids ages 6-14, separating them into groups.  I just made sure everything ran smoothly for three hours of the night.  It was a lot more work than I thought.

Q: What has it been like to play for Coach Fitzgerald?

A: It's been great.  He's a great coach.  He is relaxed to a point where he understands that people prepare for games in different ways.  Not everything is totally structured, but he knows when to motivate the team and kick them into gear.  I've really enjoyed playing for him and all the other coaches too.

Q: Are you more satisfied with a great day in the field or a great day at bat?

A: I would say I'm more satisfied with a great play in the field that saves runs against the team.   Although, I do love those clutch hits. 

Q: Do you intend on playing after graduation?

A: Probably not. I mean I would like to be in a men's league somewhere, but not like in the MLB or anything (laughs). 

Q: What has been the most memorable play or hit you've had this year?

A: For me, the first game of the year was the most memorable when I hit a home run.   For the team, I thought Matt Burke, our second baseman, hitting a walk off home run against North Park was very memorable. I've never been part of something like that where you mob the player at home plate like you see on SportsCenter. 

Q: Have you made any changes in your training this year?

A: Not really.  I've always tried to work hard in the off season playing summer ball and doing fall ball with the team.  I guess this year I've concentrated a lot more on weight training.  Basically, everything else has been the same though. 

Q: What is the team environment like?

A: We're very close—the type of team that likes to hang out with each other off the field.  We have good team chemistry.  A lot of our players live right next to each other in the dorms.  Everybody seems to like each other. 

Q: What was it like secure the CCIW tournament bid? 

A: At the time we didn't really know we secured it.  We had the two games against Augustana College, but we didn't know how it would play out with the other teams.  It's good to know we are going to play more than just this weekend, especially with this being my last year. 

Q: What is your coaching philosophy?

A: It's still in progress.  A lot of my philosophy comes from what I've learned from my coaches.  Like from Coach Fitzgerald, I know that every player prepares differently, but as long as they are ready for the game, I believe they can do things their own way.  There is no set way to do things.  Also, from Coach Carius, I've learned that as a coach you cannot extrinsically motivate a player if they have no intrinsic desire to better themselves.  They have to want it.