By Laura Amato
It’s just become a part of the routine.
The Monsignor McClancy baseball team has played host to dozens of MLB scouts this season, all of them lining up behind the backstop every time the Crusaders take the field. The crowd – over a dozen notebook-wielding stat takers – has become as consistent as any other part of McClancy’s pre-game schedule and the Crusaders have rolled with all of it.
It’s a compliment, of course, but the scouts don’t change anything.
“It hasn’t been too crazy because we’re able to have fun with it,” said senior outfielder Quentin Holmes. “The kids joke around about it in the locker room, on the field. It’s something we look forward to doing every day before the game, having BP before the games, hitting for the scouts and throwing bullpen for the scouts.”
Holmes, who is committed to Mississippi State, has drawn plenty of interest from scouts for the past several years. They came for his speed around the base paths and, this season, stayed for his defensive prowess in the outfield.
Holmes is considered one of the top high school prospects in the country, but hasn’t let the spotlight blind him this spring. After all, he’s got a job to do and the Crusaders’ leadoff hitter is nothing short of focused.
“We just enjoy being out here, so having all the people out doesn’t really affect us that much,” Holmes said. “We don’t pay much attention to it, we don’t let it affect us anymore.”
Holmes isn’t the only Crusaders standout to grab the interest of scouts this spring.
Charlie and Ryan Neuweiler – both LIU Brooklyn commits – have drawn their own fair share of looks as well. In fact, Charlie threw for scouts last Wednesday after McClancy defeated Molloy in five-innings and he wasn’t able to pitch in-game.
It was a confidence-boosting request, but Neuweiler didn’t change his approach at all.
“Seeing those guys behind the backstop when I’m pitching, I’m not trying to overthrow or anything. I’m just trying to do my thing,” he said. “I mean, I’m kind of used to it from when guys were coming to look for college.”
The key for the Crusaders all season, whether they’re drawing pro interest or not, is to simply keep playing baseball. It can be easy to get swept up in the headlines and there could have been a bit of teenage jealousy, but McClancy has done its best all spring to stay as team-focused as possible.
“They’re more into the team, which is so good to see. As a coach you worry maybe they’re pressing or trying too hard,” coach Nick Melito said. “They’ve just got to play. The game is difficult enough, just to play it, if they’re thinking about other things, forget about it.”
The future is bright – if not a bit uncertain – for the Crusaders’ senior class, but for now McClancy has one goal in mind.
This team has its sights set on a city title and after years of coming up short, the Crusaders won’t be satisfied with anything else – and they’re ready to do it in front of an audience of scouts along the way.
“Everybody just has that goal in mind,” Neuweiler said. “These past two or three years for some of us have been difficult losses coming during the playoffs. So we’re kind of tired of that, want to finish first.”
