Scott City starts summer baseball team to fine-tune skills

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Thursday night's matchup between the Chaffee Senior Babe Ruth baseball team and Scott City High School's summer team had the feel of a pickup game.

Pretty much every player present -- 11 for Chaffee and 10 for Scott City -- got a spot in the lineup, five combined pitchers were used over the course of five innings and defensive players swapped positions almost every inning without any notifications.

The first of two scheduled five-inning games even ended in a 4-4 tie after Scott City's Forrest Copeland singled to bring home his team's fourth run in the top of the fifth inning.

This is just the way Scott City coach Lance Amick, who coaches the Rams during the high school season and put together a summer schedule for his team for the first time this season, designed it.

"In years past, I've had a bunch of kids who've played traveling ball, and we've only got a couple kids that are doing that," Amick said.

Chaffee Senior Babe Ruth baserunner Mitchell Dirnberger slides into second as Scott City's Forrest Copeland fields the throw during the fourth inning in Chaffee, Mo. Dirnberger was safe on the play. (Kristin Eberts)

So instead, he met with his team after its high school season ended and both he and the team committed to playing eight doubleheaders this summer against teams like Chaffee, which includes players from multiple high schools and will compete for the state title next month.

"It's something we may build off in the future, but the advantage of this is this is exclusively making our team better," Amick said. "These are all our kids. These are all going to be playing for the Rams next year. In the end, my job is to make Scott City baseball win. This is helping us. There's no doubt about it, this summer we've gotten better as a team."

While Scott City's decision to keep its high school team together during the summer is unorthodox, it's common in sports like basketball and football.

"To keep up with today's sports and be able to compete and everything, you've got to do that," Amick said about summer commitments. "It's just something that wasn't done years ago. These kids sacrificed. It was something they wanted to do."

Scott City junior Ryan Brock's Thursday schedule, while daunting, isn't uncommon.

Scott City's Hunter Cox pitches during the first inning Thursday in Chaffee, Mo.

Brock woke up at 6:30 a.m., picked up two friends and headed to school. There he lifted weights for a couple hours before participating in a football minicamp.

After that he went home for a nap and some food followed by another trip to school. He caught a ride to Oak Ridge, which is where many high school basketball teams are playing this week. Last week it was trips to St. Louis for a camp for the Scott City basketball team.

Brock played, and won, basketball games at 2 p.m., 2:50 p.m. and 4:20 p.m. before catching a ride to Chaffee with his grandparents to play 10 innings of baseball.

"I'm used to it. I've been doing it all summer by now," said Brock, who pretty much sticks to a similar schedule Monday though Thursday.

"These kids are working hard," Amick said. "I'm really excited. Their dedication this month has just been outstanding. I kind of wanted to let July be their time. They don't see me, and I don't have to see them. It works both ways. They get tired of me and sometimes, as much as I do like them, I get tired of them every now and then, too."

The Rams have gone 7-2-1 on the diamond this summer, not that their win-loss record has been the focus.

"I think it's really paid off," Amick said. "The kids are having fun. It's a little bit different atmosphere than high school, not quite as serious. Kids play together, they bond together and build memories they'll have forever. I think it's been a lot of fun. I've had fun. I hope they're having some fun doing it."

While his time on the baseball field this summer may be enjoyable, Brock shook his head and smiled when asked if he'd described his three-sport, three-coach schedule as fun.

"I don't really think there is a word," Brock said. "You've just got to do it. You've got to man up and do it."