Scott City's double threat

Ryan Modglin said the Scott City baseball team realized about halfway through the regular season that it had a legitimate chance of winning the Class 2 state title

"We all kind of talked about it and joked about it," he said. "But once we saw we were beating 3A schools 8-0, 9-0 and we beat a couple 4A schools and held them to no runs, we thought we could do it."

The ace pitcher and top hitter helped lead Scott City to its first ever state championship in any sport, and is this year's Southeast Missourian baseball player of the year.

The Rams baseball team posted a 23-1 record. Their lone defeat came five games into the season, losing 4-0 to Winfield. After that, the Rams won 19 straight, including outscoring their two Class 2 final four opponents -- Hallsville and Barstow -- by a combined score of 23-3 to claim the Class 2 state title.

Modglin posted an 8-1 record with a 0.48 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 58 innings on the mound. He also batted third in the Rams lineup, batting .622 with 10 home runs, 47 RBIs and a .702 on-base percentage. He stole 12 bases and scored 46 runs.

Modglin, who signed a letter of intent last fall to play baseball at Missouri State, was selected in the 39th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball first-year player draft. He was the 1,165th pick overall. So far he has kept his commitment to Missouri State.

Modglin said life has been enjoyable since winning the state championship May 29.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com Scott City's Ryan Modglin is the 2008 Southeast Missourian baseball player of the year.

"When we came back into town, there were like fire trucks and police cars that met us [off] the highway and just drove through town," Modglin said. "Everybody just stepped outside and waved and honked and stuff. I'd say probably half the town was out just waving and cheering us on. It was great.

"I could just go out in town or come up to the mall in Cape and I've had people I've never even seen in my life come up to congratulate me and talk to me."

Modglin compiled some impressive regular-season performances. He beat Notre Dame 8-0, tossing a complete-game four-hitter and striking out 14 Bulldogs batters. He also smashed two home runs in the game. It was Scott City's first victory over Notre Dame since 1997.

"He's pretty intimidating," Notre Dame shortstop Colton Young said of Modglin. "He's big and he throws in the low 90s with his fastball, and that's hard enough to hit as it is. Then he throws that split-finger, and it's almost impossible."

Ryan Modglin batted .622 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs this season.

Modglin beat Jackson 6-5, allowing one hit in 5 1/3 innings and striking out 11 batters. He beat Sikeston 9-0, giving up three hits in six innings while striking out 12.

Senior catcher Cody Carlyle said he enjoyed catching Modglin each game because of the right-hander's talent.

"He got me ready for the next level just to see faster pitches and better breaking balls," Carlyle said. "Everything worked out."

Modglin said coach Lance Amick never wanted to change much during practices. He said sessions always were quick -- about an hour and a half -- and to the point.

Modglin said he Rams were confident they could win the title entering the state final four in Springfield.

"We had a booklet that showed all the teams' stats, and we were the best hitting and pitching team there," Modglin said. "So if we go by the book, we could have won it. But we just had to go out there and play ball because any team could beat any other team at any given day. So we just had to go out there and show everybody we could."

The right-handed hurler beat Hallsville 10-0 in a five-inning, run-rule semifinal game. He struck out five and allowed two hits. He also went 2-for-2 and scored two runs.

Modglin played first base in the championship game. He went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and one run scored to help the Rams beat Barstow 13-3 in six innings.

"It means a lot because we got the first one ever [in school history]," Modglin said about the state title. "Other teams can always get another one, but there's always that team that gets the first one to break it open."

Modglin is playing for Talley Haines' select team this summer with games each weekend through August.

Modglin said room for improvement always exists and he has been working to establish all his pitches, to get ahead of hitters in the count and improve his slider.

Modglin had told Major League teams before the draft he most likely would stay committed to Missouri State if he was not selected in the top 10 rounds with a fourth- or fifth-round signing bonus. He said after he was not selected in the first 10 rounds, he dipped because teams knew there was a good chance he would not sign.

He said Kansas City scouts have watched him this summer, but he has said he doesn't expect to receive the money offer he set before the draft.

One thing is for certain: he continues to have his eyes set on someday being in the big leagues.

"That's what I've told everybody since I was 8 or 9 years old," Modglin said. "We had this little thing to fill out in school when you're a freshman and it's like, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' I put 'Pro baseball player.'"