Evan Scott is expected to play a key role again this season for James Madison University's baseball team, but not right away.
Scott has been recovering from a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The tear was detected late last season after Scott started to feel soreness in his throwing arm.
To prevent further damage, Scott had surgery over the summer, which has kept him off the mound. Dukes coach Spanky McFarland said Scott is continuing with rehab and is projected to be pitching again as a starter by April. The Dukes begin regular-season play Feb. 19 vs. Marist.
Last season, Scott got thrust into the weekend rotation as one of JMU's starters after another pitcher got hurt the previous December.
Scott came to JMU with high expectations. He was a 37th round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2008 major league draft out of Battlefield and entered college ranked as the Colonial Athletic Association's fifth-best newcomer by Baseball America.
But the plan was to ease him into the lineup.
"We had hoped to make him a mid-week guy for us, but that didn't work out," McFarland said. "He jumped right in there."
A power pitcher with a fastball that averages between 90 and 93 miles per hour, the 6-foot-3 Scott put together some impressive outings in 2009. He was named the league's rookie of the week after striking out five and allowing one earned run against Liberty and then following up by striking out six batters against Northeastern.
Later in the season, he was named the league's co-pitcher of the week when he recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in eight innings against Delaware, while allowing only three hits.
"He showed no fear," McFarland said. "He did a nice job and put together some games that were amazing for a freshman. He had some good days and not some good days."
Sports editor David Fawcett can be reached at 703-878-8052.
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