Under The Gun: Scotty Diekman

Name: Scotty Diekman
High School: Lake Norman
Graduation: 2019
Position: Outfielder
Years with Dirtbags: 1
College Commitment: Uncommitted

Lake Norman has a strong team this year, what are some of your goals in 2018?

Some goals I have this year as far as my high school season are that I would like to improve my mentality throughout the game by staying more focused throughout the whole game. By doing this I can learn pitchers tendencies and help my teammates as well as myself which will lead to being more successful.

What are you looking for in a college home?

As far as what I look for in a college I just would like to go somewhere that I feel like I’m at home a place with coaches and teachers that care, a good support from the community, historically a good baseball program, and somewhere that has sweet tea that’s a big one.

What are some of your strengths as a baseball player?

Some strength that I have being a baseball player is time management, leadership, coach ability, hustle, and a good work ethic. These strengths help me on and off the field in the classroom being able to manage my time in school and still being able to play baseball and practice every day. Leadership goes a long way, it is better to set a good example for others to follow than to follow others who set a good example. Coach ability is something that takes time but you have to come to understand that there is more than one way to do something and each player/coach may have a different input. You need to listen to what these people have to say because it may work for you. Hustle and good work ethic go hand and hand when a coach sees a player hustling they likely believe that this kid loves playing the game and he is playing it the right way. Opposed to a coach seeing you walk all over the field and you look like you don’t want to be there.

What areas of your game did you work on in the offseason?

Throughout the offseason I worked mainly on my hitting. Coming off an arm injury I knew it was only a matter of time before my arm would be 100% again. But the bat was always a question mark for me. As I had been told many times “if you can hit they will find a spot for you”. This motivated me to work hard over the offseason to work on my approach and my mechanics making sure I was on time with the fastball as well as the off speed that any pitcher may have.

What’s your approach at the plate?

My approach at the plate varies on the count as I believe it should. With a 0-0 count I am looking for a ball down in the zone that I can attack with power to hit the ball as far as I possibly can. With a 2-0 count I am looking for a pitch over the heart of the plate that I can drive for extra bases in the gap. However, with a 0-2 count I spread my base out cut my load to a toe touch instead of a leg kick so I have more time to see the ball while being still and just try to put the ball in play.

What does putting on the Dirtbag uniform mean to you?

Putting on the Dirtbag uniform to me means that I am about to go to a game with a group of guys that have the same goal as me (to play ball in college) and they work as hard as me every week in order to perform their best that week or weekend and overall just go and have a good time with them and win some games.

What made you want to be part of the Dirtbag program?

What made me want to be part of the Dirtbag program is how personalized the organization is. From the first time Trey Daly came up to my parents at one of my games I knew I was going to play for the Dirtbags because both my mom and my dad said “Man no team has ever done that for us” It is like one big family and everyone wants to see each other do as well as they can.

What are your goals for this summer with the Dirtbags?

My goals this summer with the Dirtbags is going around the Southeast beating some of the best competition on the East coast and performing well.

Describe Scotty Diekman as a person off the field?

Off the field Scotty Diekman is a very quiet person who doesn’t hang around the “popular kids” all that much. He has a small group of friends, most of which play baseball. He is a hard worker whether he is in the weight room, at his job, or in the classroom. He is a good student who gets his work done on time and knows how to use his time wisely. He never goes to parties because of the possibility of being put in a bad situation and does not want to be guilty by association. All around off the field Scotty Diekman is a good kid and is very respectful. He is not obnoxious and is very serious in most everything he does. On the field is a completely different story though.

Stay tuned for another “Under The Gun” interview coming up on Monday..