Because of injuries suffered in football, John-Michael Scumaci could only provide a partial sample size of what he can do in baseball during the past two seasons.
That is starting to change.
Scumaci, a Sandburg graduate, is a sophomore second baseman and two-sport athlete for North Central College. He’s crossing his fingers that he can put in a full season.
At the same time, the 5-foot-6, 180-pound Scumaci wants to show off some of the power he feels he has developed while playing both football and baseball since high school.
“I feel like I’ve always had it,” Scumaci said. “As a sophomore on varsity, I was a little smaller than I am now — probably 160 or 165 pounds. Junior year got cut because of COVID. Senior year, I broke my collarbone in the spring season of football.
“I only played 12 games of baseball, then I came to college. Getting bigger and stronger helped and fixing a couple of things with my swing. I stayed more closed on my swing and just trusting my hands more, and I think that’s what’s helping me out right now.”
It sure is.
After producing just one varsity homer for Sandburg, Scumaci has hit three home runs this season for NCC (11-4). He’s batting .357 with 12 runs, two triples and 11 RBIs.
Last spring, Scumaci missed a chunk of the season with a hamstring injury that got worse when he played spring football. He healed up to make a few pinch-running appearances.
Fully healed for football, Scumaci caught passes for 135 yards and returned 10 punts for 129 yards as NCC won the NCAA Division III national title. He was also the holder for kicks.
“It was a really fun experience,” Scumaci said of winning the national championship. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Well, it was a twice-in-a-lifetime experience for me because we’ve been to two, but we only won one.
“It’s a great feeling to win one and just be there and be a part of it. It was awesome.”
The opposite can be said of Scumaci’s schedule — a triple play of baseball, spring football and classwork all clashing together. In recent weeks, his days have started at 5 a.m.
“It’s tough, to be honest,” he said. “You have to be big on time management. Juggling both sports at the same time and class and baseball’s fluctuating schedule, you never know what to expect.”
The same could be said about Scumaci’s career in high school. The pandemic, followed by the injury, didn’t quite allow him to show off his skills.
But Sandburg coach Jim Morsovillo has fond memories of Scumaci hitting a two-run homer over the Ozinga Field fence in a Class 4A regional semifinal for a 2-1 win over Andrew.
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It was Scumaci’s only high school homer.
“We used to give him a hard time about not hitting the ball out of the park, but it’s zero surprise he is doing well,” Morsovillo said of Scumaci. “He plays hard, and everyone surrounds him because of that positivity he brings. As a junior and senior, he was a leader of our team.
“It’s great to see him have success in two sports. It’s awesome. He’s the perfect guy for special teams for football. Whatever role you give him, he will give you the best. He’s one of our favorites around here.”
On that note, Scumaci is hoping his early hit parade for NCC lasts a couple of more months.
“I’m seeing the ball well,” he said. “I’m confident in myself. I’m playing really loose, and I found that to be effective for me.
“I’m trusting my skills and trusting my development that I’ve had in the past 13 years of playing baseball.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
