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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Putting in the time’


Lakeland High's Scott Carr throws the ball during a drill at Lakeland High School.7. Carr is a junior, and a three-sport athlete. 
 (Liz Kishimoto / The Spokesman-Review)
Jason Shoot Correspondent

RATHDRUM – Nowhere is it stated that being a man is a prerequisite for being the man.

Oh sure, Scott Carr is only a little more than seven months from his 18th birthday, but the Lakeland High School junior already has established himself as the catalyst that spurs the Hawks on the baseball diamond.

Hawks coach Jason Bradbury said Carr led the team in batting average, runs batted in and on-base percentage last year.

“He’s definitely my team captain,” Bradbury said. “He doesn’t necessarily lead vocally because of the senior issue – we have four or five seniors – but every night, he’s the last guy to leave practice. He takes extra cuts in the cage and takes extra ground balls at shortstop. He was voted our most valuable player as a sophomore.

“I’ve had kids like that in the past who were the first to leave practice because they were the best and thought they didn’t need it. That’s why Scott’s so good, because he’s putting in the time,” the coach said.

Carr is entering his third season on the Lakeland varsity team, beginning his prep career at second base. Since then, he has moved to shortstop, where the physical demands are more pronounced. He has to showcase added range and a stronger arm, and Carr has settled nicely into the position.

Carr says he hopes to be more consistent defensively.

“If I’m in the field, I like to get as many reps as I can,” he said. “I want to work on everything instead of having a one-sided game. I need to have a complete game. This year has been pretty good defensively, except in Lewiston, I had a couple of errors.”

Bradbury said it’s just like Carr to focus on a couple of miscues.

“What he didn’t tell you was that he made two great plays that probably not one other shortstop in our league could make,” Bradbury said. “He had to dive into the hole and got a great jump on a line drive. Then he got to a ground ball that looked like a seeing-eye single between third and short, and he fired a rocket to first base. But he won’t brag. It’s just part of his job.”

Carr said he batted .386 last year and admitted that the .400 mark has served as motivation. But he’s not going to let other aspects of his game suffer.

“I try just to better myself from the year before,” Carr said. “Hitting .400 is kind of a goal, but I also want to improve my fielding percentage. The best way to measure yourself is if you’ve improved or not.”

Bradbury said Carr likely projects as a second baseman at the college level because most programs are seeking taller, power-prone players at shortstop.

That isn’t meant to take anything away from Carr’s ability at the plate. Bradbury said Carr has taken his weight training seriously and isn’t just a hitter capable of slapping singles. Carr can hit to all fields, Bradbury added, and is one-hopping balls off the fence.

Carr, who also plays football and basketball at Lakeland, said he plays baseball during the summer as part of the American Legion program. It keeps him in baseball mode in the off-season and gives him added exposure to pressure situations. Not to mention that he knows where his future lies in athletics.

“If I have a chance to go anywhere,” Carr said, “baseball is probably the one that’s going to get me there.”