Q&A: Hauppauge Varsity Baseball Seniors Step Up to the Plate

The Hauppauge varsity baseball team is a young team after graduating most of its starting line up in 2010. That's why seniors Joe Policastro, Tyler Scanlon and Robby Scheim are expected to be players to watch this year

Patch sat down with these three Eagles players to get an idea of what's in store for the spring season.

Q: "What positions do you play?"

Policastro: “Primarily pitcher and shortstop.”

Scanlon: “Both infield and outfield.”

Scheim: “Right field.”

Q: "What experience do you have playing baseball?"

Policastro: “I’ve been playing since I was a little kid. My dad was a baseball player, so he’s always helped me out.”

Scanlon: “I’ve been playing baseball since I was like four years old. I started out in tee ball, my dad got me involved.”

Scheim: “Probably four or five years old... since I can remember.”

Q: "What skills are you working on improving heading into the season?"

Policastro: “I’ve been working pretty hard in the weight room and I’ve taken a lot of swings. I just want to practice not striking out, and getting the ball in play. Pitching and fielding wise, I'm just trying to stay consistent.”

Scanlon: “I’ve just been working on finding my swing and trying to rope balls right back up the middle, hit them where they’re pitched.”

Scheim: “Last year I batted on the lower end of the lineup, but this year I’m probably going to be up much higher in the lineup, so I have to be prepared to see a lot more breaking pitches. I’ve just been working on my overall swing, because I know it’s going to be a little bit harder this year for me.”

Q: "What are your hopes/expectations for the spring 2011 [season] ?"

Policastro: “My number one goal is for this team to win a state championship, because that hasn’t been done here in a long time. I also want everyone to get along and have fun. Individually, I’d like to get my batting average up so I can help out the team and I’d like to pitch well as a number one starter.”

Scanlon: “To win as many games as possible, to play solid baseball everyday and to go out there and have some fun. Individually, I’d like to have a solid hitting year, but I’m more focused on helping our team win games.”

Scheim: “I’d really like to get back to the Suffolk County championship. As a team, we all want to get back there. Personally, I’d like to get an All-County [title], but I would give that up for a winning team.”

Q: "What do you do to get ready before a game? Do you have any pregame rituals?"

Policastro: “I listen to my favorite band U2 before a game, basically that’s it.”

Scanlon: “I’ll take like three swings with the donut on my bat, other than that, when I go up there [to the plate] to hit, I have to have sunflower seeds in my mouth.”

Scheim: “I go on the tees [batting], and I do some high, medium and low swings so when I go up to the plate, I always look at the same part of that bat and hit the ball on the same part of the bat.”

Read more about the Hauppauge varsity baseball team's lineup, key players, and the coach's expectations for the spring 2011 season