Scouts taking a look at Ohio lefty

by Michael Canan
THE POST

The radar guns were ready Saturday afternoon, and Ohio pitcher Tony Schiml's pitches were the targets.

Scouts from several Major League teams including the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies were behind home plate watching as Schiml pitched Ohio to a 9-5 win in the first game of a doubleheader.

"They like him because he's left handed," Head Coach Joe Carbone said. "He throws in the mid to high 80s, and he has two good breaking balls - a curve and a slider. And he's out there winning."

Schiml said the scout's presence initially affected his performance.

"You have to realize it's part of the game," he said. "It's added pressure to deal with. It used to bother me. It's some added pressure, but you get used to it just like you get used to facing the other team's top starter. You have to work through it."

Schiml said pitching in the Major Leagues is one of his goals.

"I hope (to make it to the majors), but I won't believe it until it happens," he said. "Hopefully I will, but you can't plan on stuff like that."

Lately Schiml has given the scouts an eyeful. Before Saturday's game the lefty was leading the Mid-American Conference in ERA in MAC games at 1.50. Overall his ERA is 4.62. With Saturday's win he improved to 6-2.

Schiml's ERA has been declining since the beginning of the season when he struggled.

"He just hadn't had enough work," Carbone said. "He's the kind of pitcher who has to pitch to get ready. He had to go out and get more game innings under his belt."

Schiml agreed that he wasn't ready to pitch at the beginning of the season.

"I needed more repetitions," Schiml said. "I never start well. I'm a perennial slow starter. I have to work into it. I hadn't been out throwing in the dirt that long. We'd only been throwing in the bullpen for two weeks prior to my first start."

Since then, Ohio's 1999 outstanding pitcher has improved, even on last year's performance.

"He has gotten a lot stronger," Carbone said. "His fastball has more zip and his breaking ball has better bite. The location of his fastball is much better than last year. He can still get much stronger than he is. It will help his fastball and breaking ball."

Carbone said he and Toadvine haven't had much time to work with Schiml since he has only been at Ohio for two years after transferring from a junior college.

Pitching in junior college baseball was easier, Schiml said.

"The competition was different," he said. "They would have three to four good hitters. In Division I there are at least seven or eight hitters who consistently hit the ball hard. In junior college you can make more mistakes and get away with it."

Schiml had to adjust quickly to the level of competition.

"I was forced to pick up my game," he said. "I realized quickly what I had to do and worked hard on the aspects I needed to work on and continued to improve on what was working well. I focused more on my deficiencies."

The pitcher said he now fields his position better and has improved his skill in situations, but he still has a ways to go.

"I need to work on situational baseball," he said. "You can never learn enough about situational baseball. I'm also working on developing my pitches more."

Schiml has had plenty of time on the mound to develop his pitches and learn. He has pitched complete games in his last five outings. He leads the staff with 62 innings.

Despite logging many innings, Schiml said he isn't worried about wearing his arm out.

"I like to throw a lot," he said. "I like to be out and be left out. I need to throw a lot to be effective."

Carbone said he doesn't expect Schiml's long weekend outings to effect his performance down the stretch because he only throws once a week.

Not only has Schiml put in innings for the Bobcats, but he has also picked up six wins, going up against other team's best pitcher.

"I do enjoy the adrenaline rush with being in a big game and facing the other team's top starters," he said. "I go out and I know it's a big game and we need a quick start to do well, but at the same pace if I don't do well we still have three more games."

Carbone said Schiml's ability to keep Ohio in the first game of the weekend series helps set the tone for the weekend series.

"It's very important because at least we know he will keep us in the game in the first game," he said. "It's very important and he has done a good job of it."

Schiml needs to keep that up during the last couple of weeks of the season to anchor the pitching staff, Carbone said.

Schiml said the team's pitching will be the key late in the season.

"It's going to be the key to the end of the tournament, and how well we do in the tournament," he said. "We're getting ready to play the teams we're going to be competing with for a berth in the tournament. We will be ready to go, and the pitching will be ready for the challenge."