Leave it to a bunch of Sailors to ruin a good party.
With a potential undefeated regular season hanging in the balance, the Jesuit Tigers, ranked No. 1 in the nation by every national ranking service including MaxPreps, fell to the Sarasota Sailors 7-0 last week, ending a 23-game win streak and dropping Jesuit from its perch as the nation’s top team.
Leading the way for the Sailors was its heady shortstop Ryan “Scooter” Gennett, who was 2-for-3 and scored three runs in the victory. Of course it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Gennett was in the thick of things. Baseball has been his passion since he first began to walk.
“When I was two-years old, my dad would have me lie on my back and throw a baseball in the air and I would try to catch it with one hand,” said Gennett, who is a native of Ohio, but is in his third year on the Sarasota varsity. “Instead of playing tee ball, my dad would take me to the Cincinnati Reds games and he would have me watch and would ask me questions so I could learn the game. He said you have to be a student of the game before you can play it.”
Gennett’s heads-up play has been apparent since he first stepped on the field for the Sailors, according to long-time coach Clyde Metcalf.
“In the opening game of our season last year, Scooter led off the eighth inning of a 0-0 game with a single to centerfield,” said Metcalf. “Without hesitation, he rounded first, saw the centerfield loafing to the ball and turned it into a double. He scored on a two-out hit for the win. This is an excellent example of the way he plays the game every day.”
A talented fielder and hitter, Gennett is ranked by MaxPreps as one of the top 100 players in the country and he is expected to be a high selection in the Major League baseball draft in June. A potential first rounder, Gennett would join former teammate Casey Kelly, who was selected by the Red Sox last year, with that honor.
After starting his high school career at Riverview, Gennett has played three seasons at Sarasota, participating on the school’s state championship team as a sophomore and the 21-3 unit that lost in the regionals last season. This year, Sarasota is 17-6 heading into the district playoffs with the big win over Jesuit.
“We are a pretty young team,” Gennett said. “I am the only returning starter on the team, but we have an excellent coaching staff and Sarasota baseball is always good.”
Metcalf has been the stabilizing force at Sarasota for the past couple of decades and he won his 700th game earlier this year. Gennett credits both his father and Metcalf for making him into the player he is today.
"My dad has given every spare moment to get me where I am today,” he said. “And Coach Metcalf has been a great mentor on and off the field for me.”
Gennett had a phenomenal year at the plate as a junior, batting .440 with five home runs, 31 RBI and 12 doubles. He was named to every preseason All-American team this year and participated in the Under Armour and Aflac All-American Games last summer. However it was an experience off the field at the Aflac game in Los Angeles that Gennett remembers best.
“It was a very humbling experience to visit the children’s hospital while at Aflac,” he said. “I saw firsthand the kids with cancer and other terminal illnesses and realized that with the blessings I have been given, I hope to someday contribute to these charities.”
Besides the summer all-star games, Gennett also traveled back to his hometown of Cincinnati to play for the Midland Redskins.
“I lived with a host family and played six games per week,” he said. “This was a great experience and really prepared me for what I may experience in college or the minor leagues.”
A major recruit since his freshman year, Gennett received his first letter from a university that year and began to get some notice from professional scouts.
“I got my first letter from University of Florida my freshman year. It was great to know that I was starting to be recognized as a player,” he said. “I’ve had scouts at my games since I was a freshman due to my teammates and opponents. At this point, it really does not bother me at all. I am used to them being around the field.
Gennett’s goal is to someday play in the Major Leagues, however he notes that he has already committed to play at Florida State University.
Metcalf has no doubt Gennett will succeed at the next level, be it professional or college.
“He is physically strong, he has excellent speed, good arm strength and he is an excellent hitter and defensive player,” Metcalf said. “He loves the game, appreciates it and works hard at it.”
That hard work includes 100 swings a night off of a tee in his garage. Gennett also takes special care to be focused and coachable.
“My best advice to younger players is to always try your best at everything you do,” Gennett said. “Be coachable and learn as much as you can. Never show negative emotions. Be a good sport and team player.”
Sarasota is competing in the Class 6A-District 8 tournament this week at East Bay High School and opened with a 4-2 win over Riverview and also topped East Bay 9-0. Sarasota met Durant on Tuesday and could possibly face top-seeded Lakeland before the tournament is over.
