Penn-Trafford grad Giovanni Scott to spend summer fine-tuning his game

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, June 20, 2021 | 11:01 AM

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Giovanni Scott didn’t get to pitch much for Penn-Trafford High School during his junior season, and his senior season was wiped out by the coronavirus.

But Scott still wanted to pitch in college. He saw limited action his freshman season at Pitt-Johnstown but knew he had to improve if he wanted to be successful.

Scott pitched in seven games for a total of 11 innings. He had eight walks and eight strikeouts. He allowed 25 hits and 15 earned runs. He had a 1-1 record.

“We had a pretty good staff when I was in high school,” Scott said. “I didn’t get to pitch as much as I would have liked.”

Scott said he learned a lot about pitching from his first season in college, and he’s trying improve his game while playing for the Butler Ironbucks. He’s also playing for the Bushy Run American Legion team.

“He’s like a coach,” Bushy Run assistant coach Jay Miller said. “He talks to our young pitchers about the importance of doing the little things. He’s good to have on the team.”

One of the biggest things Scott learned was the importance of throwing strikes, especially a first-pitch strike, and changing speeds.

“You can’t fall behind batters in college,” Scott said. “It’s easier to pitch when you’re ahead in the count. It’s important to command the strike zone.”

Scott said he’s working on some new pitches playing in Butler.

“I’m experimenting with the slider and a split-finger change-up,” Scott said. “I have to be able find a strikeout pitch. I didn’t have that my first year at UPJ. I also need to command my fastball better.”

And while he’s pitching for Butler, he’s playing the field for Bushy Run. He plays first base.

“I’m playing for Bushy Run so I can compete with my friends,” Scott said. “I’d like to help them win a championship.”

Scott isn’t the only college player playing for Bushy Run. Catcher Cole DeFillippo plays both football and baseball at Grove City, and Gavin Berardi is transferring from Coastal Carolina and hopes to pitch at Seton Hill.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford