It’s the bottom of the third inning at Cap Timm Field and ISU Baseball Club is trailing 2-1 to the UNI Panthers. With one out and on the verge of losing their third game in a row, the Cyclones need a third-base coach.

On deck waits No. 20, a strong right-handed hitter, who has had already made his presence known with an RBI single in the bottom of the first. Pointing his bat to the third-base box, he calls out “Junge,” referring to first baseman Bryan Junge. The skinny left-hander immediately jumps from the bench and takes his position as the third-base coach.

Without hesitation, Junge listens to the hitter on deck. On deck is the same player who was giving signs to hitters at the plate as the third base coach the previous inning, the same player who kept his club within one run with a running flip to pitcher Blake Wilken, who was covering first base in the top of the fifth inning.

The player on deck is Bryan Scholar – the club president, manager, coach and second baseman of the Cyclones.

“I love being able to play baseball and go to school at the same time,” Scholar said. “Through high school, I wanted to play at a Division I school, but that didn’t happen.”

What happened instead was a move that saw Scholar, a native of Mission Viejo, Calif., come to Iowa State to pursue a career as a human health and performance major. But perhaps the most important thing he learned his freshman year didn’t have anything to do with his major, but instead, baseball.

“My freshman year I didn’t know we had a club team,” he said. “I found out from someone in class that we had a team, and I tried out in the fall and I made it.”

Since that first year, Scholar has moved on to more important roles and does more than field ground balls and hit fastballs.

The President

One of the most important roles Scholar has with the Cyclones is the club president. Besides putting them together, he’s in charge of the Cyclones schedule, who they will play and when.

When Iowa State was looking to fill its schedule from seven postponements earlier this season, Scholar was looking through his datebook trying to find dates to get his crew in games. Without a full schedule, the Cyclones’ chances of winning a title in the Central Plains Conference would be nearly impossible.

“I take a lot of responsibility,” he said. “I know that if I want us to fully get in our schedule and work well, I really need to put my all into it.”

The red and white sweats the Cyclones wear on the road and around campus were designed and ordered by Scholar. The field, whose bright, white chalk lines and clean base paths make it one of the nicest complexes in the conference, is maintained by Scholar. What would seem like a full plate to most is just part of the game for him.

“He handles it really well,” said Junge, who serves as Scholar’s vice president. “Myself and a few other guys pick him up and help when he needs it but he’s taken off with it.”

The Manager

When the Cyclones finally took the field for the first time on March 25, it was Scholar who met with the Hawkeyes’ manager and field umpires to exchange lineups. What made his lineup card different from most is that the Cyclone’s manager was listed as batting sixth for the first game. In between innings, it was the second basemen who was giving bunt, steal and take signs to hitters and runners in the third base coaching box.

He’s taken eight lineup cards out so far this season and the biggest complaint from players is his lack of aggressiveness with runners.

“I say he’s a little cautious as the third-base coach,” said catcher Trevor Ennenga with a chuckle. “I’d like to have a little more plays at the plate, but he does a good job.”

A good enough job that eight games into the season, the club is within striking distance of a Central Plains conference championship against stacked teams such as Nebraska and Iowa. The reason, Scholar believes, is unity.

“I think we’re going to be more successful because people aren’t bickering as much as last year,” he said.

The only bickering that came from Scholar’s lineups and positioning came from the coach himself. After having a lackluster opening day performance, Scholar moved himself to the outfield.

“I figured I might as well go to the outfield and let someone else try to play second and hopefully it’ll work out,” he said.

Because of injuries, the president/manager had to make more adjustments, which included him moving back to second base. Although, he said setting up practices and deciding on what to do during them isn’t all that difficult, figuring out where he fits into things can be hard.

“I know that I play and everything, but at the same time I have to step back and assess everything else and look at it from a coach’s perspective,” he said. “What’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be changed.”

The Player

After starting the season with only one hit in his first six at bats, Scholar has come on strong. In the Cyclones’ series finale in South Dakota, he went 3-for-4 batting. Against the Panthers, he added a hit with a pair of RBIs. The luxuries most players have preparing for a game are limited for Scholar, since he spends the majority of the time beforehand making out lineup cards, preparing the field and doing whatever else is necessary before game time.

“Playing and coaching at the same time is a little tougher,” he said. “I’ve noticed I can’t really do what I want to do to get ready, just because it takes so much more time to get ready.”

When it comes game time, Scholar and the rest of the club are ready. Because of his strong leadership, players say the Cyclones are in a better position to win and – most importantly – have come together.

“He’s one of my best friends on the team and off the team,” Junge said. “We became friends through baseball and now we are together all the time.”

Even when the two are away from the field, the thought of the game that brought them together is never far from Scholar’s mind.

“I find myself in my room just going over stuff,” said Scholar.

Scholar believes he puts in an average of 20 hours a week working for the ISU Baseball Club, outside of his job at the Hawthorne Court Dining Center. Still, the second baseman says he has no regrets.

“Not at all,” he said. “I love doing this.”