May 13, 2014 4 min read

Scott Dunn drove to Consol Energy Park four years ago to give it his best shot at an open tryout with the Wild Things. The Clinton native, who was one year removed from a big season as a pitcher for Slippery Rock University, got little more than a “Thanks for showing up,” response from the Frontier League team’s coaching staff. No contract offer was extended.

Dunn, however, is nothing if not relentless and determined.

The 5-11 right-hander went to Avon, Ohio, about a week later for the Frontier League’s two-day tryout and draft. He impressed the Traverse City Beach Bums, who selected Dunn in the second round. It started what has been a rewarding career in independent baseball.

Dunn spent four highly successful seasons with Traverse City and made a triumphant return to Washington last July when he was the starting pitcher for the East Division in the Frontier League All-Star Game that was hosted by the Wild Things. Dunn had a stellar season last year with a 15-1 record and 2.61 ERA. He was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year.

Dunn’s career has finally come full circle. After being acquired in an offseason trade that sent third baseman Jovan Rosa to Traverse City, Dunn will be Washington’s starting pitcher Thursday night when the Wild Things begin their 13th Frontier League season at the Florence Freedom. Dunn, who played his high school ball at South Side Beaver, also will be Washington’s starting pitcher Tuesday in the home opener against the Frontier League Greys.

“I take this as an honor,” Dunn said Tuesday afternoon during the Wild Things’ morning practice.

Dunn is a person of few words. He prefers to let his pitching do the talking, and recently it has spoken volumes. Dunn has a 30-10 career record – he’s in the top-5 in wins in league history – and also has 10 career saves.

He’s the top-of-the-rotation pitcher the Wild Things can build a pitching staff around as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

“I’m glad he’s on our side,” said Washington catcher Jim Vahalik, who has tried to make a living hitting against Dunn the last two years. “He fills up the strike zone. When he misses with a pitch, it’s low and it’s going to get guys to roll over and ground out. He’s a guy who knows how to pitch and get guys out. The numbers don’t lie.”

Dunn made one start in the Wild Things’ five spring training games against the Lake Erie Crushers. He pitched four innings Saturday and gave up two hits and one run. He did not walk a batter and struck out six.

“I’ve been spotting the ball pretty well,” Dunn said. “That’s what I have to do because I don’t have that one overpowering pitch.”

While Dunn’s career is one that showed improvement and a larger pitching load with each season, he knows bettering a 15-1 record is almost impossible. So what can Dunn do for an encore?

“What I can do is have the same mindset as last year, and work as hard or even harder,” Dunn said. “Every season, you have to put the past behind you and start over.”

Washington manager Bart Zeller said the Wild Things will go with Dunn, Chris Phelan and Tim Flight as their starting pitchers in the series against Florence. Each is a newcomer to the Wild Things. Phelan had a 7-2 record last year and finished third in the league with a 2.20 ERA as a rookie with league champion Schaumburg. Like Dunn, Phelan was acquired by Washington in a trade during the offseason. Flight spent two years in the New York Yankees farm system before being released and signing with the Wild Things in March.

Washington and Florence are the only teams opening the season Thursday – the rest of the 14-team league begins play Friday – which has caused off days in the schedule Sunday and Monday for the Wild Things. Because of that, Dunn, Phelan and Flight will be able to pitch each of the games against the Greys as the Wild Things will need only three starting pitchers in the season’s first eight days.

“That’s the advantage of having two off days right off the bat,” Zeller said.