Growing up in Washington, Mark Scalf constantly created new reasons to be on a baseball field, and though his family moved to Cary when he was eight years old, his love for the game never left.
Though so much has changed since that time, Scalf’s passion for baseball has never wavered as he recently completed his 22nd season as the UNC-Wilmington head baseball coach and has shown no signs of slowing down.
In 2013, Scalf, the Seahawks’ all-time winningest coach, recorded his 700th victory as his club went 38-23 to capture his eighth Colonial Athletic Association regular season crown and an invite to the NCAA tournament.
Scalf said the key to his longevity and success lies in his dedication to preparation.
“I just try to do things the right way every day and work hard,” Scalf said. “Those are the kind of things we try to instill in our players; make good decisions, do things the right way and work as hard as you can. When you do that usually things work in your favor.”
As a youth, the athletic and competitive Scalf loved playing baseball, football and basketball.
During his time in Washington Scalf had to practically be pried away from playing fields and that trend continued when his parents, Bob and Evelyn Scalf, moved to Carry.
“I grew up on East 4th Street (in Washington), right down the street from where the high school used to play and it was also where we had our summer (baseball) program,” Scalf said. “There was a field right there where we played in the summer. I played in what they called the ‘Small Fry League.’
“I was also a bat boy for the high school team. I would go down there and go to practice in the afternoons and run down fly balls or do whatever else needed to be done. I just enjoyed being around.”
Scalf was forced to move when his father, a federal probation officer, transferred and wanted to be closer to his territory. However, both Bob and Evelyn have since moved back to Beaufort County and Scalf said he frequents the area whenever he gets the chance.
“They actually moved to Bath and built a home down on Bath Creek,” Scalf said of his parents. “We get a chance to visit the area about two or three times a year. It’s nice to get back in that area and show my kids where we grew up.
“When (my kids) were younger, I would take them by and show them where I grew up on East 4th Street and take them Downtown, which has certainly changed a lot since I grew up.
“We spend some time on the water on Bath Creek and on the Pamlico, but a majority of the time we go and just hang out at mom and dad’s house and spend time with the entire family.”