May’s return could spark Volunteers to state title

With Josh May out of baseball for nine months following Tommy John surgery, Merced Volunteers coach Rollo Adams wanted to get him as many at-bats as possible.

So Adams inserted May in the leadoff spot and hasn’t moved him.

“I thought the best thing I could do was put him at the top of the order to get him extra at-bats,” Adams said. “With his speed, I knew he could steal a base and he doesn’t swing at a lot of bad pitches. He’s a very disciplined hitter for his age.”

May gives the Volunteers a weapon at the top of the order. A leadoff hitter with speed and power with the ability to ignite an offense.

May and the Volunteers (25-20) will open the American Legion State Tournament on Thursday at noon against the Paramount Pirates in Yountville. The six-team, double-elimination tournament will conclude on Sunday.

“My main goal was to be ready for state,” May said.

May has had arm problems for two years. He was relegated to playing designated hitter for Merced High most of his sophomore season because he had tendonitis in his throwing arm.

May missed this spring after undergoing Tommy John surgery on Dec. 31. He was forced to watch from the sidelines as Merced struggled to a 1-12 start and then battled back to make the playoffs.

“It was pretty tough because you want to be out there helping your team,” May said. “But I know God has a plan for me. I knew I would get back out there. My job was to help my team by cheering and doing the best I could working the scoreboard. I got pretty good with the scoreboard and announcing.”

May has begun throwing, but the left-hander is still three months away from playing the field. May joined the Volunteers midseason, serving as a designated hitter.

In his first game back on June 18, May went 4 for 4 against the Valley Bears.

“I was a little nervous,” May said. “Just because I didn’t know what would happen. Once I got those first two hits, I got my confidence back.”

May went through a two-month hitting program before he joined the Volunteers. He is 10 for his last 16 at the plate and hitting .394 this summer with 27 runs, eight doubles, five triples, two homers and 13 RBIs in 79 at-bats.

In the Volunteers’ two wins in the Area 3 championship, May went 4 for 8 with two triples, a home run, four runs scored and five RBIs.

“One of the things Josh has done for us is come up with the big two-out base hit that either knocks in a run or keeps the inning going,” Adams said. “I’ve seen the maturation in him as a hitter over the last couple years. He’s come a long way since playing with us as a freshman and he struggled big-time.

“He wasn’t used to going hitless multiple times. When he came back for his sophomore year, I could see the development and the growth as a player.”

One of May’s strengths is his patience at the plate. He didn’t have to adjust his approach when he was moved to the leadoff spot because he already goes to the plate looking to work the count in his favor and use the whole field. May is good at driving pitches to left field for extra-base hits.

“Rollo likes to tell me I’m not a leadoff hitter, I’m just a hitter who hits in the leadoff spot,” May said. “He wants me to hit and drive in runs. I’ve always had more power to the left side. My approach is to go to the left and if the ball is inside, I can still turn on it.”

With teammates like Efrain Del Rio, Carlo Del Real and Lawrence Anderson all hitting well as the Volunteers head to Yountville, May feels this may be the year Merced wins its first state title since 2008.

“Last year we had a good team but things just didn’t follow through,” May said. “I think this is the year. I think just having this last (Area) tournament we won, we got hot. I think we’ll keep hitting in Yountville. I don’t think the pitching we’re going to face will be as good as the pitching we’ve seen from the college teams we’ve played all summer.”

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 7:18 PM with the headline "May’s return could spark Volunteers to state title."