Finals are over. We're outta here!

Matt Bowman -- Stepping up in the Department

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Matt Bowman. He was hired this fall by our athletic department to assist with Game Management and Sports Information, putting him on campus full time. In addition, he will be serving as our pitching coach for the second year. Last year, he was on a volunteer basis for baseball, and an intern for the department. As an undergrad, he interned for our department and did such a great job, a position was created for him.

Coach Bowman as a Blue Devil, circa 2009.

Matt played for us back in '09 after two seasons at Corning Community College. With Huggy (Zack Hugg) in the office as our intern this year, the two often chat about the '607' and Corning C.C.

Matt serves as Koz's (the equipment manager) right hand man, taking over for 'Ace' Everett who retired. Matt is responsible for setting up and tearing down for our home events, as well as supervising workers.

He also assists Jerry Reilly in the Sports Information Office. There, Matt does a little of everything from Live Stats, to writing stories and updating the website to compiling career stats.

Matt has a great foundation of fitness knowledge. He has done a great job with the conditioning aspect of our pitchers. He revamped our Pitcher's Handbook and linked up a bunch of solid workout videos on our website. In addition, he initiated our Academic Review Cards to better communicate with professors and has gotten out team involved with Habitat for Humanity.

Community Service of 1

Bobby Frantz stopped by the office during the snow storm. With nothing better to do on a Friday night, Bobby grabbed a shovel and began helping some people he hasn't met, yet.

We got hammered with nearly two feet of snow and had to cancel our Kid's Night Out for the evening.

'Tis the Season

This past week, roughly 20 baseball players took their turns volunteering their time with the Salvation Army to ring bells in front of the local Wal Mart. Coach Greco worked out some times for the players, and they were able to collect money for the Army.




Tyler Shaw does his best to get a shot if himself, Brian
Castonguay and Mike Prentice as they represent the
team for the Salvation Army during their shift on Dec. 5th.

A contingent of players also made it back out to Silver Creek to continue to work on the Habitat for Humanity house on Saturday. The roof has been put on the house, so the team is able to work inside when necessary. Coach Greco also drove the van out to Silver Creek.

A bit of baseball history. The house of former World Series hero, Howard Ehmnke, is on the route to Silver Creek. Ehmke was the surprise starter for Connie Mack's A's in the 1929 World Series, earning the first of his two wins. He would go on to invent the "Tarp", which by SUNYAC rule, is required at all conference fields to this very day.

Questions with Quinn: Trotting with Liam Kelly

Trot Kelly stopped by for a quick interview with Quinn Danahy. Both Trot and Quinn attended Bishop Timon High School together. They were teammates in the rink and on the diamond during their high school athletic careers.

 

Trot also played with fellow freshman Mike Prentice on that American Legion State Championship team.

Trot explains how he got his nickname which is after former big league outfielder Trot Nixon. Nixon would play with the Red Sox from 1996 to 2006. He was a part of the 2004 Red Sox team that brought Boston their first World Series Title since 1918. Nixon would conclude his career with brief stints with the Cleveland Indians in 2007 and the New York Mets in 2008.

 

 

For the famous "Island" question that we ask in every player interview Trot chose his interviewer (Quinn). Timon guys always stick together.

 

The duo wanted to give a shout out to Andy Dlugosz, Matt Sullivan and Tommy Dee. 

 

2014 Team Captains Selected

After player voting, second baseman Conner Lorenzo and first baseman Kyle Koslowski have been named team captains for the 2014 season.

Both players are four-year seniors in our program whose work ethic is second to none.  They embody Blue Devil baseball day-in and day-out in their actions on and off the field.

Lorenzo received as high of a percentage in the players' captain voting as any player in team history.  He will be the team's unquestioned leader following a steady, productive junior season.  "Scoot" leads the way before and after we take the field, but (he'll be the first to tell you) talk is cheap; if you look at Conner at any point, you'll see a model teammate.  Fitting, then, that he's our leadoff hitter, showing our lineup the way on game day.  A wrestler as well as ballplayer in high school, Conner has a ferocious competitive fire and can be counted on to leave every ounce he's got on the game or practice field.

Kos received a large number of votes as well, and scored as one of the most respected teammates on our squad in our Peer Evaluations.  He is strong as an ox, and never complains or makes an excuse; he just gets the job done.  The son of a steel worker, Kos is never afraid to stick his nose in there if necessary.  Watching him for even five minutes of a practice will convince you that he gives you his all, and his teammates (and coaches) have clearly taken notice.

So congrats to Conner and Kos, but any team with only two leaders will not go very far.  That's why in our program "captain" should not be confused with "leader."  Those two players will represent the team as captains, but several other players will be expected to step up into leadership roles.  Guys like juniors Kenny Johnston, Erik Krohl, and others received captain votes and ranked very high in the Peer Evaluation polls as respected teammates.  They and the captains will be counted on to continue demonstrating the Blue Devil way, on and off the field.

Devils participating in "Movember"

A few of the Devils have grown out their facial hair and are participating in "Movember" to raise awareness for men's health. Here are a few photos of FSU's top participants. The poll on the right-hand menu is open until the end of the month, so make sure you vote for the best "Movember" look.

In addition, our campus has the Movember Momentum in full swing. Here is a message from FSU campus spokesman for Movember, Aaron Marshall...
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Soon it will be 'Movember' and I'll be growing a moustache to raise funds and awareness for men's health. It's going to be a hairy journey and I want you to be part of it.

Fight for your right to change the face of men’s health, enlist for Movember and join SUNY Fredonia's team now.

A moustache is the mark of a man, and today it is a symbol to spark conversations about important health issues. So guys, pledge to grow a Mo today, or ladies, join the team to support my Mo.

Find out more about why you should join me by taking a look at the causes we are fighting for.

Thanks for supporting Gen Mo and helping us change the face of men's health.

United We Mo!
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-Aaron

Contestant #1 Quinn Danahy

 

Contestant #2 Tommy Morris

 

 

Contestant #3 R.J. Spinnella

 

 

Contestant #4 Erik Krohl

 

 

Contestant #5 Kyle Koslowski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions with Quinn: Spinning with Spinnella... on the D.L. with R.J.

R.J. Spinella is a freshman from Cassville, N.Y. and attended high school at Sauquoit Valley. R.J. is a second baseman majoring in Exercise Science. He is constantly in the batting cage and weight room everyday trying to get better. He came in as a walk on and did everything he could to earn his spot on the team. At Fredonia State, he has quickly figured out what it means to Run With the Wise.

Participating in "Movember" with T Mo

Tommy Morris is a junior pitcher from Syosset High School which is located on Long Island. He is participating in "Movember" which is a spin off of No Shave November. T Mo expressed extra excitement for this year's Movember because the Boston Red Sox are the World Series champions. Members of the Red Sox kept their beards from spring training up until the conclusion of the World Series.


Tommy isn't the only member of his family who plays college baseball; he has a brother named Joey who plays at Queens College. Queens College is located in Queens, New York and is a member of division two NCAA athletics. Joey, however, is an outfielder unlike his brother who is a member of the Blue Devil pitching staff.

Besides baseball, Tommy has an avid love for basketball and is a huge New York Knicks fan. He is not happy with their start to the young season and thinks there is not enough team play. He feels the offense is centered too much around isolation plays for Carmelo Anthony and not enough set plays run by the offense. Tyson Chandler, the Knicks starting center, is out 4-6 weeks with an injury and Tommy said that this injury will hurt their rebounding and low post defense.

I asked Tommy what one teammate he would choose to be stuck on a deserted island with and why? Tommy chose sophomore outfielder Quinn Danahy because he is a team player and he will do what is necessary to get the job done. You may be familiar with Quinn already as he has conducted video interviews in previous blog posts with other members of our team.

T Mo also wanted to point out one interesting fact about himself: he shares a birthday with former big league pitcher Randy Johnson. He also pointed out they both throw left handed and bat right handed.

Habitat for Humanity, Round 1.

One of our goals as a coaching staff this year was to get more involved in giving back to the community. So to fulfill that goal we reached out to Habitat for Humanity to see if we could help out. 

Habitat for Humanity's focus is to build and repair houses all over the world using volunteer labor and donations. Their partner families purchase these houses through no-profit, no-interest mortgage loans or innovative financing methods.

To learn more about the organization and how to volunteer or donate visit http://www.habitat.org/


Our first weekend of working with the organization was rained out.

But today myself, Matt Casilio, Kenny Johnston, Tommy Morris, Anthony Schiro, Joe Korszun, Dan Cecilia, Liam "Trot" Kelly, Tyler Shaw, and Dan Lumadue piled in the van and took off to their Silver Creek location to get to work.

A good mix of returning players, transfers, and freshman.

When we arrived on location we learned that the family moving into the house was a mother and her three children (she was also there working).

After the initial introduction to what and who we were helping we jumped right in and got to work.

Our main focus was getting the foundation level, digging paths for a drainage system, putting up insulation, and hauling gravel. In order to accomplish all of this in the time we had it was necessary to split up into small teams.

The organization provided the guys with a lunch a few hours into the day consisting of chili, muffins, cookies, chips, and apples.

During the break each player had a chance to introduce themselves to the fellow volunteers and program coordinators. T-mo even found a fellow Long Islander on staff.

After lunch we finished up what we started, all hands on deck.

The guys worked their tails off and I think I speak for all of us when I say that we accomplished a lot, helped a good cause, and were able to bond more with each other.

It was a lot of work but a great experience and I learned a lot about some of the new guys on the team and more about the returners.

I'm looking forward to bringing a fresh set of guys to help out again next weekend.

Down on the Ranch with Melo

Evan Carmello has attended a handful of camps at the Baseball Ranch which is located in The Woodlands, Texas. Evan has attended four different times his most recent trip coming in December of 2010.

The Ranch is run by Ron Wolforth who started the facility he is also assisted by Brent Strom. Strom was recently hired to be the pitching coach of the Houston Astros. Before accepting this position he was the pitching coordinator of the St. Louis Cardinals. Other coaches from other MLB organizations have attended but Wolforth and Strom are always in attendance.

Pictured below is Brent Strom (left) and Ron Wolforth (right).
            



A lot of big league players have been in attendance at The Ranch a few of the big names are Scott Kazmir, C.J. Wilson, Trevor Bauer, and Raul Ibanez. There are plenty more players that could be listed but they have not made it to the majors yet.

On his first trip Evans main objective was to just get better at pitching and wasn't really sure what to expect from it. He said his whole philosophy on pitching changed once he went and he changed his entire routine when it comes to pitching once he attended.

The main concept he took from his trips to The Ranch was being a better athlete as a pitcher. He developed his throwing motion to get the most out of his body by being more efficient and explosive with his delivery.

To conclude our interview I asked Evan what teammate he would choose to be stuck on a desert island with and why? Evan chose Kyle Grey (which didn't come as a surprise) because they get along well. Evan and Kyle are long toss buddies and they have a very detailed routine together when they are at the field or working out in the offseason.

Listed below is a link to the website for The Ranch.
http://www.texasbaseballranch.com/

Questions with Quinn: The Lighter Side of a Freshman Brute

Quinn Danahy conducted a brief interview with the barrel-chested Brian Castonguay so everyone can get to know him. Brian is a freshman corner infielder from Orchard Park and went to Hamburg High School with fellow freshman Tyler Shaw. 

Brian speaks about his love for playing racquetball with his buddy Mike Prentice (freshman catcher, St. Francis HS). Coach Palisin has since scaled back the NRBL (National Racquet Ball League) and told the two freshmen to spend more time studying.

The Devils favorite color out of the pen is Grey

I sat down with senior relief pitcher Kyle Grey. Kyle went to Frewsburg high school which is also where Blue Devil alum Ricky Carlson attended. I asked him a couple questions about Ricky in his interview.

First I asked about when he first learned his pick off move and he responded that Ricky and his stepfather first approached Kyle at one of his age 13 practices. This is where Kyle first learned the move and then his 8th grade year of middle school Ricky was on the JV baseball staff at Frewsburg. Ricky would go more into depth with Kyle on JV and help him really master his pick off move.

I then followed up asking Kyle how much easier is it pitching knowing you have this move with a runner on first base. Kyle responded that he always has his pick off move in the back of his mind when he takes the mound. He knows he can rely on it to get out of a jam if he needs to and he referenced his first ever appearance when he didn't throw a pitch and picked the runner off to end the inning.

Thirdly I asked Kyle who he modeled his game after and he responded with Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee. He chose Cliff Lee because he attacks hitters with a lot of strikes, he loves to pitch in big games, and he can throw any of his pitches for a strike in any count. 

The final question I asked was if you were stuck on an island with one teammate who would it be and why? Kyle responded with Evan Carmello who is also a pitcher on our pitching staff. Kyle chose Melo because he is his partner in crime when it comes to long toss along with following the same routine as Evan. He also responded that he felt Melo would have some crazy knowledge of this type of situation. 

Huggy sits down with "Worm" Sturm

I sat down with Steve Sturm and conducted a brief interview with him. Steve, also known as Worm because it rhymes with his last name, is a senior pitcher on our pitching staff. He is looking to have a bounce back season after missing last season.

The first question I asked Steve was what is your favorite restaurant to eat at. He responded with Kentucky Greg's Hickory Pit which is a BBQ restaurant located in Depew. The restaurant is famous for being on the show Diners, Drive ins, and Dives which is hosted by Guy Fieri on the Food Network.  After his first trip this restaurant has been Steve's favorite ever since.

I followed up my first question with what was his favorite dish to get at Kentucky Greg's. Steve said that he really likes to mix it up when he goes to this restaurant. He said his go to dish however is the pulled chicken sandwich with fries and mac salad as his two side choices.

Next I asked what is his favorite music artist to listen to. He responded that he likes all genres from classic rock to rap. Some of his favorites (just to name a few) are Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, Stone Temple Pilots, and Alice in Chains. His all time favorite band is Pearl Jam.

Having such a wide range of music he enjoyed I then followed up asking him what was the last concert he attended. Steve had attended Thursday at the Harbor this past summer and saw Fitz and the Tantrums.

The final question I had was if you are stranded on a desert island and had to be stuck with one teammate on the baseball team who would it be and why? Steve responded with Matt Casilio who is our third basemen. Steve stated he would be fine with anyone but he chose Casilio because nothing bothers him and despite being stranded he knows they would have a good time.

Questions with Quinn: Getting to Know Joey Tingue

Quinn Danahy conducted a brief interview with Joey Tingue. Joey is a fifth year senior and is a member of our pitching staff. Joey attended high school at Pine Valley and after high school he attended Jamestown Community College.

Joey missed his first season two years ago with an injury and was awarded a medical redshirt. He worked hard to get back on to the field last season and had a good start in Florida vs. Colby College. Joey has improved a lot over his three seasons with the Blue Devils. He has added a change up to his arsenal of pitches and his location has improved gradually since his first season. 

NLCS outlook

 

Quinn Danahy conducted a quick interview this morning with Erik Krohl and Kenny Johnston on their predictions of the NLCS. Krohl is our shortstop and is an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan. Kenny is our right fielder and provided his outlook on the rest of the series for the Dodgers (despite the fact he is wearing a Giants hat).

Hands back, create separation

If you ask Brian Castonguay what separation is, he'll give you an expalnation like this.

Stride and Separate.
You will stride forward in a very controlled and soft movement, while using your shoulder and outside oblique to pull the top half of your body in the opposite direction.

Tension.
Once your front foot hits the ground and your hands remain back from where the load took them, this will create tension in your front oblique area.

This tension is like a stretched rubber band that will allow for a violent action toward the baseball. The more stretched tension you create, the more bat speed you can create.

The best recruits are the players you have

Three pitchers who missed last season with medical redshirts are set to return to action this spring. The three pitchers are Steve Sturm, Nate Lester, and Ben Senior.

Steve Sturm looks to return to the conference rotation a spot that he held two seasons ago. Sturm is a strike thrower and throws a lot of fastballs much like his idol Bartolo Colon who pitches for the Oakland A's. Sturm also throws a nasty changeup and curveball which keeps opposing hitters off balance.

Nate Lester is looking to get back on the mound after earning a spot on the team last year. Lester also throws a lot of strikes which is something we preach to our pitching staff. Nate spent a lot of time preparing for the season in the weight room last year before missing the year with his medical redshirt. He is perhaps the best athlete on the staff.

Ben Senior missed last season after pitching for us two seasons ago in his freshman campaign. Ben worked on spotting his fastball this past fall season and made some good progress throughout the fall. He has scrapped the splitter from his repertoire.

The challenge for these three pitchers along with the rest of our pitching staff is going to be who will fill the 140 innings that need to be filled from last season.

Playball! Devils take on JCC

Saturday was our playdate vs. Jamestown CC. We had a gorgeous day for two games.

We used four pitchers in game one, and six pitchers in game 2, and worked just about everyone into the lineup, scoring over 20 runs on the day.

The Hammer went to Erik Krohl. He had four hits in the two games and scored the winning run in a walkoff victory, taking out the catcher on a play at the plate.

Erik addressed off season workouts in his speech. He invited the freshmen for a lift with him, Kenny and Carmody.

The JUCO Claw went to fifth-year senior Joey Tingue. Joey struck out two in his inning of work against his former Junior College. Joey has seen a lot of adversity, working through a medical redshirt season a couple years ago and putting himself through college working three jobs. He spent four hours in the morning taking the State Trooper exam, them showed up for game two and dealt some strikes.

Joey spoke about never knowing when your last game will be and to enjoy the opportunity you have today.

Other solid performances were from ECC transfer Ricky Mendiola who talked the ball over the fence on a majestic homerun that scraped the back of the fence on the way down. Anthony Schiro threw out a pair of runners and picked one off first, in addition to a double and two sac bunts. The pitchers have enjoyed throwing to him, too.

Quinn Danehy roped a triple and had several good AB's. He's down 30 pounds from last year and has been working his tail off. Freshman RJ Spinella added two hits off the bench, and a steal of home. He's got to be the most improved player this fall.

Tommy Morris and Carl Wolf worked a quick couple innings.

We are done for the fall, and the off season begins tomorrow.

I'd like to give a shout out to former Blue Devils Brian Sheehan and Kyle Morris for helping with the between-game spread.

Alumni Game wrap up

Thanks to all those that made the Alumni Game. Usually we have it during Homecoming, but with the end of our fall season and Homecoming moved back this year, we moved things up.

Veteran Winston Woodard got the start on the hill. Winny graduated in the early 80's, but is still active in several leagues and tournaments. Lefties can stick around forever.

Legend Mark Clifford also made it up. A Hall of Famer in baseball and basketball here, Mark never misses a game. He's also been a big help recruiting -- we've had five Timon players in the program, and several others he's coached in AAA Muny ball.

Also participating were John Bennett, Zack Hugg, Ian Gallagher, Dan Fetes, Dan Greco, Tommy Tantillo, Brian Sheehan, Ricky Carlson, Erik Dietrich, Brian Bongiovanni, Mark Clifford, Jamie Sapienza, Winston Woodard and Tim Cowan. Also present, but did not play were Tommy Dee, Tom Hesketh and Joe Pucciarelli.

Tuesday's workout

Tuesday's practice consisted of bunting and situations. We have a lot of new players this season, so we're trying to get everyone on the same page. The biggest change will come from behind the plate. Brian Sheehan caught about every game last year. We have a collection of catchers competing for time this year.

We will have some great competition. We have Anthony Schiro, the starting catcher from an NCCC team that went to the NJCAA Word Series. Dan Cecelia is a sophomore transfer originally from Whitesboro HS. He spent the past two summers playing in the NYCBL and Perfect Game League. Jason Howard is the "biggest" player on the team and is competing after taking last year off.

Freshmen include a pair of State Champs. Zach Buckley was a two-time All State Selection from the Fredonia HS team that won a state championship last spring. Mike Prentice won the American Legion State Championship for the West Seneca team. He was the cleanup hitter from St. Francis HS -- the program that produced the likes of Jim Kunkemoeller, Matt Bauman, Sean Larson and Mark Majka for us over the years.

Garrett Jones, another freshman, was a three-year starter at Akron HS.

We need these guys to step up and take charge and continue a strong tradition of FSU catchers.

Following today, which was filled with some conditioning, Tommy Morris took home the Hammer. He had a spring in his step and was ready to roll.

The JUCO Claw went to Bobby Frantz. Last week, Bobby said distance running wasn't his strength. He performed better today, and as a senior, will need to lead from the front. Mind over matter.

Both winners gave great speeches. Tommy spoke of how attitude and mental toughness are appreciated a lot more by our veterans than anything else. Bobby talked of being focused at practice.

Friday will see an intersquad, and Saturday is our doubleheader vs. JCC. First pitch is 12:30.

Fall ball underway

We finished Week 2 of the fall with a bang. Offensively, we had 13 doubles for in weekend intersquads.

The Hammers last week went to Kos and freshman Tyler Shaw. Kos showed his usual focus in practice and added a double, three RBI and a few nice defensive plays. Shaw had a bunch of hits and a hungry attitude. A gamer. You can see it in the way he practices.

We also handed out our initial JUCO Claw awards. The award, intitiated by either John Bennett or Josh Gascon because of my dislike towards transfers, is given out by Tommy Tantillo, a Jamestown CC grad for the outstanding Junior College transfer of the day.

JCC alum Matt Tobias wont the first award. He had a double and played well. The second day the award went to Anthony Schiro. Anthony had a double and caught a solid game. The pitchers all felt comfortable throwing to him. He was a captain at Niagara Commmunity C.C. and made a couple trips to the JUCO World Series.

Practice on Tuesday and Friday before taking on Jamestown C.C. in our fall play date on Saturday. Gametime has been moved to 12:30.

The things I miss most, by Dan Fetes, Class of 2013

About two months ago, I remember standing and looking out on my college baseball field. I was next to two of my best friends, two of my teammates, two of my fellow captains and two people I will have a close bond with for the rest of my life. We stared out in silence, just looking, nobody saying a word. We all knew what each other were thinking: “it was one hell of a ride.”

After a while of our eyes peering across the green grass, we finally broke the silence and talked about the great memories we had, and the ones we'd never be able to have again. Our time as college baseball players was over and all we wanted was one more game, one more inning, one more play.

Your friends and family always tell you how time flies by but you never really believe it in the heat of the moment. Now I believe it more than ever. It seems like just last month I was moving into the freshman dorms and choking back tears as my parents drove away. Now, in the blink of an eye it was all over. In that blink of an eye, teammates soon became friends and day after day, practice after practice, season after season, time flew by.

I remember being a part of three senior games and never thinking I would ever have my own. Sure enough, before I knew it I was walking down the third baseline shaking hands and giving hugs to teammates who turned into brothers.

Now, more than ever, I feel an emptiness. It's not an emptiness that can be filled with people or things. It’s an emptiness that comes from those memories that will never happen again. It's not a feeling of regret or a feeling of “I wish I could have done more.” Believe me, the body that I've tortured over the last eight years will tell you it's not from a lack of effort or hard work. It's an emptiness of knowing that my hour glass has finally dropped my last grains of sand and knowing that a chapter in my life has come to an end. Playing sports, especially baseball, has been my life for as long as I could remember.

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Tee ball and little league seasons were always followed by another season of blue skies and walking on fresh cut grass and chalked lines. Travel baseball and going to tournaments with friends turned into middle school and quickly high school ball. Before I knew it baseball (and hockey during the winter) was all that consumed me. If I wasn't playing the sports, I was training for them and if I wasn't training for them, I was thinking about them and how I could get a leg up on everyone else.

High School baseball and All County awards were goals that came true but were only pieces of paper that motivated me more to play college baseball. It was a dream that soon became a reality and more free time away from home meant more time thinking about baseball. That's where the sadness starts to kick in. For the last eight years I knew what my future was: another year of school, but more importantly, another season of baseball.

I had big dreams of college, and playing baseball in college, but my experience far exceeded my expectations. I left home but found more family than I ever could have imagined.

In the past two months I've found myself missing things I once hated or never thought I cared about. I now miss the thought of fall ball. At the time, going to bed early on a Friday night, only to have to wake up early and spend hours on end at the field on Saturday, seemed like a waste. Now I'd give anything to have one more Saturday in October on that diamond. The sweat was like a badge of honor and having to drag yourself back to the locker room was the only way to know that you had a successful day. My buddy and I would fill up his bathtub at home with ice and take turns laying in it, just to get some relief. The rest of the day was spent shooting the bull and having the underclassmen file into our house just to hang out. College football would be on in the background as we would talk about the things we hated and the upcoming season. I miss that.

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Every year six o'clock practices would roll around. Those always came with mixed emotions of the excitement of the start of another season and the dreading of pain and soreness you were about to encounter. Running inside in the dry air of the indoor field house left your lungs on fire. Bending over to touch the baseline sometimes seemed miles away.
Now, I want that misery. I want that anguish, just one more time. I loved that torture and learned to embrace the pain and being uncomfortable. When the alarm clock would go off around four in the morning, I knew I had a full day ahead of me. Practice, class, hitting on the side, going to the gym and spending plenty of time in the trainer’s room; I've spent more time in the athletic center than I ever could have imagined but I just wish I could lay on those tables getting treatment next to my teammates one more time.

I will forever miss the subtle things of baseball. Hitting a clean single up the middle, tossing the bat in confidence, taking that sweet aggressive turn rounding first. The three and a half step lead and waiting for the pitcher to raise that left heel. The head first slides and the roar of your teammates in excitement. I'll never forget coming into the dugout to a sea of brothers, all waiting with their hands raised to show their appreciation and excitement.

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I'll miss having my name announced in the starting line-up. I’ll miss hearing Darius Rucker's “Alright” being played when I would step up to the plate. I'll miss digging in my back foot and knocking my knuckles together like Martin Prado would always do. I'll miss sprinting out to my position or hustling out a ground ball to second base and getting thrown out by half a step because that's the way I was taught to play the game. I'll miss looking down the third baseline to get a sign. I'll miss hitting in the cage early at morning and late at night and going to the gym for a real purpose. I'll miss the one on one session with coaches trying to help me get better to help the team.

 I always wondered what players on the other teams were doing and wanted to work harder than them. I'll miss seeing my name in the paper and on websites. I worked so hard every day to earn the recognition and be known by my opponents and the rest of the conference, but all I ever wanted was respect from my teammates. That's who I'll miss the most.

I'll miss the long bus rides and plane flights. I'll miss going to Florida with them and riding in the vans to games. I'll miss the inside jokes and the time we spent together just goofing around. I'll miss the downtime we would spend with each other playing madden tournaments or just getting in stupid arguments. I'll miss the handshakes we use to make up every season and coming off the field after a win, each of us feeling like a big leaguer going down the line. I'll miss all the things that are so hard to explain like just running into each other on campus or eating as a team after a game. I'll miss my baseball family.

My baseball career ended in a less than happy way. If it was like any season I'd had before, it wouldn't matter. But it wasn't, because in all of those previous seasons I knew there was another. I wasn't sad about losing, I was sad because there wasn't another season next year.
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I don't know if my teammates and coaches over the last ten years know how much they mean to me but I saw them all as family and I just want them to know how thankful I am to have played beside them or for them.

So now I find myself like everyone else who has played a sport they loved and has seen it come to an end. I'm sure I'll find a new love, something to fill my empty space. Maybe it’ll be my career, or old man softball, or family. For the mean time, however, I’ll reminisce about the time of my life and look at my Fredonia State baseball bag sitting in the back of my car... and smile.

Chops ties the knot!

Blue Devil all-time games played leader Kyle Adams, a.k.a Chops, tied the knot in Dunkirk this past weekend, marrying the former Amy Pencek. Chops also served as an assistant coach for the Devils for four years.

Chops is one of the most loyal people I know. He was also my first-ever recruit at Fredonia State. He set the tone and played the game the right way. He deserves a lot of credit for raising the standards for our program.

Both he and Amy are teachers in the Dunkirk School District. Our team has helped out Kyle the past two years with his after-school math program, and Kyle has worked our summer camp every year since he graduated.

Other FSU teammates there were:
Brother Tommy Adams (Best Man), Dave Ickowski and a bearded Bryan Recchia (wedding party), as well as Phil Gavin (retired rapper), Noah Huard, Mike Austin and Dr. Shane Morrison. Matt Baudo made it up the night before, but could not make the wedding.

Mario Muscarella and Jim Quinn, who both teach in Dunkirk, were there as well. They graduated a few years prior to Kyle's freshman year.

Of course, Mario brought up the infamous "Sellmeyer Hangup", Nick Fiorella getting cheered after getting hit in the head by a pitch, and the "This is why I play baseball" quote. Good times.

Bonge looking to go big time

Former FSU bench coach Chad Bongiovanni had a nice article in the local paper. He is becoming quite an accomplished umpire. He was selected to do the Section VI playoffs this year. Read more HERE.

I'd like to give a shout out to Doc, Mr. Bongiovanni, who has been to a lot of Chad's games.

The real Wolverine... The Ian Gallagher Story

Our final senior is Ian Gallagher. Ian was one of the best leaders I have ever coached. He also looked like Wolverine from the popular X-Men movies. I checked out to see what Wolverine's special powers were. Apparently, he had advance physical powers (opposite field home run), keen senses (great baserunner, a lot of diving catches) and advanced healing powers (Ian bounced back from leg, shoulder, arm, and lower body injuries, and several large scratches and bruises). Ian truly was our Wolverine this year.

He was also very versatile. He started his career as our JV second baseman. He played third and short before settling into the outfield. He batted at just about every spot in the order, and fit any role he was asked to do. He always had a gung-ho attitude on the field and at practice. The only time you'd see him down was after a loss.

Ian was the definition of the word gamer. A total team player, he was one of the Original 5. When I think of his time here, I'll remember a dirty uniform, and, unfortunately, jorts.

Ian finished his career strong with an excellent showing in the SUNYAC Tournament. He was 5 for 11 (.455) in three games, to go along with three walks (.571 OBP %). He came up big in the biggests games.

During the season, he batted .339 for the year and played in more games than any other player this past season.

It took a while for me to update the blog for our final senior profile. Next time he is in town, I'll owe him a Coke.

Ian's plans are to return to Pittsford and begin grad school this fall.

You better not get injured ... the Brian Sheehan Story

SENIOR PROFILE
Brain Sheehan entered this past fall as our top catcher, one of five on the roster. A knee injury, two back injuries and one player quitting later, Brian was our only catcher for the Spring season. No other player on our roster entered the season physically able to squat behind the plate, or with any college catching experience. 

He ended up leading our team with 10 hit by pitches. I was pretty close a number to asking him to back off the plate or work on rolling out of the way of pitches. Given his bat and skills behind the plate, he was our most valuable player. Fortunately, he toughed it out all season and opposing pitchers never squared him up.

Brian went on to have a great season. The more he caught, the better he hit. The better his eye got. He ranked second in the SUNYAC with 20 walks. He was our most consistent hitter all season. He was the only SUNYAC catcher to start all 18 conference games behind the plate. He was leading, or among the leaders, in the conference in on-base percentage, batting average, walks and hit by pitches all year.

Brian was finished with a great season and a great career for us. As a senior, he was nominated as the Fredonia State Male Athlete of the Year and earned all conference. He continued a tradition of strong catchers at Fredonia State. In my 11 years at FSU, Mark Taurisani, John Papierski, Dan Murphy, Rob Herrman (four times) and now Brian Sheehan were able to make all conference.

His toughness and consistency were what made him a leader for this team. He wanted to catch every game all season. Through his four seasons, he hit .316, .274, .337 and .349 and posted a .324 career average.

Brian was an individual that really grew during his four years here. Each year his grades got better. Each year he worked a little harder in the weight room. He became a better leader each season. It was great to see it pay off for him this year.

Dillon Lowe... the next Donny Kirsch

SENIOR PROFILE
Dillon came to as one half of the 'State Champs Connection' (along with Ian Gallagher) from Pittsford Sutherland. When I first saw Dillon during a fall league game in high school, I was really impressed with how the program was run. Everyone ran on and off the field, everyone on the team hustled and the team played the game the right way. He'd fit in with our team. I recruited about five guys off that team, and he's the one we ended up with (Gallagher spent one semester at Alfred State).

Dillon broke in with a bang his freshman year. Due to injuries late in the season, he took over the third base spot and batted .538 (14 for 26). As a junior and senior he would go on to earn All Conference recognition. We won't mention his sophomore season.

He finished his career 10th on the team's all-time hit list, and seventh on the stolen base list while posting a .305 average. Over his four seasons, no Blue Devil appeared in more games or had more at bats.

As a senior, Dillon was moved over to first base. An intense player, he was known for talking to himself after every out he made. Dillon had a great conference tournament for us this year, batting .357 with a home run and double. He helped lead the offense to a great showing in the tournament. Dillon batted in the middle of the order most of the season, taking the pressure of the other hitters.

He is also one of the Original Five. As a freshman, he was adopted and mentored by Donny Baseball, the great Donny Kirsch. Betrween the two of them, we had a great run of thirdbasemen.

Dillon will finish up his schooloing in the fall, earning a degree in geology. He is exploring the possibility of working with Brian Lansing, our previous geology grad, and traveling around the country, making a lot of money and fly fishing when he can.

I'd like to give a shout out to his dad, Dan Lowe, who was our official team photographer for a few years. Dan played some college ball at St. Lawrence back in the day.

Two-time Captain ... Angelo Sciandra

SENIOR PROFILE
Angelo Sciandra came to Fredonia State because he wanted to be a teacher and get in to coaching -- follow the footsteps of his father, who is the A.D. and football coach at O'Hara High School.

He is well on his way to having a successful career. As a player, Ace was elected a team captain for both his junior and senior seasons. I've always said, if you can't get along with Ace, somethings's wrong with you. A great teammate.

As a student, he achieved over a 3.0 and won a number of awards for his teaching in the classroom. Every time I see Mrs. Schrader from Cassadaga Valley (Ace tutored her students as a freshman), she always asks how Ace is doing. One of the best tutors she ever had. Ace student taught at Northern Chautauqua County Cathloic School this year. One of his pupils was our bat boy, Boppo Schrantz.

Ace (and Dan Fetes) always spent extra time with our number one fan Koty Leeper at our clinics and Kids' Night Out. Koty always asks about them and is an aspiring football player.

On the field, Ace combined with Zach Murray for a no hitter on our last day in Florida last year. He was our Opening Day starter in each of the past two seasons. On senior day this year, he was introduced as being known for his "assortment of pickoff moves". He then promptly picked a runner of first in the first inning.

He was one of the hardest working students I have coached. His dad rewarded him by sending him on a cruise after graduation. When he gets back on dry land, Ace plans to work on his Master's Degree in nearby Buffalo State next year, or maybe find a teaching job. He said he is looking to coach football, possibly, because baseball is too hard. I agree.

With the HS sectional champs being crowned this weekend, I'd like to give a shout out to a few former Blue Devils. Brian Bongiovanni's (2010) Fredonia Hillbillies play Tonawanda tonight for the Section VI Class B title. Beav assists coach Gullo and coaches first base. Tim Cowan also joined the Fredonia staff this year. He's doing double-duty, running the Animal Hospital T-ball team, too.

Jeremy Hulbert (2009) has Pal-Mac rolling. He is the head coach there and playing for the Class B Section V championship tonight vs. Batavia. Perhaps they meet in the State Tourney?

Lastly, word on the street is former Blue Devil assistant coach Chad Bongiovanni was the highest rated umpire in Chautauqua county this year. Chad has received a number of post season assignments.

Energy Giver... Dan Fetes

SENIOR PROFILES
Dan Fetes played four seasons in a Blue Devil uniform. I first saw Dan at a Showcase at Niagara University when he was a high school senior. Dan stood out over all the other participants at the Showcase because he had such a positive vibe. As a catcher, he was always chattering. He hit a hustle double and was picking up teammates all day. No dogging it for Dan. Every run that was "scored", there was Dan with the first high five. Things you don't always see at a showcase.

When I contacted Dan and emailed him, he would always type in bold letters, underline words or use ALL CAPS. Even his emails had a positive energy.

Dan came into our program with fellow catcher Brian Sheehan. The duo was tabbed to replace four-time All SUNYAC catcher Rob Herrmann who was in his senior season.

Brian ended up replacing Rob.

Dan ended up replacing a handful of players. Dan caught, played first and outfield over the next two seasons. Whatever he was asked to do, he did it. As a senior, he was our team's DH. He had average speed, but wound up among our career leaders in stolen bases through sheer hustle. Dan worked hard to make himself into a solid baseball player. He hit the wieghts, spent time in the cage and was always an energy giver -- never at a loss for words.

Dan also represented the team as positively as anyone around campus. He was a SAAC rep, had a radio show with Steve Toole and was the color commentator for our home hockey games. I could hear him down the hall every Friday afternoon in the winter asking coach Meredith questions and gathering inside information for his broadcasts.

Dan is the second in his family to graduate from Fredonia State. His mother, Kathy, is a Blue Devil alum and teaches in the Rochester area. Dan graduated with over a 3.0 GPA in journalism. Hopefully, Dan's kids grow up and continue the Fredonia State tradition.

Jake's second watch was worth it

Congratulations to Jake Nowak. He was named all region by D3baseball.com on Monday. He was named as a utility player. I did nominate him for all conference, but he literally did not have a position and we do not recognize a "utility" guy.

Jake also ranked as the No. 1 Toughest to Strike Out in Division III. I think that one might have been on the umpire, if I recall.

Check out our release here.

Jake came back for a fifth year, and was lucky enough to go through Senior Day and the Senior Gala twice.

Proving his versatility, Jake was also the announcer for our soccer, volleyball and basketball teams, and was our department DJ. He put together our official pre-season video. He drove the van in Florida and ran our Twitter account. (I still don't know what Twitter really is). He even learned what and what not to post.

Jake played 2B, SS, 3B, DH, pitcher and catcher this year. Prior to the season, we had two catchers injured, one quit due to an internship and another relegated to DH/OF due to injuries. Apparently Jake caught some for the Lockport Buslines, so we threw him out there. All three games he caught were for Ace. Ace's personal catcher. I ran into Ace's dad at an O'Hara game yesterday, and he said he liked Jake. "A throwback that just wants to play the game." A compliment from Mr. Sciandra can be tough to come by!

I think I earned it... the Zach Hugg Story

SENIOR PROFILES
Zach Hugg played two seasons for us after playing two seasons at Corning Community College. He came into our program as an unheralded prospect. He was not promised a roster spot as a junior and really had to battle his first fall semester as a Blue Devil to make the team.

Never one to take anything for granted, Huggy had an awsome fall. In about 25 intersquad innings, he did not allow a walk, and you could see his improvement daily. I remember telling him the second-to-last day in the fall that he made the team. He gave me a huge look of relief, and said he was nervous the entire fall.

Over his two seasons, I would have to say Zach was one of the most focused players I have ever coached. His effort every game was consistent, and his preparation was outstanding. As a junior, he relieved and had some spot starts.

He came into his senior season with an opportunity to earn a slot in our conference rotation. During the winter, coach Bowman asked Huggy what he saw himself as this year -- a reliever, starter, what role? Huggy's response was "A conference starter. I think I've earned it."

That's what you love to hear from a senior, and Huggy backed it up.

We played Plattsburgh in Florida this year. The first doubleheader was split -- just like last year. Game 3 was a must win. With seven games (and two starts for Huggy) cancelled due weather up north, Zach stepped on the mound for the first time vs. a Plattsburgh team that had 11 games under its belt. Zach had not thrown an inning all season.

Huggy was awesome for us. He ended up going all nine innings and spinning his first shutout in a Blue Devil uniform. The win basically made our trip!

If you look at Zach's stats, they are not overly impressive. But he was a great leader for our staff in the way he prepared himself and the way he competed. He was also a great teammate and brought the pitching staff together.

Zach was great at the things he could control -- effort, fielding his position, holding runners and throwing strikes. No one could ever accuse him of sandbagging!

Zach will be back with the team this fall to help with the pitchers. Looking forward to that!

I want to catch bullpens... The John Bennett Story

SENIOR PROFILES
John Bennett played two seasons in a Blue Devil uniform. I recruited him out of high school, but he opted for Finger Lakes C.C.

John later decided to attend Fredonia and was our opening day shortstop his junior season. At the plate, he was pull-happy and over swung his 32-inch bat. He batted .159 and found himself in a backup role by mid-season. Seven hits all year.

Heading into his senior season, we moved him into the outfield, and did not think there would be much of an impact. Five games into his senior season, he had yet to see the field, but continued to work hard. His first start came in the sixth game of the year. Three hits. I have always said our team is a Meritocracy -- if you earn a start, you will play.

He started against Houghton the next day. In game one, he led off the bottom of the seventh of a 4-4 game with a double. A sac bunt and a base hit later, and we win. Clutch. He started game 2 against Houghton. We won handily in that game. What I remember about John, though, was asking to COME OUT of the game so freshman Quinn Danahy could get an at bat. Quinn had just rejoined the team after his grandmother passed away the day before the trip. I opted to leave John in the lineup, though. Quinn eventually got in.

That was typical for anyone that knows John -- always putting others before himself. John's great season is one of my favorite stories this year. He dealt through a lot of adversity as a junior, but rather than fade away, he worked harder and listened more closely. He asked coach Greco what he needed to do over the summer to get better -- and did it. All winter and spring, either he or Kyle Koslowski would stop by the office everyday to get the key to the batting cage. The extra work paid off.

John's batting average never dipped below .333 all season. His biggest game came against Brockport when he had two big RBI and robbed a home run in a 4-3 win at home. Clutch. A legendary game at the Wig.

Always a positive outlook, John was not in the lineup against Brockport the following week despite hitting over .400 at the time. John asked to catch bullpens that day (we only had one catcher all season) so he "could see more pitches." Always trying to get better. Always a team guy.

John will be missed, but we will see the Bennetts around campus for a few years. His brother was a freshman on the soccer team this past fall.

Thanks again for a great career and a great season!

Tournament wrap up

I've been busy with the SUNYAC Tournament and the kids at home (Noah got five stitches in his forehead last week, and Danielle had her sixth birthday and started t-ball). Been a few since the last update...

Congrats to Kenny Johnston being named All Tournmament. It could have gone to a number of guys. Lowe, Gallagher, Casilio and Nowak all had five hits in the series as well. We hit over .300 as a team facing the top arms in the conference.

The 9-8 loss to Oswego was tough. So many things happened in that game. An Oswego parent came up to a few of us after the game to say what a great game it was (easy for him to say). Back and forth and competitive, but certainly entertaining.

We had a few chances to add a few more runs. Brian Sheehan smoked a ball down the line for a sure double. Unfortunately, the Oswego firstbaseman was right there and it ended up being a line-drive double play. Johnny Bennett slipped rounding third, and that could have been another run. But if you know Bennett, he came right back and gunned down a runner at the plate to preserve a two-run lead late in the game.

Huggy took the loss on the mound, but he was out there because he is our top competitor. He threw three innings the day before and worked a quick 7th and 8th innings. There is not a player on our team that has earned more respect than Zach.

On the positive side, we had a great win over New Paltz. We faced their ace and perennial SUNYAC strikeout leader Chris Chismar, and got revenge for an early season 5-0 shutout he spun on us at the Wig.

The game started badly. A walk, an error on our pitcher Sean Larson (threw away a potential double-play ball) and a homerun put us in a 3-0 hole. Fortunately, Lars buckled down and the offense came around. He needs to work on his fielding. A big part of pitching.

Lars allowed one more run in the fifth and worked six complete.

We had a chance to score in the second inning. First and third and one out. An infield pop up and strikeout ended our rally, but the team did not panic.

Down 3-1, Kenny doubled in two runs in the third to tie the game. He then got a great jump in an attempt to steal third and scored easily to put us up, 4-3. Kenny never stops hustling. If he wasn't going, he would not have scored. Kenny drove in one more run in the top of the ninth to put us up two. Good thing, because New Paltz got the leadoff runner on.

Kyle Grey managed to end the threat. Kyle worked the final three innings and gave up one run.

We hit the ball against Cortland in the opening game, but had too many mental and physical errors to overcome. Erik Krohl had a couple hits. He came on strong with the bat at the end of the season. Sheehan added a couple hits. We had 10 as a team. Evan Carmello threw a scoreless eighth. He's pitched well down the stretch and both times against Cortland.

This week, its back to the books. Another week, and it'll be time for summer ball. The Fall Season is just around the corner.

I'd like to give a shout out to a couple of alums -- Jeremy Boylan and Tim Cowan. Jeremy works at the Ramada, in addition to being the local historian, in Cortland where we stayed. Tim was in Jeremy's his wedding. Tim (who lives in Fredonia) also drafted Danielle for t-ball this season. She is playing with Tim's sons, Matthew and Andrew. Two games in and Animal Hospital is 2-0! Great job, Tim.

More SUNYAC baseball

We played host to New Paltz on Sunday and Monday. Unfortunately, we were outplayed both games on Sunday. Giving up early runs in both games had us playing catch-up all day. In game 1, we did get within a run twice, before falling 10-8.

We outhit the Hawks 5-2 in game 2, but could not muster a run against their ace, Chris Chismar. Hopefully we get another crack at him. He was the NY Region Pitcher of the Year a couple years ago, and is tough to hit. It's always fun to face some of the top pitchers in our conference.

After the first inning, our staff did not allow a hit as Ace settled in, freshman Carl Wolf and Evan Carmello threw well.

Game 3 on Monday saw us claim a 7-1 victory. One of the best plays of the game came when Kenny Johnston singled. He noticed second base was not covered -- neither was third -- and took a couple extra bases. "Great baserunners never take their eye off the ball."

Conner Lorenzo had a great day in the field making eight assists at second base. A lot of grounders his way.

Tuesday at Brockport was rained out -- a welcome break after three games in two days. We'll make the trip up to Brockport on Wednesday. Turns out it was a good thing we didn't go. Rained all day long.

Brockport should be broadcasting the game live via webcast (click here), and live stats here. A shout out to former Blue Devil LHP, Ricky Webster, who is the assistant Sports Info Director at Brockport and does a lot with the broadcasts and live stats.

Devils take two at Oneonta

The team had a productive weekend at Oneonta traveling midweek. We won game game one in typical fashion -- falling behind early but sticking with our plan of attack. We were down 5-1 in the fourth but battled back for the win. Brain Sheehan connected for the game winner in the 11th.

We gave away a few oppotunities on the bases early on, which we usually don't do. As Dave Winfield used to say, most mistakes at the Major League level are baserunning errors and cutoffs.

The good news is we had three outfield assists to make up for the baserunning. Kenny Johnston had two and John Bennett had one. Kyle Grey did a great job out of the pen, holding the Red Dragons scoreless for the final seven.

We dropped game two after falling behind early. A long bus ride (arriving in Oneonta at 1:30 a.m.), followed by a doubleheader can be very challenging -- home field advantage. Our trip was stalled when we had to drop off coach Bowman in Elmira due to flu-like symptoms. He appears to be alright now.

Bowman seemed to have rubbed off on Kyle Morse. Kyle was slated to start the third game, but was not feeling so great and was scratched. We gave the start to catcher/shortstop/pitcher Jake Nowak. Jake pitched well considering the conditions. We had steady rain for a couple of innings where things got sloppy for both teams. He went four and left with the lead. He gave up about six infield hits.

Big Man was handed the ball and after giving up a first-pitch home run (reminded me of Baby Colletti's pitching chart, circa 1993 at Lynn University), he setteled in giving up three more hits and no runs over five innings for the win. No walks and struck out 7.

Overall, I was very happy with our team's effort. We ran out every ball, played through every play defensively and stayed positive.

As coach Tantillo says, yesterday's news is good for wrapping fish. No time to celebrate -- it's back to the Wig this weekend and the New Paltz Hawks. Come out and support the team!

Two more at the Wig

We had a couple more wins at home today over Bradford. We played very well offensively in game one. We had 9-3 lead and put some subs in. Fitz took advantage of his opportunity by hitting a grand slam home run. He earned the start in game two and had a couple more hits. My daughter Danielle was really happy for Fitz -- he is her favorite Blue Devil.

Pitching was pretty good, but we did give away too many walks as a team. That is something we did very well the past few weeks -- not giving away anything.

Game two saw Tommy Morris throw very well. We were aided by a number of walks, but we converted on opportunities to score.

Sunday everyone plans on studying and resting up. Keep the GPA's up. Monday night we will bus out to Oneonta and play them a DH on Tuesday, then once on Wednesday.

Looking at the SUNYAC standings, it's anybody's game. Everybody is beating everybody. The series at Oneonta will be a dogfight. Looking forward to a productive practice on Monday.

SUNYAC win

We continued to play solid baseball with a 4-3 win over Brockport on Thursday. Down 3-2, the big play came from John Bennett who robbed Brockport's Nick Bunce of a three-run homer (Bunce got us with a walk-off homer last year). We escaped the top of the eighth without any more damage and set up our offense for the win. Matt Casilio tied the game with a bases-loaded single. Bennett then worked a full count and drew a bases-loaded walk for the game winner.

The team approached the game with enthusiasm. We knew going in we'd be facing their ace with the game being pushed back a few days. I sent a text to our players the night before reminding them about Pete Rose's enthusiasm towards facing the best.

Back in '97, I was on the same team with Telly Helms -- Tommy Helms' nephew. Tommy was a member of the Big red Machine with Rose, Morgan, Bench, Perez, et. al., back in the '70's.

As Telly told it during a rain delay in Kalamazoo, the Reds were in Houston for a series with the Astros. Nolan Ryan was pitching the next day. Rose was so excited, he woke up at 8 a.m. for a night game and went to every hotel-room door, knocked on the door and told each player to wake and start preparing for the night's game -- 11 hours early.  Rose could not contain his excitement to face the best.

A shout out to David Tubbs for following us on Twitter, and Tommy Dee who watched the game via webcast in Florida.

We are back home Saturday for a pair of non-conference games vs. Bradford. Act 3 of the Skipping the Banquet Tour continues on Monday evening.

Kudos to Kyle, pictures from Florida and LIVE with Brockport

Congrats to Kyle Grey on being named both the SUNYAC and ECAC New York Region Pitcher of the Week. Check out the story HERE:

Also, here is a photo gallery from our Florida trip. Thanks to Dan Lowe for taking the pictures.

Yesterday was t-shirt weather -- 32 with a wind chill of sub-20 degrees. We got in an hour of BP. Same today.

Tomorrow is Game 1 against SUNYAC rival Brockport. Finally -- sunny and in the 50's. Brockport is hungry for a win after falling to New Paltz last week. Looks like Larson and Bardenett to be matched up on the mound. We owe them from last year, losing three times. We've been playing well and the team is focused.

You can catch the live streaming video HERE, (it'll be our first-ever webcast of a baseball game)
and LIVE stats HERE.

Opening Day

Have a listen to the greatest song ever written. I have the Twins winning the Series in 2013!

Recent week's roundup

Been a busy few days. We added a game against Colby the same day as our flight and added a DH against Medaille for when we got back up north (due to Oneonta being PPD'ed).

We added a pair of nice wins over Thomas to give us four straight. Ace tossed a complete-game in a 9-3 win. He had all three pitches working, and his personal catcher calling the shots -- Jake Nowak. They played together on the Lockport Buslines.

As he did Opening Day, Nowak caught the first game and pitched the second game of the doubleheader. Jake went all seven and gave us a 4-3 win.

Both seniors had a great trip. Jake has filled a lot of roles -- pitching, catching, shortstop and pinch hitter. Ace has shown to be a gamer. He was slowed the first two weeks of practice with various injuries, and missed a lot of team time with student teaching. Bottom line is he's our captain and will get the job done.

We added a nine-inning affair vs. Colby on Thursday. Down 4-0, we came back to take the lead. Every time we've been down this season, we've come back. Good sign. We've held a lead in every game except for the 3-0 loss to Plattsburgh.

One through nine, we've been very productive no easy outs. A lot of guys have earned playing time, but we can't get them all in at once.

Fitz was given his first start at the end of the trip and reached base twice and hit the ball hard. Freshman Carl Wolf threw solid innings against Colby and was in position for the win.

We wrapped up the week with a pair against Medaille. The Southcounty Kyles -- Morse and Gey -- split Game 1. No walks and looked sharp.

Game 2 saw Tommy Morris work three innings, leaving with a big lead. The Big Man and Huggy finished strong.

Freshman Quinn Danehy got his first career hit. He's taken advantage of a few opportunities.

After the game, we hurried back, showered and drove to the airport. Our flight was moved ahead 45 minutes and there was heavy traffic on the way to the airport. I hate traveling!

First sweep of the season

We had a great day vs. Houghton, sweeping the Highlanders in a pair of games. Jake Nowak came off the bench to rip a walk-off single for a 5-4 win in game 1. After John Bennett doubled, Houghton brought in their ace to stop the rally. Jake was down 0-2 and fouled of a good pitch, before ripping the ball for a hit in his only at bat.

Jake was rewarded by starting game 2 behind the plate. He did a great job catching.

We finally had a big offensive output in game 2. The umpire had a big zone and it was tough to muster offense. We had six baserunners over the first six innings, but nothing to show for it. We kept grinding out at bats and broke through in the fifth.

Bobby Frantz led the fifth with a double that hugged the left-field line. The next six guys got on. Bobby capped the rally with a double down the right-field line. We ended the game with 18 hits.

Kos Koslowski was 2 for 3 with a walk and crushed a line drive right at the centerfielder. His off-season hitting mate, Bennett, earned the start after a three-hit game the day before. He went 3 for 6 today. Erik Krohl had another great day on defense.

We had great relief pitching. Kyle Grey in game one, and the Big Man, Zach Jordon, in game 2. The combined for 9 1/3 innings allowing one run and now walks.

We have Ace and Jake going vs. Thomas on Wednesday. Looking for the seniors to carry us. We also added a nine-inning game on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. We fly out later that night. Look for visits to the mound from the Pen Dogs -- Carm, Joey, Carl, Morse and T-Mo over the next two days. Huggy says he's ready to go, too, so maybe he can get an inning or two.

Payback for Plattsburgh

We've been talking about the Plattsburgh series with the players for a couple weeks. Last year, we won the opener and dropped the next two. We were focused on paying them back this year. We won two of three, but like any SUNYAC game, it was a tough battle. In both our wins, they got the tieing run to the plate in the final inning.

The big story was Huggy tossing a nifty gem. He tossed a six-hit shutout. He did not allow a runner past second base. Huggy is a battler and went right after the hitters allowing one walk. Fundamentals. Defense was solid and execution was solid when we needed it. However, we will be back working on bunting on Monday morning.

We gave the Hammer for the series to Erik Krohl. Erik played a solid shortstop and gives our pitcher's confidence.

We are headed to see the Nationals play on Sunday vs. the Braves. The game will be preceded by a tour of the complex and we will also get the buffet spread during the game. Off days are a lot better when we win.

Perhaps the best part of the trip, though, is getting to see Tommy Dee (class of 2011). Tommy calls Florida home these days, and has made his sixth trip with us.