Josh Koepsell: The Next Andy Dlugosz

When you see Freshman pitcher Josh Koepsell one thing comes to mind...Andy Dlugosz. Former ace of the Blue Devil pitching staff, Andy Dlugosz, was a standout performer during his career (2008-2011) and is currently the program's all time wins leader (17). Now you may be wondering, "Why does he come to mind when seeing Josh?" Well the resemblance between the two is uncanny.

"Some players on the team have come up to me and said they see a huge resemblance between Andy and I," said Josh. "I would honestly have to say that I see a slight resemblance but maybe not as much as other people see. "

Josh actually had the opportunity to meet Andy during the team's annual alumni game this past fall. "Andy was an extremely nice guy," said Josh. "I really hope that I can follow in his footsteps and have the same amount of success as he did during his time at Fredonia."

That success may not be too far off for Josh. Over the past few years Josh played for the Niagara Eagles Showcase travel team based out of Niagara County. During his time with the team, he played under Coach Mark Gabriele and Bob Kowalski, two former professional ball players. Thanks to them, Josh feels that they have made him into the ball player he is today and that he would never have reached the collegiate level without them.

Josh also gives a lot of credit to former Blue Devils assistant coach Matthew Bowman who helped guide Josh to Fredonia. "Coach Bowman was actually the first person I ever met from the Fredonia Baseball program," said Josh. "He was very helpful in putting me in contact with Coach Palisin and he just made things a lot easier for me when I had to make my decision of where I wanted to play college baseball."

Josh went under the radar as far as recruiting. "Josh's high school team was very young," said coach Palisin. "When I went to see him play, his team was down 5-0 nothing after five innings, but then I noticed, he had a no hitter going. I think better defense at a higher level will give Josh a lot more confidence this year. He really improved every day as the fall progresses."

Away from the field Josh enjoys hanging with his teammates, playing football and watching his beloved Johnny Manziel of the Cleveland Browns. "I am a BIG Johnny Manziel fan," said Josh. "I liked him ever since his first season with Texas A&M but, of course, I will always love my Buffalo Bills more. GO BILLS BABY!"

Josh is ready take on his first season as a Blue Devil. He looks to compete for some innings and take advantage of every opportunity he is given.