We got the bats out for today at practice. Hitters took some rips off the tee, then we finished with target practice. The freshmen struggled to hit the target (7 out of 36). So old man Greco steps up and nails the target four times in his first six tries. The greenhorns have some work to do.
Ciro Frontale looked real good off the tee and showed why he was All CNY back at Bishop Ludden. He took home the 'W' for a great practice and spoke about how his new team has accepted him and his love of competition. He's a gamer.
Coach Bowman did a bunch of PFP and pitcher-specific work outs. During the stretching, freshman Cody Herman was in the center of the circle, and each pitcher asked him questions to get to know him better. He likes rap music and the Broncos and revealed his celebrity crush.
Yesterday, Dan Lumadue took home his first 'W'. The big freshman looks like a finisher -- runs through every sprint, does what he's told, looks you in the eye. Veteran teammates appreciate the way he goes about things every day. He wrapped up practice by shaking everyone's hand and offering a word of encouragement as each player walked out the door.
I'd like to give a shout out to Taylor Gahagen (2011). He is on the cover of this quarter's Statement, the Fredonia State alumni magazine. There is feature article (along with Maddie Brown soccer, 2013; and Nik Fattey, hockey, 2002) about their jobs with HARBORCENTER and the involvement with the Sabres. Taylor offered up some Sabres tickets for us -- we may take him up on that at some point.
Taylor was a stellar hockey goalie in high school, and his brother Parker played for the junior Sabres and is currently playing for Army. Taylor got his Master's degree at Canisius where he worked with the Golden Griff hockey team.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Pete misses baseball
Day 3 saw the pitchers throw off the mounds. The staff took advantage of the long break, and were able to come into camp with the arms in decent shape. It was a treat to have four catchers for bullpens. Last year, it was Brian Sheehan and some infielders that never caught in their life. Big difference.
We did some sprints at the end of practice. Bobby Frantz topped RJ Spinella, Conner Lorenzo and Scott Schuster in the sprints. FSU's 'fastest man'.
Jason Howard took the W today. He's on light duty, but continued to participate in the mile and have a positive attitude.
A shout out to Pete Lusk (class of 2009). He is now working for the Athletic Department at George Washington Univ. Pete said " I'll never forget the nerves and excitement that came before the first day of 6:00 a.m. practice. Having been at three different Universities since I left Fredonia, I can honestly say I have never seen a team prepare like we did." Pete had stops at Fordham and Farleigh Dickinson prior to G.W.
That "prepared" 2009 team went on to set just about every school record that season.
I always hear from a bunch of former players this time of year. A lot of stories and memories creep up from the days of 6 a.m.s.
We did some sprints at the end of practice. Bobby Frantz topped RJ Spinella, Conner Lorenzo and Scott Schuster in the sprints. FSU's 'fastest man'.
Jason Howard took the W today. He's on light duty, but continued to participate in the mile and have a positive attitude.
A shout out to Pete Lusk (class of 2009). He is now working for the Athletic Department at George Washington Univ. Pete said " I'll never forget the nerves and excitement that came before the first day of 6:00 a.m. practice. Having been at three different Universities since I left Fredonia, I can honestly say I have never seen a team prepare like we did." Pete had stops at Fordham and Farleigh Dickinson prior to G.W.
That "prepared" 2009 team went on to set just about every school record that season.
I always hear from a bunch of former players this time of year. A lot of stories and memories creep up from the days of 6 a.m.s.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Better than yesterday
Day 2 was a much better showing. We re-ran the mile, and will continue to do so until all the players are up to speed. We skipped the baseball stuff and did a little extra conditioning this morning. Accountability means you have to reach the standard you set. With 40 games in about 50 days, we have to be in good condition for the long season.
Carl Wolf took the win off the table today. Another solid day of conditioning. He's come into practice ready to roll. He and our only other returning sophomore, Quinn Danehy, had solid days at practice.
We wrapped up the conditioning with some competitions. The eight seniors took down the eight freshmen in Tug O' War , but not before a good fight. We finished with one-on-one conditioning, with all the winners forming Team Schuster. Scott and RJ Spinella put up the best times yesterday, and Scott took the head to head with the best time this morning. Team Spinella was made of the team of players that left a win on the table.
Tomorrow the mounds come out and bullpens begin. As Greg Maddux used to say, "You can't run the ball across the plate."
A shout out to Alex Foster and Tommy John. "Run with the wise."
Carl Wolf took the win off the table today. Another solid day of conditioning. He's come into practice ready to roll. He and our only other returning sophomore, Quinn Danehy, had solid days at practice.
We wrapped up the conditioning with some competitions. The eight seniors took down the eight freshmen in Tug O' War , but not before a good fight. We finished with one-on-one conditioning, with all the winners forming Team Schuster. Scott and RJ Spinella put up the best times yesterday, and Scott took the head to head with the best time this morning. Team Spinella was made of the team of players that left a win on the table.
Tomorrow the mounds come out and bullpens begin. As Greg Maddux used to say, "You can't run the ball across the plate."
A shout out to Alex Foster and Tommy John. "Run with the wise."
Monday, January 27, 2014
Day 1. Bury the Hammer.
First day of classes means first 6 a.m. workout. We were able to begin with our mile times, which, in general, were poor. Today we missed some of the verteran-ness we had last year. A lot of new faces. Tomorrow needs to be a lot better.
On a good note, Carl Wolf broke the longest-standing conditioning record. His 5:04 mile was 0:01 better that Trey Johnson's record of 5:05. Only a sophomore, he's developed into solid leader.
Several 2013 grads checked in during the morning via texting. Here's what they had to say:
Ian Gallagher: "Wish I was there coach. Hope the first practice went well. Those guys have no idea how lucky they are."
Angelo Sciandra: "Wish I was there, too. coach! I miss it!"
Dillon Lowe: "Wish I was there."
Jake Nowak: "I'd do just about anything to be at practice instead of work right now. Good luck coach."
Zack Hugg: "Good luck this season. Hope to catch a few games this semester."
Brian Sheehan stopped by last Sunday to work our clinic. He's planning to be at some practices over the next few weeks.
Dan Fetes checked in last week: "Miss Fredonia and baseball a ton."
John Bennett: "Oh trust me sir. I would give a lot to be out there."
We started a new tradition today as well. The Hammer jumped the shark when Ian Gallagher took it with him last spring and never gave it back, so we retired it and replaced it with a wooden 'W'. Our motto this year is "Wins on the Table." Tommy Morris won the first 'W' and gave the post-practice speech. He did very well in the conditioning, and had the most energy at practice today.
I'd like to give a shout out to John Messina (2011) and Shawn Ridgway (2006). John recently moved up to Rochester and is employed at the same place Shawn is -- The New York State Office of Family and Children's Services.
On a good note, Carl Wolf broke the longest-standing conditioning record. His 5:04 mile was 0:01 better that Trey Johnson's record of 5:05. Only a sophomore, he's developed into solid leader.
Several 2013 grads checked in during the morning via texting. Here's what they had to say:
Ian Gallagher: "Wish I was there coach. Hope the first practice went well. Those guys have no idea how lucky they are."
Angelo Sciandra: "Wish I was there, too. coach! I miss it!"
Dillon Lowe: "Wish I was there."
Jake Nowak: "I'd do just about anything to be at practice instead of work right now. Good luck coach."
Zack Hugg: "Good luck this season. Hope to catch a few games this semester."
Brian Sheehan stopped by last Sunday to work our clinic. He's planning to be at some practices over the next few weeks.
Dan Fetes checked in last week: "Miss Fredonia and baseball a ton."
John Bennett: "Oh trust me sir. I would give a lot to be out there."
We started a new tradition today as well. The Hammer jumped the shark when Ian Gallagher took it with him last spring and never gave it back, so we retired it and replaced it with a wooden 'W'. Our motto this year is "Wins on the Table." Tommy Morris won the first 'W' and gave the post-practice speech. He did very well in the conditioning, and had the most energy at practice today.
I'd like to give a shout out to John Messina (2011) and Shawn Ridgway (2006). John recently moved up to Rochester and is employed at the same place Shawn is -- The New York State Office of Family and Children's Services.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
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.
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.
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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.
We got hammered with nearly two feet of snow and had to cancel our Kid's Night Out for the evening.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
'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.
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.
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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.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Aaron
In addition, our campus has the Movember Momentum in full swing. Here is a message from FSU campus spokesman for Movember, Aaron Marshall...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Aaron
Contestant #1 Quinn Danahy
Contestant #2 Tommy Morris
Contestant #3 R.J. Spinnella
Contestant #4 Erik Krohl
Contestant #5 Kyle Koslowski
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
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.
Monday, November 11, 2013
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.
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.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
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.
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.

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.
Friday, November 8, 2013
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/
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