TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

I think it’s great. My parents get to see all my games. I have got family (uncles, aunts, grandparents) who come see the games as well as my hometown friends who I went to high school at Canisius with. I get to do all of my laundry at home and eat at home, it’s really the best of both worlds.

Being the team’s catcher, you are expected to handle the pitching staff and act as a field general. How difficulty is it to take on those responsibilities, while you are trying to work on hitting and fielding?

It really is difficult, but it’s a challenge that any catcher would love to have. That’s really the reason why I am a catcher, because I get to work with the pitching staff. I get to call all the games, call the pitches, but then I also have to go out there and hit. It’s tough sometimes, but I love being in both parts of the games. It’s two phases of the game, is what it really is. I’m out there catching and I thinking about how I am going to get my pitcher through the inning and then, once I’m on the bench, then I know I have to go and do some work at the plate

This season Ron Torgalski became head coach and brought in a new coaching staff. What have you learned from the new staff this season?

I’ve learned a lot. Coach Torgalski has really had us working hard. We can see it paying off with the pitchers; they are a lot more confident and they have an approach that our pitching coach, Joe Hesketh, has drilled into their heads. Our hitting coach, Jim Koerner, really knows the game in and out, and it has been a great experience so far getting a chance to work with all three of those guys.

The last few weeks haven’t exactly been the best of weather conditions. How have you been able to manage with the cold weather, rain and sometimes even snow?

It’s hard, but you have to focus because thinking about how cold it is only takes away from how you are going to play. We have been fortunate enough here at UB to get Under Armour gloves, jackets, hats, etc.), and we are always warm with our university apparel. When we play home games, we have a heater in the dugout. When we wake up that morning of the game and we know it is going to be cold, we really have get our mindset right so that we know that we need to forget about the cold and just go out and play ball.

Is it difficult to start the season off with so many games on the road before playing your first home game?

It’s something we have to do. It’s tough because we’ll leave on a Thursday and come home on a late Sunday night. We go to classes Monday through Thursday, and then we’re traveling again. It takes a toll on our lives in Buffalo, but we have fun on the road as we’re all friends on the team. We have a great time going out to dinner and hanging out in the hotels. So, it’s tough to start on the road, playing series after series, but it’s not bad because nobody really complains about it because, in the winter, we always look forward to that first trip, and I’d rather have it be a road trip then a home series, playing in 20 degree weather.

You’ve seen more time behind the plate then any of the other catchers. Is it tough playing so many games with toll being a catcher takes on your body?

This year, we’ve split time well. Myself and two other catchers (Devin Greeno and William Sonnie) have caught a considerable amount this year and we’re working hard at making sure that our bodies are rested and that we are able to give 100% every time we go because catching does take a toll on your body. Coach Torgalski has done well in splitting time up between the catchers and making sure that nobody is getting hurt and staying fresh.

Coach Torgalski brought in a few new catchers this season. Have you seen yourself mentoring the young guys and teaching about the Division I level?

At times, yes. The catching position is the one position on the field that is toughest for kids to jump into because there are so many things going on at once. You are calling pitches, you need to know whether there are runners on base and you need to know what hitters are at the plate. There is a lot to be learned about the game. We do have a junior college transfer who has two years experience playing baseball. He has a really good handle on how to catch and how to call a game. We also have a freshman who is a very talented kid who will get his chance sooner or later.

What has been your favorite college stadium that you have visited in your time as a college athlete?

Miami University of Ohio. We go there every year and it’s like playing in Heaven. They have the greenest grass you will ever see accompanied by big red-bricked buildings all around that probably get anywhere from 1,000-2,000 people at the games watching. They also have a beautiful scoreboard, great atmosphere. Every time we get a chance to go there, it really is a fortunate experience for all of us.

Baseball and softball play more games than any other sport. How difficult is it to concentrate on academics when you are o the road so much?

It can be difficult at times, especially when you are on a bus when movies are playing. But, for the most part, our coaching staff does a great job by holding weekly academic meetings, making sure we take our assigned work with us on the road and making us do it. It’s difficult, but the coaching staff really does a good job making sure we are on top of things. There are tons of games, and it’s hard with all the travel, but we are kept on our toes.

What has been your favorite moment as a UB athlete?

My favorite part about being a UB athlete is all the friends I’ve made and the relationships that I’ve been a part of here with the coaches and my teammates. I’ve really gotten the chance to meet a lot of new people, build relationships within the program and be in the same athletic program as my sister, Cassie, has really been a privilege in itself, something that I’m very grateful for.