TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

Earlier this year, you pitched seven innings in an 8-0 shutout of Navy. After the game, your team went over to the Navy dugout and thanked them for their service to the country. What made your team, after sweeping Navy, go over and make that gesture?
I think with the situation that’s going on today, it was important. They’re the guys who are the leaders of the country and just for respectful purposes to one of our military institutes, we thanked them. I think it was a good idea to thank them for having served.

The team started the year 0-7, losing three games to Kentucky and Georgia Southern before losing a game to George Washington. After that you won nine of your next 12 games. What helped the team turn the corner after the rough start?
I think the main part of us going 0-6 against Kentucky and Georgia Southern was us going down South and playing teams that have been outside since January, probably. When we played Kentucky, that was our first game outside and we were at a real disadvantage even though we should have pulled out a few games. Once we got on a roll and were outside playing for a week or two, then we turned a corner and got nine out of 12. Hopefully, we can continue that now even though it isn’t going in our favor so far.

The Bulls have a chance to set a record for wins in a season since reinstatement and with 20 games left and 11 wins already, a realistic shot at 20 wins this year. How much do you think this team has grown since you got here three years ago?
I think the group of seniors we have now, we’ve been through the losing seasons. By the time you go through three seasons of it, you get sick of it. We came out with a mentality this year that we weren’t going to be intimidated by other people. We weren’t going to come out and blame everything on our team being young and inexperienced. We went out there and took the mentality that we were better than a lot of the teams we were playing and it ended up helping us get a few wins.

You have developed into the only true two-way player on the Bulls, playing third base as well as pitching. How hard has it been to be able to excel at both at the Division I level?
That’s probably been the toughest thing I’ve done since I got to Buffalo. At this level, you have really good pitchers who are going to the pros and you also have hitters. You really have to work hard at either end of the game. I’ve just been blessed with good control that allows me to pitch. I still have to keep my arm strong, but it allows me to work on my hitting more. Pitching is more mechanics and hitting is more about reps, being able to do the same thing over and over.

In the past two weeks, you have started the Sunday game of the three-game Mid-American Conference series. What do you do during the first two days of the conference series to prepare for your start on Sunday?
I sit back a lot and watch our younger pitchers through the Friday and Saturday games. You see a lot about what works for them and what’s not working. You see what the hitters like to do with outside and inside pitches and what pitches they struggle with. A lot of times it’s just feel. You come into a game knowing what you need to do and what you’re going to do, but when it comes down to it, it’s basically heat of the moment type stuff. You have to go with what’s working for you that day.

You and junior Matt Johnson have both developed into weekend starters this year and both of you also played at Junior Colleges. What do you think the advantage is to a developing player spending a year or two at a Juco before jumping to Division I?
I think Juco is very good for people. A lot of times you come to a Division I program and you get put on the shelf for a year or two because obviously, you have older and stronger players here. Coming out of high school, you’re not going to be physically up to their level yet. If you go to the Jucos, you still get a taste of college ball. There’s a lot of good players in Juco. Some of the players might go there to get drafted. It helped me out a lot, I thought, and I think it helped Johnson out quite a bit, too, in getting used to coming to a Division I program.

After playing for a year at Coffeyville Community College, you transferred to UB. What was the recruiting process like for you and how did you decide on Buffalo?
I heard from Buffalo at the end of my freshman season at Coffeyville. Coach Torgalski called my coach. I had told my coach that I wanted to play in the Northeast because I had never been here or played for anybody in the Northeast. I had grew up in the South and I had played in the South then went to junior college out in Kansas in the Midwest. I wanted to see what baseball was all about in the Northeast and I think it’s been a good opportunity for me.

Coming to Buffalo from South Carolina, how difficult was it for you to adapt to the new environment, not being able to get outside to have a home game until Mid-April when in South Carolina, your season could start in February?
That was a big thing for me. The first year I was here, I struggled a lot at the plate because I had never been inside hitting in a cage and then gone directly outside. In high school, we’d start halfway through January outside. We never really were inside. As the years have gone on, I’ve adapted a little bit to it, but I still don’t think I’m fully use to it. Being in the warmer weather, it’s a lot easier on your arm. You have to maintain your strength up here with your arms and your legs.

You list in the 2005 Baseball Media Guide that your greatest athletic experience was winning the South Carolina State Championship in football. What was playing high school football in South Carolina like?
It was very intense, I’d have to say. Football, down there, is very key to a lot of people. Everybody down there loves football. It’s a little ahead of baseball. Baseball is pretty high-up, but football is just a key. It’s not really as intense as Texas, it’s a little lower level than that, but if you’re a good player down there, people do know who you are and where you’re from. You will be up for heckling if they know your name and where you’re from a lot of times.

What has been your favorite moment as a student-athlete at the University at Buffalo?
My favorite moment has been, just playing with the kids I’ve been playing with the last three years, (Andrew) Wengert, (Joe) Mihalics, (James) Kingsley, Phil (Vanhorne), (John) Boom. We’ve been through most of the bad and good. Hopefully, we’re going to turn it around this year, but I’ve had fun playing with these fellas up here. It’s just a different culture up here. I had to get use to it and they helped me adapt to it. I’m around these guys pretty much 24/7 all year, so I think that’s my favorite moment.

- “The 10 Questions With…” feature is compiled by Joe Guistina