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Former Major Leaguer Joe Hesketh Joins UB Staff

Joe Hesketh

“We are thrilled to have Joe return to his roots to become our new pitching coach,” said head coach Ron Torgalski. “Since the reinstatement of baseball to UB in 2000, Joe has been extremly supportive of the program and has made his presence felt around the team. This commitment from him gives our pitchers a tremendous teacher to learn from who has experienced success at every level of baseball.”

"I am looking forward to working with the youngsters and I’m looking forward to getting back to the school that I went to," said Hesketh. "But most importantly, I want to help the University at Buffalo baseball program achieve success at the next level."

Hesketh, one of 30 Bulls' players drafted, is one of the most dominant pitchers in UB history, recording an overall ERA of 1.77, including an incredible 0.91 his junior season. He also had 10 complete games in his Bulls' career and picked up one of the greatest wins in school history – a 4-0 shutout of baseball power St. John’s and future major league star Frank Viola. Hesketh also picked up the save in a win on the road over nationally-ranked Miami (FL). He would go on to earn the 1980 ECAC New York-New Jersey District Player of the Year honors. His six shutouts in the Blue & White remain a school record.

A native of Hamburg, who starred at Frontier Central, Hesketh was drafted in 1980 by the Montreal Expos in the second round. Breaking into the big leagues with Montreal in 1985 – after earning American Association Pitcher of the Year in 1984 – Hesketh made an immediate impact. He went 10-5 with 2.49 ERA into late August, battling with Cincinnati Reds' hurler Tom Browning for Rookie of the Year honors, before a home plate collision broke his leg and ended his season.

After several injury-plagued seasons, Hesketh was picked up by the Boston Red Sox in 1991. He would reward the Red Sox faith by compiling a 12-4 record with a 3.29 ERA in 1991 and was honored with the team's "Tenth Player Award,” only the second time in 18 seasons that a pitcher had been chosen. For his career, Hesketh made 339 appearances and finished with a 60-47 record with an excellent 3.78 ERA.

Hesketh will inherit a staff that returns five of its top seven pitchers and welcomes recruit R.L. Eisenreich (Newark, OH/Newark Catholic), a 2005 Puma All-American, who recently led his Newark Catholic team to the state title, throwing a one-hitter in the championship game.