Around the Horn with Joe Jordano

July 24, 2006

Q: What are your thoughts on this past season?

A: "It was a challenging year. We had some difficulties prior to the start of the season that we did not forecast and this caused us to be extremely thin and we were not able to adequately compensate for the losses that we sustained prior to the year. We also had to use a few players out of position as well as use a significant number of freshmen. Make no mistake, we competed hard throughout the year, but we could not sustain the level of play that has become expected of our program.

"I believe that the experience that our younger players received will bode well for the future of the program."

Q: Pitt fared very well in this year's professional draft.

A: "I was very pleased for all three of our guys. To have three guys go in a year for our program is a great accomplishment. We were one of five programs in the Big East Conference that had three or more players selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. All three -- Jim Mayer, Jim Negrych and Billy Muldowney -- were great players for our program and should be very proud of what they accomplished at Pitt and I am certain they all will have productive professional careers. I believe we have over 25 players who have gone on to sign professional contracts during the past nine seasons. We look forward to continuing that trend in the future."

Q: How does the incoming recruiting class look?

A: "One word: Promising. I believe that this group could play out as the strongest class we have signed. That is a strong statement. But as we continue to improve the program, we continue to attract talented players to the University of Pittsburgh. Let me also say that these are quality kids. We pride ourselves in making certain that we bring in kids that are going to have a positive impact not only on the field and in the classroom, but in the community as well.

"Regarding pitchers, Baseball America rates Nate Reed from Reading and Aaron Fuhrman from Saylorsburg as two of the best left-handers in the state of Pennsylvania. Both will wear the Panther uniform this season. Reed could have been a very high draft pick out of high school but his commitment to Pitt was very strong. I believe he has the ability to be one of the highest drafted players ever following his junior year. He is very talented and will make an immediate impact on our program. Aaron Fuhrman was drafted in the 20^th round by the Detroit Tigers. Flat out, Aaron will be a much higher draft after his junior year. Aaron, like Nate, will have a significant impact on the mound for us next spring. We will also take a look at Aaron in the outfield this fall. He is an incredibly gifted athlete. Also from the left-side will be Dan Gardo from West Chester. Dan is still developing as a pitcher but has a solid upside and we look forward to working with him this fall. He could be very special.

"Also on the mound are two big right-handers -- Mike Wood from the Endicott, New York area and Ben Knuth from Grand Rapids Community College. Both of these guys will contribute immediately. Mike is more of a power pitcher with a solid fastball and a plus breaking pitch. Ben is a flat-out competitor. Ben was the MVP of the 2005 NJCAA National Championship game. He loves to pitch in the big game. Ben has a good fastball along with a slider and solid change-up. Both are great right hand additions to our staff.

"Behind the plate, we recruited two talented guys to join returning sophomore Morgan Kielty. The first is junior-college transfer Nick Mullins from Brookdale Community College in New Jersey. The guy is a bulldog. Loves to catch and throw. Prototypical catcher that does a solid job behind the plate. Also coming in is Brian Trymbiski, from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Brian has a very strong arm and with our strength and conditioning program he will develop very well at Pitt. He is tough and also loves to catch. Solid athlete.

"In the infield, we are excited about our depth. Obviously with the departures of Negrych and Mayer, we needed to replace our middle guys. That can happen with our returning players and with the new guys we brought in. Joining pitcher Ben Knuth from Grand Rapids is middle infielder Mike LePor. Mike is quick with a strong arm. We love his speed. Mike led his team in stolen bases and does a great job defensively. Also up the middle will be Dan Lopez from Long Island City, New York. Dan is a slick-fielding infielder with a plus arm and swings the bat very well. I think Dan is going to be a very special player for us. Also joining our club this fall is Gary Buceran and Anthony DeStefano. Gary is a transfer from the University of Kentucky whose hometown in Ambridge, Pa., while Tony is from Latrobe and is the grandson of Pirate great and Pitt friend, Dick Groat. Gary was drafted out of high school by the Pirates. He is a strong talented infielder with some pop in his bat. I cannot wait to see what he can do this fall. Tony is a flat out hitter. He is a guy that if he continues to develop at the plate we will have to find a spot for him in the lineup.

"We should also note the return of Chris Warner. He was with us last year but suffered a season-ending knee injury last fall. Chris should hit in the middle of our lineup and can play first base or the outfield. That's a big bat in the middle that we did not have to protect Negrych this past season.

"In the outfield, we have Zach Duggan from Cranberry Township, just north of Pittsburgh. This guy is tough. He will provide an interesting aspect to our outfield with his speed. He will only get stronger.

"As you can see, we were very busy this off-season and we anticipated Negrych and Muldowney being drafted so we attempted to compensate for that to be certain we would be solid for the 2007 season. We will be fairly young, but I can't wait to get on the field this fall."

Q: How is the schedule shaping up?

A: "Last season, we played one of the toughest schedules we have ever had. We played six consecutive weekends on the road including four of five in the Big East to start our season. That is tough to do. But we battled hard and fought through it. This season will be identical to last year at the beginning. We open at Coastal Carolina in a very difficult Tournament playing one game each against Coastal, Old Dominion and Virginia Tech. Then we travel to Vanderbilt the next weekend for the Music City Classic which is historically a very difficult tournament. We follow that with our spring trip to Clearwater and open up the Big East schedule at South Florida the weekend of March 16. This year we will play three of the final four series at home. Once again, though, it is as difficult a schedule as we have ever had."

Q: What is the reasoning behind the ambitious scheduling?

A: "If we can compete well in the conference and participate in the Big East Tournament and win it there is no question about the NCAA Tournament. However, if you do not win the automatic bid you have to be in position to receive an at-large bid. Our schedule positions us well for an at-large. Mind you, you have to win games. But if you win games against quality opponents, you have two shots at the NCAA bid. That's what we all work so hard for."

Q: What is the overall state of the program?

A: "I believe we are in very fine shape. The record books show that what we have accomplished is unprecedented. We are a factor in the Big East Conference and regionally and we have a very strong reputation among our peers and on the pro side. We continue to attract some of the best players in this part of the country and, more importantly, our program and kids do it the right way. I mean, on and off the field, play it straight. We are proud of that. With that said, we look forward to taking the program to new heights in the future. As I said earlier, I cannot wait to get back on the field this fall."

Around the Horn with Joe Jordano

Players Mentioned

Morgan Kielty

Billy Muldowney

Jim Negrych

Chris Warner

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