University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt Baseball Notebook
9/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Pitt Baseball Notebook
We have your Panthers covered as they move through the offseason. Check back here weekly for news, updates, and more.
11-25-15 | The Backstop’s Here
"A catcher must want to catch. He must make up his mind that it isn't the terrible job it is painted, and that he isn't going to say every day, 'Why, oh why with so many other positions in baseball did I take up this one?” – Bill Dickey, New York Yankees (1928-46)
Day after day spent crouched behind a high speed metal bat with pitches fouled back into every conceivable part of your body doesn’t interest most people. Catchers aren’t most people.
“In order to be a successful catcher, you need the right mental approach,” said assistant coach Billy Alvino. “Not everyone gets behind that plate and takes foul balls off the chest and whatnot. It takes a different breed and the right mentality to be a successful catcher.”
Alvino should know. Pitt’s most recent addition to the staff was a Johnny Bench Award semifinalist as a senior at High Point University, an award recognizing the top collegiate catcher in the country. He batted .400 with 47 RBIs with a .466 OBP that season before playing five seasons professionally. All of his experiences combined to give him a strong foundation from which to teach.
“In assessing myself, my biggest thing was to be able to do everything from receive to block the ball and throw guys out,” said Alvino. “That comes with building trust with the pitching staff and them understanding that when it comes down to a runner on third base and there’s a ball in the dirt, you’ll block it. Being able to do everything well on a consistent basis was something I prided myself on when I played.”
Now, working directly with the Panthers’ catchers on a daily basis, Alvino is imparting that hard-won knowledge on his players. So far, it’s been very well received.
“I love what [Coach Alvino] has brought to the catching staff and team in general,” said senior backstop Alex Kowalczyk. “He pays attention to details and really knows what he’s doing. I’ve noticed already that I’ve improved tremendously throughout the fall from working with him. So far he’s been one of the best catching coaches I’ve had. I love coming up to the field and working with him. We’re definitely going to be a solid force behind the plate this spring.”
Each day of the week is broken into a different focus. Blocking, receiving, throwing, fundamentals, and bullpen sessions all get a day to themselves. While each day brings something slightly different, the renewed emphasis placed on communication is evident 24/7.
“Something we’re really focusing on this year, especially during bullpens, is communicating with our pitchers and understanding what makes them tick,” said Alvino. “Is it a guy that in a pressure situation we can get into and push, or is it a guy that needs his confidence built up? We’re not just focusing not just on the physical side of the position, but on the mental side of how to approach and control a pitching staff.”
It’s presented new challenges, even for an experienced catcher like Kowalczyk, but the emphasis on developing trust has been a welcome addition to his game.
“I never really knew quite what I should say to the pitchers to help them,” said Kowalczyk. “Over the past couple of years, I’ve been really trying to learn and develop a relationship with the pitchers to be able to help them out.”
Alvino has been pleased with all of the catchers’ growth in general, not just in communicating.
“This group is very special from top to bottom. They each bring a different dynamic to the position and the team. I’m happy with the progress of where we’re at, but we’re going to continue to work hard.”
11-11-15 | Recruiting the Best
“Recruiting is the lifeline of any program,” says head coach Joe Jordano.
Seated behind the desk in his office, he’s busy finalizing the recruiting efforts of the program with Wednesday’s fall National Signing Day close at hand. By this time next week, Jordano and his staff will have seen their long hours of work and travel rewarded with a stack of signed National Letters of Intent on his desk.
“No matter who’s coaching, what you’re coaching, or how you’re coaching it, if you don’t have the players to execute the plan, the plan rarely works.”
Jordano’s plan for the Panthers stems from a belief that there are quality players available across the country that only need a measure of coaching to unlock their true potential.
“Our focus is on player development,” he says. “We know that in the environment that we’ve created at Pitt, a young man is going to develop. That is proven by our long history of players being drafted after participating in our program at the University of Pittsburgh that were not drafted prior to getting here.”
But it isn’t as simple as finding players or making a promise. The staff operates in a highly-regulated arena when it comes to recruiting. With a finite amount of scholarships to offer, coaches must carefully weigh the risks and rewards of recruiting decisions – knowing all the while that there is a fine margin between success and failure in building an incoming class.
In finding those newcomers, Jordano and the Panthers have a few traits they look for to best fit the team’s ethos. Character, a blue-collar work ethic, a desire to play at the highest level, and a team-oriented mentality are all vital qualities for any Pitt baseball recruit. Coach Oakes and Coach Peters spend an incredible amount of time on the road to identify these types of players. These and other recruiting keys help minimize the guesswork and vacancies left by natural yearly attrition.
“In identifying what our specific needs are for a particular year, calculating in graduation and potential draft picks – both on the current team and in the incoming class – you have a lot of moving parts you need a good feel for to make certain that you’re not completely depleted following the draft.”
Apart from technical elements and managing raw numbers, at its core recruiting is still about building relationships that will benefit everyone involved. That’s how the Panthers continue to grow.
“We want to make it like it’s a family,” says Jordano. “In a true family you have to be firm at times, discipline at times, and encourage all the time. You’re developing the whole person – both on and off the field and in the classroom. If we can develop a great skillset off the field, that is going to prepare our players for a very productive future, whether it be in baseball or out of baseball.”
Still, no amount of planning, goal-setting, or programming can replace the personal touch that comes with experience.
“You can feel it,” he says of finding the right individuals. It’s a skill 30 years in the making.
11-6-15 | Glove Love
In the high-leverage world of ACC baseball, the outs you don’t record sometimes weigh the most.
That’s why everyday players work hard to polish their skills and find a balance between offensive and defensive production.
“Our core philosophy, what we strive to be, is really good on the mound and defensively,” said head coach Joe Jordano. “We’ve lacked some consistency and discipline in those two areas over the last couple of years, which precipitated some of the changes to the fall program. When you deliver the message to your team that the defensive piece is just as important as the offensive piece, they know that if they make a decision to choose one over the other their playing time will be limited. If you’re doing both well, that’s your ticket to playing every day.”
Outfielder Jacob Wright and first baseman Nick Yarnall are two players looking to strike that balance to cement their spot in the lineup. While certainly neither has been a liability with the leather, both are looking for ways to get an edge.
“I’ve been working on balls hit in front of me,” said Wright. “I sometimes struggle with my running form and reach out with my glove too early. I’ve been working on maintaining my running form until the very last second.”
While his running form may need tweaking, his offensive form was rock solid last season. The redshirt sophomore batted .282 with a .442 on base percentage at the top of the order.
“Jake has a really simple swing,” said Jordano. “He can adjust to any type of pitch or pitcher in a positive way. There’s a quietness and simplicity to it that I really like. Defensively, his arm is strong enough and he’s fast enough, it’s just a matter of getting him into the best position possible to catch the baseball. Jake is a very good baseball player and he is conscientious about improving every day.”
For Yarnall, the key is finding a consistent level of focus as he works to transition to first base full-time.
“I feel like when you’re in the game defensively, you’re more focused,” said Yarnall. “When you’re the DH, you’re most focused when you’re hitting. Playing defense means you’re locked in all the time.”
Battling serious illness for part of the year, the sophomore posted a .330 average with 15 RBIs and four home runs in just 88 at bats in 2015.
“You look at the potential that Yarnall has in his bat and it’s pretty exciting,” said Jordano. “He has a very fluid swing. When you look at him on tape it is a good-looking swing. As an overall player, he has to have equal passion for his defense as well. He works diligently on it, but the passion that he shows for the offense has to be equally prevalent when working on his defense.”
Both players realize what’s at stake and have found different ways to motivate their efforts.
“It’s been hard to put the same amount of energy into defense as it is for offense,” said Wright. “I’ve always focused on my offensive game more than my defensive game. At this level, you need both. Some guys are different, but it’s been a little bit of a change in mindset to focus on defense. When you think about it more, you start to realize you definitely need to put the work in."
Yarnall sees a similar urgency to improve with his glove.
“The coaches really want my bat in the lineup,” he said. “In order for that to happen, I have to be the top player at first base. If I want to hit, I need to play defense. I need to work on my defense almost harder than I work on hitting.”
One thing is for certain; both will be ready to go on Opening Day in February.
“The season can’t get here quick enough,” said Yarnall. “I’m looking forward to it more and more every day.”
10-28-15 | Better, Faster, Stronger
Offseason conditioning lays the foundation upon which a season’s success is built. A good strength and condition regimen can make all the difference during the long grind of a 50+ game schedule, but there’s more to it than putting up more and more weight during lifts. Coach Joe Jordano and his staff want the team to be prepared for the specific demands the sport places on its players.
“We tweaked our program to have more of a concentration on preventative rehab and incorporated that in with our strength and conditioning program to build synergy between athletic training and conditioning to come up with the best possible program that fits each individual player,” said Jordano.
Agility, speed, and flexibility are often more valuable to a baseball player than a world-record deadlift.
“With all programming that we do, we try to make it as sport specific as possible,” said strength and conditioning coach Brian Bert. “We geared some things more towards each individual position this year. For position players, we’re looking for first step quickness, lateral speed, and rotational power. For pitchers, we want to maintain strength in the upper body along with developing lower body strength, core, and rotational strength.”
Bert is in his second year with the program and has merited high praise from Jordano and his staff. While he certainly knows his way around a weight room as a certified instructor by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, his background on the playing field plays no small role in his effectiveness. Bert was a football letterman at Springfield College and made prior stops at Rhode Island, Salisbury, and Hoftstra, earning his master’s along the way. Don’t worry, he’s got a little baseball in the mix, too.
“Brian is doing a very solid job,” said Jordano. “There’s always some adjustments when it comes to the programs that are being written for each player, but as we've evolved it’s been a really productive relationship.”
The goal isn’t to make a dramatic impact on the strength of swings or speed of throws, but to be as close to 100 percent healthy at the end of the year as possible.
“You don’t want to miss a start because a pitcher has a sore arm,” said Jordano. “If there’s an injury with something physically wrong, that’s one thing. You can’t always prevent that. But if you can prevent the normal, everyday bang-ups and the body becomes more durable, you usually have an athlete that’s sustaining his health throughout the season.”
The team will begin its annual Champions Challenge next week, opening the early hours of each day in strenuous physical competition meant to build team unity and teach players to overcome adversity. Past challenges have included running the Cathedral stairs, weight room competition, and a team campus run. For Bert, it’s all part of the fun of helping the team get to the next level.
“I love the game,” said Bert. “It’s America’s pastime and I’m a sports fan. The more I’ve learned about the sport, realized the numbers game, and realized the intensity of it at an intellectual level, I’ve come to really appreciate and enjoy it.”
10-21-15 | Ambush Offense
The book has closed on fall baseball for the year, but the coaching staff was left with a number of lasting impressions to carry with them into individual winter workouts.
“I really felt that we made progress,” said head coach Joe Jordano. “Sometimes during the fall segment when you’re forecasting potential roles, in addition to identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each individual player, you have such a hard focus that you don’t look at the big picture of how the team progressed. This year in particular, I saw a significant improvement in how we played the game.”
Much of that Jordano credits to having a full complement of scholarship student-athletes on hand in the fall for the first time in his tenure. Last season, the pitching staff took a blow in losing two returners and two incoming hurlers to the MLB Draft prior to the season’s start. This time around, despite having several players selected to join the professional ranks, the team was better prepared to deal with the absences thanks to the newcomers.
“This year, even though we have a relatively young team, there’s talent there,” said Jordano. “We just have to continue to develop that talent, and our goal is by springtime those guys will be ready to compete at a very high level.”
Such an abundance of quality young players could lead to limited opportunities for all to see the field in the spring, especially given the presence of many returning upperclassmen, but Jordano’s stance is clear to all involved.
“My philosophy is to play the best players that we have. We have a history of developing players. The more we can get reps for our new players, the more experience they gain, and experience is something we can’t teach. It’s a challenge with that much youth, but it’s refreshing to know the future is bright.”
At the dish, assistant coach Bryan Peters kept a watchful eye on his young hitters, looking to keep them on task with the team’s offensive approach.
“Overall we’ve been focused for the last year on aggression, jumping on the first drivable pitch,” said Peters. “Not only swinging at it, but putting it in play with authority. I think what we’ve talked about and emphasized the most is to jump on what the pitcher gives us. I think we saw an improvement there in small increments, but it’s something we still need to emphasize.”
With the ACC being a notorious pitchers’ league featuring many of the game’s future stars at the professional level, success at the plate is no guarantee. That’s where having time under your belt can provide a big lift, and where the team’s leaders have stepped it up in a big way.
“Experience overall is going to be one of the things that will help us,” said Peters. “That actually showed up a lot this fall. You could see the guys that had been through it before knew and took advantage of it. Nothing is certain until you get punched in the mouth. We’ve tried to prepare them, but now that we have many veterans and returners, they know what being punched in the mouth really means. The veterans are doing most of that work for us and have made a bigger difference in that area.”
10-6-15 | McHuge Power
Among the highlights of Sunday’s 9-4 exhibition victory was a monster three-run jack from redshirt freshman Joe McHugh off the left field scoreboard to break the game open for the Panthers.
“That’s my first home run here. It was just a lot of built up power I was saving from last year,” said McHugh with a laugh. “Honestly, I wasn’t really thinking too much about hitting a home run, but he left a fastball up. He was throwing a lot of first pitch fastballs and I was paying attention for a couple of batters, so I was looking fastball. He threw it to me, elevated it, and I just got a hold of it.”
Pitt hitters collected 15 hits, four for extra bases, and batted .326 as a team at the dish.
“About halfway to first I put my hand up,” joked McHugh. “I didn’t exactly do the hard 90 that Skip preaches but I hope he’ll be ok with that.”
In fact, hard baserunning has been a serious point of emphasis so far this fall, as exemplified by sophomore Jawan McAllister stretching a shallow knock to center into extra bases by busting out of the box.
“I’ve revamped the fall program and how we do our practice,” said head coach Joe Jordano. “The first thing we do after we stretch is baserunning. Our two-strike approach has been a point of emphasis as well. I was really pleased with how our first five hits came with two strikes. When you emphasize things and see them in a game, that’s really encouraging.”
Other encouragement came from the performance of many of the team’s young hurlers.
“Besides Sam Mersing and Garrett Wrambel, it was all new faces,” said pitching coach Jerry Oakes. “There’s a little nervousness there and we have a lot of work to do. I was pleased with a lot of things and disappointed with a few things, but there were a lot of positives.”
For the young pitching staff, experience gained now can pay off down the road in the heat of conference competition.
“For me, it’s about learning how to compete at a high level. They’re very young, but for us it’s just trying to learn how to mix and match pitches and do some things they’re not used to. All that will help us be successful in the ACC.”
The annual Navy-Gold World Series is set for Oct. 13-15 at Cost Field.
9-29-15 | Compete, Compete, Compete!
With fall practice in full swing, now is the time for the team's newcomers to put in the work to acclimate themselves both to each other and to baseball at the DI, ACC level.
"We have a lot of new players so we're currently teaching team concepts and trying to identify strengths and weaknesses. That will put us in position to solidify strengths and improve weaknesses later in individual work," said head coach Joe Jordano.
Individual training takes place over the winter, beginning at the end of October. In the meantime, the team has been conducting daily drills leading up to the Navy/Vegas World Series which typically ends the fall practice schedule.
"Our pitchers are currently throwing in situations. We're trying to increase the intensity of the moment to try and have our team become comfortable with being uncomfortable."
Pitchers and their teammates are pitted against each other in mini-standoffs, each trying to accomplish a particular goal in an at bat. Both hurlers and hitters are working to come out on top, and although there will ultimately only be one side with the upper hand, the coaches keep the demands high.
"It's good to see that level of competitiveness come out on our team."
Earlier in the fall, the team was visited by mental conditioning coach Brian Cain, whose energy and positive attitude affected players and staff alike.
"I think as a staff, you have to reevaluate what you're doing each year. One aspect that could certainly be improved is our approach. Not what we're doing, but how we do it - making sure we have good communication and a positive flow going throughout the program."
The results have been almost immediate.
"I really like where we are as a team. We have a lot of work to do, but we're getting better each day."
