Though it is just a bit cold outside, the Buffalo baseball team will start its season Friday with a new regime at head coach. Ron Torgalski, who spent the previous six seasons as assistant coach, takes over a squad that finished with a 15-37 record last season.
Despite the fact that the Bulls have not had a winning record since reestablishing the baseball program prior to the 2001 season, Torgalski believes that this season could be different from those past.
"My expectations are that we are going to put a team on the field that is going to come out and play hard every day," Torgalski said. "It seems that we have a renewed commitment from guys. They've committed themselves to the season, and dedicated themselves to the weight room, and are really working hard to get this thing turned around."
Despite this rededication, it is still unclear if this new regime will amount to more victories.
"We're going to compete, we're going to play hard, and win or lose I'm going to expect that every day," Torgalski said.
One of the first moves Torgalski made as head coach was adding pitching coach Joe Hesketh to the staff. Hesketh is a former pitcher for the Bulls, who went on to have an 11-year major league career, splitting time with the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds.
"He's done it. He understands what it takes to be there. He's got high class coaching. He relates with us. He knows the game," said senior pitcher Adam Ruszkowski. "It helps when somebody's actually played the game and knows as much about the game as he does and has had the experiences that he had."
Though he is a senior, and this is his last chance to shine on Buffalo's diamond, Ruszkowski is not feeling any added pressure from this situation going into the season.
"I wouldn't say it's more pressure. I think that the preparation and experience that I have through my four years at UB prepared me for my senior year," Ruszkowski said.
"Having the guys behind me, I think that as a team we'll be able to win some games. I don't think it's a pressure thing. I just want to go out the same way I came in and just be as successful as I can be as a senior."
Over the past four years, one bright spot on the team was first baseman James Kingsley. Kingsley, along with the entire starting outfield from opening day last season all graduated, yet Torgalski is excited about some of the new prospects.
"Kingsley, the numbers he's put up, his leadership, I don't know if you can replace that. We brought in a junior college kid, Nick Walzak, whose going to get the first shot at first base. He hit .497 in junior college last year, and was a first team All-American. I think he's got the potential to put up numbers at the plate. We'll wait and see what happens there."
One player who has been performing at a great pace, being named to the All-Mid-American Conference second team as a freshman, is junior shortstop Mike Folli. After leading along with Kingsley and others last season, Folli believes that he needs to continue to lead by not doing too much this season.
"I'm coming into this season with the same mind-set as last year, I think I was a leader last year," Folli said. "Just try not to do to much, just play my game. If you try to do too many things, you start to lose your focus."
With the new sense of dedication, and new coaching staff, the team has set lofty goals for itself this season.
"My team goal is to win more games then we did last year and make the conference tournament," Folli said. "That would be a huge step for our program."
Due to the cold weather that Buffalo endures during the beginning of the baseball season, the Bulls will start their season on a long road trip. Starting Saturday at Delaware State, the team will play its first 22 games away from the comforts of home. Buffalo's first home game will be Wednesday, March 28 in a double-header against LeMoyne.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
