Hello again from even more snow in Connecticut. It was unusually warm here for SuperBowl Sunday with the temperature getting into the 40’s.You have to be part meteorologist to be a baseball coach, with rain and teams traveling from far away you have to be able to predict what is going to happen a couple of hours before gametime. This is a skill I’m still trying to perfect, with snow in the forecast again this week the coaching staff has come to the realization that we are not going to practice on a real baseball field for another 16 days in Myrtle Beach; which by the way has temperatures in the 60’s. We’re excited for the weather but even more to get on the field and out of the gym.
This week the first NCBWA East Region Poll came out. Franklin Pierce out of the NE-10 conference was picked #1 in the region and we picked up one vote even though we finished last season ranked #10. It is always nice to get some recognition early in the year but we are looking to be one of the better teams in the region as we progress throughout the season. In 2009 Post finished 7th in the region but this is the first time we’ve ever received a preseason vote. The ABCA has also named two of our pitchers Senior Dan Steers and Junior Cutler Ruby players to watch in the East Region, this is a great honor for both of these guys. Dan Steers was our workhorse last year going 8-3 and getting some huge wins for us, we will definitely be leaning on him again this year because of his stuff and his bulldog mentality on the bump. Cutler Ruby is in his first year with our program from Texas. He has impressed the whole staff with the quality of his stuff and presence on the mound. Our other starters that will give us some quality innings are Senior Tom Sirois, Junior Steve Corbett, Sophomore John Jeanes, and Freshman Steve Kimmelman as well as many others will make up a deep and talented staff that will hopefully help bring us to a CACC Championship.
It pains me as a hitting guy to give so much praise to our pitching staff but we have assembled a very good group that will keep us in the ball games, which is all you can ask for. This is the deepest staff we have ever had in my four years at Post University. I got to witness that first hand on Sunday when we went live. Our freshman catcher Jeff St. Pierre was sick this week, so to give our catchers Senior Aaron Lerma and Junior Russ Sirko a chance to swing it in the cage I came out of retirement and strapped on the gear. I caught in college at the University of Bridgeport and then finished up my playing days at Albertus Magnus College. Coaching summer baseball in the NECBL it has taken away my time to play my own adult games in the summer, so I had to wipe off the rust and catch our guys. It was a lot of fun to get back there, but that was 35 pounds and six years ago. I helped carve up my hitters only giving up one hit in 15 innings of work; needless to say I was watching the Super Bowl with ice packs on my knees. Although I came out of catching live pens not that banged up, I wish I could say the same for our pitching coach. Forrest Irwin is our new pitching coach at Post University making coaching stops at Briarcliff (NY), Iona, and SUNY Purchase. His night didn’t go as planned as he took the hill. It was old timers’ day with Forrest on the mound and me catching. After about 10 fastballs it was time to throw a couple of hammers although his elbow had a different idea. Coach Irwin is on the shelf for a couple of weeks, here is to a speedy recovery Coach.
You can Follow me on Twitter @CoachRix8 see you all next week.
