FROM PRESS RELEASE
Entering his 20th season at the helm of the University of Pittsburgh baseball team, head coach Joe Jordano is the winningest coach in program history. Hear the skipper chat about what he sees from his team on the field, as well as his take on his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates.
On how the incoming freshmen are transitioning to college baseball…
“We have been talking about this freshman class for quite some time. And really looking forward to actually getting them into our system. They did attend summer school, which was a great advantage, but we weren’t permitted to do anything with them at that point. Now that they are in school, they’re into their routine, it has definitely been up to the expectation that we thought. Our arms are doing a good job, the position players are very solid, they’re quick learners, they’re engaged in the process that we emphasize and they’re making positive steps each day. When you can see that out of a younger group, it is very encouraging. Quite frankly, we could be a very young team moving into the season. I can assure you that these guys are definitely going to have to be successful in order for us to be successful.”
On the state of the program…
“As I said after last year, I think that with the support of our administration and some of the internal things that people can/t see that are allowing us to do some things that are going to be what our peers are doing on an everyday basis, is really going to help us. Just clearing some of those hurdles is a big step forward for us. With that said, again, these are maybe not things that the public would see or understand, but internally we have a really great staff, not only from a baseball perspective but from a support staff. We hired a full-time athletic trainer this year in Kyle Cook, who is doing a great job for us. Those things help our program. We have been working with Tim Beltz again from a strength and conditioning perspective and that has been awesome. Tim worked with us extensively for many years before he transitioned to basketball. Recruiting wise, as I said, we are very healthy, not only with this class that is here but with our 2017 class and our 2018 class. Those two classes are really turning into special groups. I think that we are almost complete in terms of trying to change the culture from Big East to ACC, and that takes time. It takes time. But, from an operational standpoint, to a functionality standpoint, the practical application of the vision is moving forward.”
On how the 2017 schedule is looking…
“It will be very competitive. We’re hosting the opening weekend tournament with Delaware, Kansas State and Ohio State. That will be a really quality opening weekend. It will be a test for us against three very good opponents. We open up at Louisville for our ACC opener, which is going to be an even tougher challenge. Of course, the rest of the regular season is equally as competitive. So, once again, it is going to be a very solid schedule with some really good quality opponents. As far as our mid-week goes, we’ll continue with West Virginia, Penn State, Kent State and Youngstown State. We’ve added a couple of other teams to try and balance out our mid-weeks. It’s going to be a good one.”
On returning starting pitcher Josh Falk…
“One of the biggest things that I’ve said all along about Josh is his competitiveness, he gets on the mound, he’s going to battle you. I just think that he is improving in terms of his consistency of pitches. His offseason went extremely well this summer. He spent a lot of time getting into the best possible condition that he could be in. I think that will translate on the field. He is going to be healthy, he is going to be strong, he is going to be fresh and I think, again, as he continues to improve his repertoire of pitches, the consistency of those pitches, with his competitiveness, he gives us a chance to win every time he is out there. That is all we ask for is for him to give us a shot.”
Off the field, what he thinks of the hometown Pittsburgh Pirates season…
“Obviously I have been a Pirate fan for as far back as I can remember. Listening to Bob Prince and Nellie King on the radio. Then it was Milo Hamilton and Lanny Frattare and now the current group. I cried when Roberto Clemente died and I was really excited in 1971 and 1979 when they won the World Series. I have a great passion for the Bucs. It’s been an up-and-down year for their skipper. The one thing I really admire about Clint Hurdle is that he is very consistent, he is very positive. He has a plan and there is no question that everybody in that clubhouse knows what that plan is and they go out and execute it. It has been one of those years that, they had some injuries and some things that didn’t go as planned, but they are hanging in there. They’ve still got a shot and I attest that to his leadership and being a steady in that skipper’s chair.”
