Three. That is the number of Freedom Conference titles the baseball team has won in a row dating back to the 2011 season.
The journey to the top as one of the conference's elite baseball programs speaks to the job head coach Pete Egbert and his teams have done since he took over the program in 2008.
Prior to Egbert's arrival, the team went a combined 9-67 in 2006 and 2007. Now, Egbert and his squad look to maintain their level of success heading into the 2014 season.
Even with eight games under the team's belt heading into conference play, Egbert said his team is still trying to find an identity after losing a big chunk of productivity to graduation.
"It's a completely different team [this year]. We lost a ton of guys. We lost 73% of our innings on the mound and we've lost 48% of our at-bats. We've got a bunch of new guys that need to step in. From a talent standpoint, I think we have the ability to have a good year but we need to improve in some areas before I know for sure," he said.
One of the talented players is senior first baseman Joe Tagliarini. A multiple year starter entering his final season with the team, Tagliarini expects this season to play out like the last three despite the inexperience at some positions.
"We expect to be good, we expect to be great and we expect to be there at the end of the year and be in the conference tournament," Tagliarini said. "If we're lucky enough to get through that difficult conference tournament, then hopefully we can win it."
Getting to the conference title game for a fourth straight year will have to be done without some power hitters from last year's squad. Kenny Durling, Andrew Tressa and Steve Sulcoski, who batted in the middle of the batting order and earned All-Conference honors, have graduated. According to Egbert, this year's squad is built around finesse.
"I don't know if you can necessarily replace players like Durling, Tressa, Sulcoski and those other guys," Egbert said. "We're going to go about it differently. The way we see our lineup, someone has to hit three, four and five in the bat- ting order. But the way we see our lineup is not necessarily your prototype three, four and five baseball hitters. We're run producing guys. We're built on speed and athleticism. So the guys who are hitting in those areas are more leadoff type of guys, and they're just going to have to hit with a three four or five label next to them."
Egbert also believes his team can keep other teams on their heels.
"I like this team because we're athletic. We can do a variety of things. We can put pressure on teams. We have guys who can play multiple positions so it makes flexible and it can make us dynamic, so I'm excited to see that part of it," Egbert said.
Coming off their annual opening games in Florida, the squad posted a 4-4 record. According to Egbert, there were some surprises.
"Everything really, completely surprised me. The areas I thought we were good in, which was our infield defense and consistency at the plate, I don't think we were very good in Florida. The area I thought we were going to struggle a little bit was pitching and for the most part, we pitched very, very well. So it's funny. That's why we're still trying to build a character and build an identity," he said.
For Tagliarini, growing pains may have been a factor for the mediocre start of the season. He expects the team to come together as the season winds on and for
the returning starters to help the younger guys along the way.
"I think the inexperience will play out," Tagliarini said. "We went 4-4 in Florida, but we beat some good teams and if we put it all together those guys will definitely have a good year. We have five returning lineup guys so it is a little bit easier for four other guys to step in and just see what we do. They know they don't have to play a huge role and everybody has their part."
Tagliarini, entering his senior campaign with an already deco- rated resume, knows his collegiate career is winding down to a close, but the feeling of leaving the game he has played since he was five years old has not hit him – yet.
"I'm excited that it's my senior year and everything like that, but when we talk about senior day that's when I think it will really hit me. When we play our last home game on our home field, that'll hit me a little bit. It always does for everybody. With that and the last game we eventually play, it's going to be difficult," Tagliarini.
Nostalgia aside, Tagliarini is still focused on the task at hand. Although he has been a key part of the Cougar's three conference titles since his freshman year, the pressure to win a fourth is not something that weighs him down. "The pressure isn't entirely there but we do feel like we've got to get
this last title. Myself and (senior) Ryan Cacchioli, especially. "We joke every year: 'Oh, we've got to get the first conference title, now we've got to get the second and now we've got to get three in a row, and now we're thinking, let's be perfect,'" Tagliarini.
Egbert said it is up to Tagliarini and the other seniors to keep the flame on the torch going to add another trophy in the Anderson Sports and Health Center.
"The success of the program is something we talk about a lot," Egbert said. "It's really a tribute to the guys that have gone through our program. One of the things that we (the coaching staff) tried to do when we first got here was to bring in players that had success at the high school and summer league level. We were fortunate to get a lot of those guys in our program. Guys like Andrew Tressa, Kenny Durling and Pete Doggett have really built a tradition. Now it's up to the guys who are here now to continue that tradition."
The string of success has officially made the Cougars a force to be reckoned with. They are the team to beat in the conference, a role Egbert has acknowledged.
"Obviously we have a great facility now, and we have a lot of neat other things that are going on around us that make our job a little bit easier, but at the same time we now have a target on our backs so everybody's gunningfor us. Before, we were the dark horse, and we caught people by surprise. Now, that's not the case," Egbert said.
evansr4@misericordia.edu
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