SNOW!!!!

Wednesday wasn't a very good day in the North Country. We received nearly a foot of snow! Luckily we are getting ready to leave for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina next Wednesday.

Lineup Starting to Take Shape

(Monday’s) practice was a real good start to the week. As we’re getting closer to our first trip, the pitchers continue to increase their pitch count. It’s obviously good for them because they’ll be ready to throw deep into a game if need be, but it also benefits our hitters because we can take more live at-bats. I think the closer we get to traveling South for games, the more of a business approach the team is slowly taking at practices. It looks like more and more, the lineup is coming to a finalization for the first few games in Myrtle Beach. There is no doubt some names and the order will change, but there is a good idea where everyone will be and their roles on the team.

The tough part of the trip probably lies with the coaches, who have to decide who to bring and who to leave back home. We only take 24 guys to Myrtle Beach, partly because it is only a five game trip, but also because we rarely take everyone on road trips. Florida is the only trip where everyone is guaranteed a spot on the bus. It adds some pressure for them because they have to take a roster down South that is not only competitive in every aspect, but flexible as well. If something happens to a player, whether it is injury, fatigue, or even an early season slump, you need to be able to find a capable player for that spot, particularly on defense. You need at least one extra catcher, one player for the corner infield positions, one for the middle infield, and an extra outfielder. Deciding how many to take of each while also balancing the pitchers traveling can be the difference between a successful trip and one that had some holes. I think more than anything, whoever are the 24 guys that travel, each one will be ready to do his role and help our team win. We want to win all five games in Myrtle Beach, realizing that 4-1 would also be a good record. I think anything below that is unacceptable and that is the way we are preparing every day.

#17 = Matt Burns

Are You Ready for Some...Baseball?!

Chip Cummings Field on the Plattsburgh State campus is clear of snow and ice in the month of February--an unusual but welcome sight.

The Cardinals open their home schedule on Saturday, April 10, with a State University of New York Athletic Conference doubleheader against New Paltz, starting at noon.

Cardinals Rev Up Conditioning

(Tuesday’s) practice was probably the toughest in terms of conditioning that we have had so far. It was not out of punishment or stemming from a problem we had. Rather it is just something we need to do, especially at that level of intensity, every now and again to make sure we can push ourselves. I think it is best when it comes out of nowhere and surprises people. That way you can really see who is willing to push themselves to go a little harder when they are tired. It goes without saying that baseball is not a contact sport; never has and never will be. However, the grind of the season (40+ games in two months) is what can wear down a player. Conditioning is a huge part of being able to make it through those doubleheaders in Florida and four games on a weekend.

We now have less than three weeks until we head down to Myrtle Beach and there isn’t a person on the team who can wait for it. I try to tell them that these next three weeks are just as crucial as any practice during the season. These are what will prepare us for our first games and we cannot afford to just “get by” all of them. We need to continue to stay focused and work hard and only then will we be ready for our first game. I think everyone has continued to work hard, whether they are pushing themselves or feel like they are being pushed to do more, and it continues to be a major positive in what we are trying to accomplish this season.

#17 = Matt Burns

Cardinals Complete Week#2

Saturday morning’s practice was a real good finish to the second week of practice. This week seemed to move along much more quickly than last week, and it is important to settle down and make sure you are doing the right things in those practices, or else you may be wasting the time. We got to play live situations on the infield today, taking the hitters and pitchers from the cage to out in the open. Every time we get to do something like that, I think every one gets a little more anxious to finally get outside and on the field. Our infield continues to look real good defensively, especially up the middle with Tory Bouyea at shortstop and Pat Shaughnessy at second base. A lot of the guys on the team are impressed with how well they are working together, especially the pitchers who have the two of them working for them.

I think the toughest thing for our team continues to be the same repetitions we are working on every day, but that is what is going to be key in our development as a team. To be able to work on the little parts of the swing and anything on defense so many times is what allows the plays and feel of the game be ingrained in our minds. That way, when something we may have worked on a countless number of times in practice comes up during a game, it is something we know exactly how to execute. If you have to constantly be thinking and guessing your next move, you’re already a step behind the teams you’re facing. Sunday allowed us to relax for a day, watch the Super Bowl as a team, and get ready for next week’s work.

#17 = Matt Burns

Cardinals Try New Approach to Workouts

Practice on Wednesday was different than any other practice I’ve experienced here. It was definitely a change of style on Coach Doorey’s part, but everyone that came up to me throughout the practice really seemed to like it. Instead of outfielders working together on defense while infielders hit, the practice worked in stations where players worked as pairs throughout the practice. Position players worked on defense for their positions and everyone got different offensive drills in. Hitters went through cycles of hitting coffee lids, swinging through wiffleballs, hitting basketballs and soccer balls (to work on driving through the ball), and taking rapid swings. As catchers, we worked on everything from throws to second to our usual blocking and framing drills. Everything we did had a purpose and a certain amount of repetitions we had to work towards.

Two pitchers threw live again, and they continue to work through their cycle with their respective partners. The position players tend to see the work they put in because we work as separate groups, but I can promise that between the cardio, lifting, and swimming they do in and outside of practice, every pitcher is working toward being stronger and more productive for the team.

Former players--current assistant coaches Zack Welch and Billy Davis--have been a major part in helping our team grow. Zack works with the outfielders and catchers while Billy is a part of the pitching aspect now. Every single day they are making sure our team is getting enough work in as individuals and as a team based on their knowledge of the game. It’s so easy to listen to players who have had that success on this level and then become a part of the staff, wanting to see the program continue to succeed. I think often times, those who play a smaller role in the development of the team are overshadowed by the success of someone like Coach Doorey, but every coach on the staff contributes towards what we are always working for: a SUNYAC championship.

#17 = Matt Burns

Cardinals Practice "Small Ball"

(Tuesday’s) practice was again a lot of tee work and a little bit of live pitching. The pitchers are on their regular weekly routine now of throwing light bullpens, heavy bullpens, live pitching to hitters, conditioning and long toss. Every day there is some conditioning and I feel like there is a greater urgency to have our pitchers build their stamina than in previous years. Once the pitchers realize the importance of this, they tend to work a little bit harder so they can be the guy to pick our team up in a tight spot.

One thing we focus on a lot in winter practices is running the bases. Along with defense, there is not any part of the game that can take you out of a good situation if you make a mistake fundamentally. Whether it is going from station to station or trying to take the extra base, you need to have solid execution. We also started to work on bunting in live situations today which is another big part of our game. If we need to move a man to the next base late in the game, there is no room for error and our coaches stress that principle when we run these drills. With all of the things we are beginning to work on, we need to keep the same intensity throughout the next few weeks leading up to our trip to Myrtle Beach the opening weekend of March.

#17 = Matt Burns

Hitters Face Pitchers for the First Time

Monday was the beginning of live at-bats for our team. Only two pitchers, Matt O’Leary and Dan Tracy, threw to hitters, so only a few guys got to take real at-bats. It felt good to get in the cage for the first time and see real pitches. The two pitchers have been wanting to face live hitting as well and the both of them looked good for it being their first time out (during this preseason).

Matt O’Leary, pictured, will be our ace this year again, after taking over the role in his freshman season last year. He is coming off a rookie campaign that ended with a 7-2 record (tying the school record for wins in a season), a 3.55 earned-run average, and won the Rookie of the Year in both the SUNYAC and the ECAC. O’Leary, however, continues to be one of the most motivated players on the team. Very rarely is something good enough for him. He is the type of pitcher who will strike out a hitter on a missed location and be upset with himself because he did not execute (the spot). He always wants to be better and as an older player on the team, I really appreciate that. It makes every other pitcher on the staff want to work harder and be better. Those are the type of players every team needs in order to have a successful season.

#17 - Matt Burns