Pioneers plan for fresh start

Coach Loren Torres has high expectations that the structure and discipline of Point Park University's men's baseball team will improve and return to its former winning ways. 

"We are not going to concentrate on wins and losses," Torres said. "I just want to make sure that at the end of the day they feel good about how they play and that we maximize their ability and let the results take care of themselves."

Over the years, Point Park baseball has had a winning history. However, the Pioneers have not made the playoffs since the 2003-04 season. Bringing in a man like Torres, a well-known and well-respected coach, is exciting for the university. Torres describes himself as an intense coach who is attentive to detail, and his style of play will show through the team's performance. Although the team is relatively young, the Pioneers are bringing back seven starters and seven pitchers from last season's lineup and have recruited a few players from outside Pennsylvania.

One of Torres' objectives this season is to enhance three aspects of the team: offense, defense and pitching.

Torres will hold game-like practices to better prepare the players for the regular season. Despite the team having a disappointing season last year, he wants each and every player to enter this season with a positive attitude and a readiness to play baseball as a team.

Dan Swalga, Point Park's director of athletics, is also excited to have Torres coach baseball because of his long list of credentials, his experience in the game and his plans to improve and discipline the team.

Swalga also said Torres will be beneficial because of his knowledge of the game. In addition, Torres has an excellent recruitment process due to the large number of contacts he has acquired from his prior jobs in the baseball world. 

"He brings experience as a head coach, experience from other parts of the country," Swalga said. "His recruiting base is larger than just Western Pennsylvania. Even though Western Pennsylvania is good ... the more you can expand the better.  A lot of what you get is referrers from other people and other places."

Swalga is confident that during this season and beyond, Torres will rebuild the foundation Point Park baseball once had and will represent the school well by doing so.

Senior catcher Dan Campbell is motivated and concentrated on the team having a successful season with Torres at the helm, and he believes that practicing and staying disciplined with the game plan will bring success in the end. 

"As far as ending the season on a positive note, we're not that excited about it yet because we have to make it happen first," Campbell said.  "We're focused and working extremely hard towards a common goal and once we make that happen, then we can get excited about it."

Junior outfielder Kyle Lucot is also glad to have Torres as his coach this season because of his abundant knowledge of the game, his familiarity with every level of baseball from high-school coaching to professional scouting and because he knows what it takes to win.

Lucot said there is a lot of anticipation as to how well the team will perform this season because of the talent the Pioneers have and a coach that will be able to utilize that talent, enabling them to compete with any team.  He is excited about having the new recruits from outside of Pennsylvania.  The Pioneers recruited Robert Munoz, a freshman outfielder/catcher from Miami, Fla., and Ricky Cordido, a junior infielder from Caracas, Venezuela.  

"It's a good time having two players from different areas and different cultures on your team," Lucot said. "They're great teammates and it's funny how a lot of us on the team are now trying to learn how to speak Spanish. These two players, Munoz and Cordido, are going to provide a tremendous amount of depth to our team, which we lacked in the past."

Munoz said that leaving home to attend school elsewhere and play baseball is a great experience. He said the environment changes and it is a different style from what he is used to, but he is very excited to start his baseball career at Point Park and help his team win games and make a playoff run.

Cardido said that playing baseball in Pennsylvania is not too different from playing in his hometown of Caracas, Venezuela, and that he is already comfortable in this environment.  Cardido moved to the United States when he was 17 years old and attended Champagnat Catholic School in Florida. He then went to Garrett College, in Maryland, and is therefore used to living in the city. He is most excited about this season at Point Park, not only for the opportunity to get to know all of his teammates, but also to contribute his talents to the team.

"I always wanted to play baseball in a four-year program, and I am now at Point Park," Cardido said. "Also my good friend Dave Angle played with me at Garrett College our freshman year."

The Pioneers begin their season with the 10-game Russ Matt Invitational in Davenport, Fla. from Feb. 28 to Mar. 5.