Speaker 1: 0:06

Welcome to the Rockpile Podcast, the show where journeys are told, challenges are embraced and victories are celebrated. Touchdown, this is your platform for authentic conversations with athletes, coaches, teams, business leaders and so much more. Every episode dives deep into the highs, the lows and the obstacles that shape incredible stories of resilience and triumph. Ready, Ready, Whether you're chasing your dreams, overcoming adversity or simply looking for inspiration, you've come to the right place, so let's climb together. This is the Rock Pile.

Speaker 3: 1:06

There we go. It'll probably help if I bring myself on the screen. Welcome to the Mohawk Valley Sports Watch. A special edition here tonight, a new time, 8 o'clock pm Eastern. I hope everybody had a good weekend. Hopefully everybody just wound down from watching the Masters. And congrats to Rory McIlroy. Man, did he blow a five-shot lead, but it was back and forth Fun to watch. Got a great local show for you tonight.

Speaker 3: 1:29

If you're just tuning in, we're going to be talking RFA baseball with Coach Evan Howard and at the bottom of the hour we'll talk some RFA softball as well, which I'm excited. I think the girls had a double header today. I think they played down in clifton park against shenandoah um and, I think, gildan. I think they lost both games, but those are two really good teams. They went out and played. So we'll talk to coach emily cowell here in just a little bit. We'll talk to evan howard as well. So without further ado. I don't know if we're gonna have coach medesis on the stat man, but I do got pegs on. He's been waiting in the green room pegs. What's going on? Partner?

Speaker 4: 2:05

hey, what's going on? Happy sunday, happy master sunday right man.

Speaker 3: 2:08

I'll tell you what man it is. Uh, I, I caught the last, like five or six holes, yep, and as I'm watching, I'm like, I'm, I'm, I'm a big phil guy. I love mickelson, I wanted to see some drama and I'm like rory got the five shot lead. I'm like no way he's got to collapse, yep, and he collapsed yeah, yeah, I was watching that my parents saw as well.

Speaker 4: 2:29

And uh, I was like, oh, here it comes. And then I had to come back home. I said I want to make sure I got time home in time for this. And uh, I put the tv back on and I watched the end of it. I'm like, but what it was great to see. It was great to see him win. Um, you know, I've, uh, I I always said I don't watch a lot of golf, but I, I watch the masters, I watch uh, I don't watch all of it, but I do tune in. It's just, I don't know it's, it's. We all talk about it like that music comes on and it's like it feels like spring is here and it it's, it's an introduction to spring and um, but watching it is fun. It was, it was great to watch, as a, you know, and it never fails. The drama never fails. I mean, it's always. You get to that back. Uh, three holes and all of a sudden, the magic corner yeah, the magic starts.

Speaker 4: 3:15

It's amazing, um. So congratulations to mario mackinac, where I mean he deserved it. And you saw um just the. You can almost see the like it all come off his back after he put. He put that, uh put in and he just dropped to his knees. And you can almost see the like it all come off his back after he put. He put that, uh put in and he just dropped to his knees and you can just see like years of hard work and everything just you know, come off his back. It's just like you know. We always look at these athletes and we say, no, you know what they. They're, they're athletes and they're they're um drama and this, that and everything, but at the end of the day, they're're they're just like us man. They work so hard for something and then all of a sudden you see it come to light and just a great moment.

Speaker 3: 3:49

So Well, amen, corner man 13, 14 and 50, maybe the three toughest holes in in golf. And you know, as I was watching it and in regulation on 18, I think he had like a four or five footer and I thinking to myself, like when I go play golf and it doesn't happen a lot like my hands like literally are shaking, I get so nervous, like when I get close I can't imagine putting in front of all those people and when he missed that, I'm like justin rose is sitting just waiting.

Speaker 3: 4:15

Justin rose had the best round, I think, of the day.

Speaker 4: 4:16

I think he shot 66 yeah, I feel bad for him too. I mean, man, like you know, you have a chance to to win the masters and you're right there, and then it just gets taken away from me like that. It's like that's got to be tough.

Speaker 3: 4:29

But but it was definitely a fun day. I'm happy for uh roy. I know he was the uh. I think he was the fan favorite. I mean, the galleries were following him and the shambo. People were trying. I think they were hoping it'd be a little bit closer with him. And uh, rory, coming down stretch, he just Bryson didn't play well, no.

Speaker 4: 4:47

And that's what my I was watching. Like I said I was watching my parents' house. My parents don't really follow golf or anything. My mom was like all those people are there to watch those guys golf. I said yeah, and then my dad's like how much will these guys make to do this? So I looked it up while they were actually golfing just to see, and the winner gets $4.2 million. Second place gets like $2.1, I think. And then like I think it's like I can't remember exact numbers now Like the 30th place finish is like I think $100,000. And the 50th place is like $50,000 or something to that.

Speaker 3: 5:19

So the winner not only gets the money, so they get the. You're right, I think it's like 4.2 mil.

Speaker 1: 5:24

They get the green jacket.

Speaker 3: 5:25

They get lifetime tickets and I think, like Rory, can play in it now for like the next 20 years I think he's automatically qualified for it and then next year, at the players the dinner, he gets to design what the dinner is, which I think is really cool.

Speaker 4: 5:43

Oh, I didn't know that.

Speaker 3: 5:44

And one other thing that's really cool. I think Tiger Woods years ago when he won it, I think he had like hot dogs, hamburgs, like a cookout type style and you can design whatever you want. But I think what's fascinating is they show you like the menu, like all weekend in Augusta at the event. Like a bottle of water is only like a dollar. Like they have sandwiches.

Speaker 4: 6:05

Like water is only like a dollar, like they have sandwiches, like the prices are like so dirty the prices are really good. I see I've seen some of that. And how do they keep those prices so low at augusta? I mean you think they can charge whatever they?

Speaker 3: 6:12

want, I go to the utica odd to buy a hot dog and a drink. I end up spending 15, 20 bucks. Right, I can go to augusta and watch the masters and what does it cost?

Speaker 4: 6:21

what does it cost to go to the masters? I guess, guess, if you wanted to go and get a ticket or a pass to go see the Masters, what does it cost you?

Speaker 3: 6:28

I don't know. It's a good question. Hold your thought we got Coach Howard on. Let me bring Coach on with us here. Let's see, let me oh, we don't like that view Hold on Coach. There we go. How are there we go, how we doing coach. Good, how you guys doing. Tonight I'm doing fantastic, good to uh, good to have you on talk some baseball here. I was gonna say this morning, but I'm not used to doing this thing at night. Did you watch any golf today, coach?

Speaker 2: 6:54

I watched a little bit and I was doing practice and we had some pictures and some outside work going on, so I peeked in at the playoff a little bit awesome.

Speaker 3: 7:02

well, coach, let's talk some baseball with you guys. Another season upon you guys, and I won't spend too much time on last season, but last year, you guys, you win 12 games. Last year you took CNS to the wire in the sectionals, you guys fell four to three and you guys lose some seniors, but it's a whole new team for you this year.

Speaker 2: 7:22

Yeah, I think last year was definitely a step forward in retrospect, kind of like competing outside the Mohawk Valley. We had a big win over Beeville. We did beat CNS in the regular season and we were, like I said, three outs away from defeating them there in the quarter. So you want to take much from a loss, but we built off that this year. I think the guys are hungry. We did lose some big pieces from last year's team, but we've got some guys who are really ready to fill those spots and some young guys. I think they're going to be pretty impressive as well.

Speaker 3: 7:55

And Coach that TVL last year and I think just about every year has been tough. I mean Utica, new Hartford, camden was good last year. You guys are right up there at the top.

Speaker 2: 8:06

How tough is the TVL? It's a grind every day. You know obviously, being one of the larger schools in the TVL, you're most likely going to get the other team's best pitcher on that day. You know they're trying to come after the big schools, so we've got to be ready every day. We can't sleep, you know. We can't let your guard down and you've got to go play every game like it is, no matter who the opponent is in the other dugout.

Speaker 3: 8:30

And Coach, sometimes you've got teams that come back with inexperience in a young team and you've got to rely on a couple veterans. This is more of a senior-led team for you, a lot of experience back.

Speaker 2: 8:42

Yeah, we have 10 seniors on this year's team, so there's a lot of experience back. Yeah, we have 10 seniors, uh, on this year's team, so there's a lot of leadership from that uh. But it's kind of the funny part, we don't have a huge junior class but we have some some sophomores who are really going to play some big parts, and I know we've only played one game, but those guys really showed out in that one game so far. So I think it's a good mixture of some upperclassmen but some younger guys, guys, some youth in there as well.

Speaker 3: 9:06

And coach, who are some of the guys this year, some of the younger guys that we'll be hearing a lot from this year.

Speaker 2: 9:11

Obviously, the two guys you're going to hear a lot about is Dante Sparace. It's going to be his third year behind the plate and he's only a sophomore. I mean. So he's stepped up as far as his play on the field, but just his leadership role. I mean he's still only a 10th grader, but he's a third-year player.

Speaker 2: 9:33

Braden Meeks we brought up halfway through the year last year. He's just a spark plug at the top of the lineup. He just finds the way to grind out at bats, base hits, bunt singles, walks, and then he gets on base and he just runs the bases wild. You know I don't like to give green lights to many guys, but he definitely has it. You know he's a guy that just sets the table. He brings energy, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but like you can't deny the way he plays the game and the amount of energy he comes with. So those two guys are from last year's squad. And then we got, you know, mark Barone, a 10th grader, as well as Nick Malarzo. Those guys are both going to play a lot of time on the infield. So those are some exciting young pieces to mix in.

Speaker 3: 10:09

Yeah, I was just saying the other day. I said you know, if you're a baseball player in New York State, why the hell are we still here with this weather? We don't get outside enough and I'm like sitting here saying you guys are in a gym and then all of a sudden the season starts and before and before you know it, a blink of the eye, the season's over. It just goes so fast.

Speaker 2: 10:24

It was funny because, you know, obviously right there in winter break we got hit with all that snow and I'm thinking we're never going to be outside, and then it went quick. We were fortunate enough to have quite a few days over at Accelerate, but at Accelerate we were outside probably five or six days, which was probably ahead of the schedule years past. But then you get set back with a week, like we just had. You know, we play a game and then we go inside for four days. So it's tough, it's a grind, and that's what we talk about on the team, about, you know, grinding it out and staying positive. You know, because, like you said, baseball in the Northeast is not the easiest.

Speaker 3: 10:57

And Coach, how tough is it sometimes for the younger kids that come up. I know you've got an experienced team, but how tough is it for some of the younger kids that don't have a lot of experience coming up when they get a chance to play?

Speaker 2: 11:08

It's tough because, like you said, these guys it's gotten easier, I would say the last couple of years because a lot of these guys are playing competitive travel ball. So they're seeing some good pitching, they're seeing higher level play, as opposed to some farm leagues and things in the past when that was the only kind of avenue for summer ball. But definitely making that jump from JV to varsity is just huge, especially, like you said, the pitching velocity coming at you, your reaction time and just the way things happen in the field. Things are so much quicker. But, like I said, the young guys that we have, and even some of those juniors, the new players, they've grasped on really quick. They're quick learners. So I think the transition is going to be smoother than maybe in other years.

Speaker 3: 11:53

And Coach talk to us too. As the head varsity coach at the lower levels, I think you guys had like 45 or 46 kids that tried out for the modified level, so that's really good numbers. So you've got to be pretty happy with the program numbers for the modified level.

Speaker 2: 12:05

So that's really good numbers. So you've got to be pretty happy with the program numbers. Yeah, the numbers have been really good. Like you said, we're one of the few schools that still do have two modifieds.

Speaker 2: 12:11

Up until two years ago we still had a freshman team and I think we would still have that freshman team for a lot of those ninth graders who maybe just weren't ready to make that junior varsity jump. But the thing with the ninth grade team is less and less schools have it, you know. So we were traveling out to Syracuse and playing the same three or four schools three or four times and you know, it seems like every year a team would cut down and now you're down to only four schools that had that freshman team. So it was making it tougher and tougher even to try to schedule 12 to 14 games for that group of kids. So that was tough.

Speaker 2: 12:43

But the fact that we still have two, two modified programs, um, unfortunately we did have to make a few cuts, even at the JV and varsity level. You never want to do that, but the fact that these kids are coming out is is is good. Um, I was just talking to some neighbors. They say the numbers that the little leagues are booming, you know. So I think you know baseball in in Rome is in a good spot for a few years to come.

Speaker 3: 13:05

Coach, what's going to separate this team from last year? And you know, I know we talked about the experience, but what's this team bring that last year's team might not have brought?

Speaker 2: 13:15

I think this team's lineup from one to nine is complete. There's not an easy out. I think, with Bobby Jock and Mikey Catlinato, those two guys are our top two horses. They did it last year as juniors, as being kind of the ace one A, one B of the staff, so those guys are going to be a year stronger as far as just having experience. Both those guys have gotten bigger and stronger, which is obviously showing on the field. And, like I said, we have a couple other pitchers that you know I've stepped up in the offseason. I think this is the first year I've had five guys Rock on my team who are okay calling themselves POs pitchers only, and that's never happened to me.

Speaker 2: 13:58

Like there's always the guy like, oh, I pitch and I play first, or I pitch and I do this, and it's like these kids have bought in, like play first or I pitch and I do this, and it's like these kids have bought in, like they understand what their role is.

Speaker 2: 14:06

I got three or four of those POs. They know they're just a relief guy, you know, but they come about their business every day just like everybody else. They put their work in, they go through their arm care, they have separate programs that they do, but it's like these guys have bought in. So I think that that alone we talk all the time about you know, knowing your role, doing your job, kind of our slogan this year is clean your plate. So what that means is finish the job, whatever you take, and start, finish it, you know, and that's kind of what we're trying to build all the way down through. So you know we're going to finish what we start, you know, and that's these guys have bought in. And, like I said, I just think the mindset so far has been really, really good.

Speaker 3: 14:41

Coach, I know the non-conference schedule. You'll play some good teams non-conference before you get into league play. Talk to us a little bit about some of the non-conference teams.

Speaker 2: 14:49

Yeah, we go. Actually, tomorrow we have a home opener with New Hartford and then we go on the road to Shaker. We have a couple of Division I kids at Shaker and then we also have Colony coming in on Good Friday, who's always a battle, and then you mix in some CNSs and some B-villes in there and, like I said, that non-conference isn't really a slouch. They've kind of changed the way with the sectional seedings. Years before you were always seeded based on your league schedule, you know. So you could get some of your reserves in the game and some of those non-conference games, and that has now changed.

Speaker 2: 15:23

I know it's been a few years now where non-league games is just as good as league games, you know. So you can say, well, it's a non-league game but you still got to go out and win it right, because it's still going to affect your sectional seating and your sectional place. So there's no nights off. You can't, like you said, sometimes you'd like to empty the bench and give guys you know extra at bats, but you got to go out and try to win every game because, like I said, it comes down to sectional seedings.

Speaker 3: 15:48

Well, you kind of answer my next question. As I say, I know it's nice to get off to a good start, but it's also nice to play good late in the season. But really and truly, from what you just described, there's no, there's no room for, uh, for, for slow starts. Right, you guys got to get off to a hot start and just keep playing good baseball.

Speaker 2: 16:04

Yeah, and I was like you said. We played a week ago, friday, up there in Lowville and even though they're a class B, I think the last two years they've been in the sectional final. So they were no slouch and I was. I was really impressed, just based on the temperature, how we hit the baseball. The ball was just zinging off our bats. I think we had 13 hits and not a single one of them was a blooper or an easy hit, and then we probably had six or seven really loud outs, you know. So I was really happy with that. I was kind of disappointed that we had to go back inside. I wanted to keep those bats churning, but hopefully they're ready to go for tomorrow and four games this week.

Speaker 3: 16:38

So, Coach, what's this team got to do to make a deep run?

Speaker 2: 16:40

to not only get in the sectionals and make a deep run through sectionals make a deep run to not only get into sectionals and make a deep run through sectionals. We just got to believe, right, we got to believe we have the guys. It's not that we don't have the power or we don't have the skilled guys. We have guys just like your CNSs and your B-villes and your CBAs. It's just getting over that hump and, like I said, last year we made strides. We had a couple of nice non-conference or non-league wins and, like you said, we were three outs away from moving on to the semis there at CNS. So we just kind of got to get over that hump.

Speaker 2: 17:10

I think the kids are starting to believe and buy in. Like you said, you bring over some experienced guys from the basketball team as well as the hockey team and those guys have had some postseason success. So I think that you know just being able and being in those situations and and, and you know, winning in some of those big games, I think it's contagious.

Speaker 3: 17:32

So, obviously, having some hockey guys and some basketball guys, I think it's going to help us hopefully get over that hump when, when sectionals come, you know we definitely had a good winter, winter season here in Rome and hopefully we'll be able to carry that over here to spring with the spring sports for sure. But, coach, you're always fun to talk to. I appreciate you taking time on a Sunday night here and not in the morning, so good luck to you. I'm sure we'll see you on the diamond.

Speaker 2: 17:52

I appreciate it. I was hoping there'd be a Mets question, but we got no Mets talk today.

Speaker 3: 17:56

I see they're wondering. The Jags and I are Yankees and I think Coach Medes is his Yankees too. I'm waiting for him to jump on, but he's at AU, so I'm not sure if we're going to get him tonight.

Speaker 2: 18:05

I'll razz him tomorrow at school. Hey guys, I appreciate you having me and look forward to it again.

Speaker 3: 18:10

Awesome. Thanks, coach. Good luck, coach. See you guys. Thank you, there you are, pags, I got you all right, but uh, yeah, he's, he's done a good job. Coach howard's done a good job. And I know when we talk to to nick all the time we always talk a lot about the, the youth sports, and one thing that's really nice about the youth sports as I was obviously talking to coaches, they got good numbers at the lower levels yeah, those numbers that he mentioned, I mean those are great numbers, I mean, and to talk about even the Little League, that's what I guess it was good to hear that he's tuned into the Little League, because that's really where it all starts.

Speaker 4: 18:50

I mean, those kids are going to. You know, if you can build the interest in Little League and then those kids come through, that's going to make your program so much stronger. I mean, we've obviously seen it with the basketball program, um. I think that's the key to success and I think that's why, that's why Rome sports um had been good throughout the years, because they build those feeder programs.

Speaker 4: 19:09

Uh gets kids interested early on and then, and then they continue to develop uh throughout. So it sounds like uh, he's got some really good players in there. I mean, some of the names that I recognized uh from hockey I think spruce was the goalie for uh, for rfa, if I'm yep, I'm not wrong um. So those are, those are, those are great athletes. I mean so you're, you know it's, and it's nice to see, because a lot, of, a lot of these athletes sometimes, you see, you know hockey players and basketball players who kind of uh we've talked about this before where they they stick to one sport. It's good to see that they're, they're, they're venturing off the other sports. Uh, because's good for them, it's good for the kids and it's good for the entire school, obviously, to see these kids out there playing.

Speaker 3: 19:44

Baseball just goes so fast. It really does, it really does.

Speaker 4: 19:48

I mean, you know I'm helping out with Modified for Westmoreland. It's like we're in the gym and you know we got one team from Modified, a lot of kids, and you know, know, just being in the gym and you just pent up and you can tell the kids just want to get out there, uh, and the weather doesn't look great. I don't think for the coming week of the some snow in the forecast. I think so, before you know it, you're, you're into play, uh, playing games already, and then the season's over. Uh, what early june is usually, uh, when it's over. So you really have, if you're lucky, probably a good month to get the games.

Speaker 4: 20:20

And it's tough because then you start getting rain, outs and everything and it's really tough here in the Northeast to get the baseball games in, which is why you see a lot of the teams head out to Myrtle Beach, head out to Florida to get some games in before the season starts. A lot of these teams have done that in the past. I know Proctor did it this year. They raised some money to get down to Florida or Myrtle beach or wherever it was. But it's hard Cause that's a lot of, it's a lot of money to raise to get the teams to go out there.

Speaker 3: 20:47

Well, listen, if you're a baseball guy in New York state, it's gotta be really hard. And I think of like the Tyler shops of the world who we've had on the show numerous times. Yeah, that's, that's in the minor leagues. I mean, there's been guys from this area that have floated around playing single a ball that you know with, even with the diamond dogs, Pete, where you're at. And I say to myself, like, if you want to play baseball and you're from New York state, I don't know, I don't know how you make it. Well, you don't play enough baseball.

Speaker 4: 21:15

Well, I think that you see a lot of the. I think a lot of these teams play in these AAU-type circuits where they go off and play in other places because you have to. I mean, you can't just if you're just going to stick to playing baseball in New York State.

Speaker 3: 21:30

You're not going to get enough.

Speaker 4: 21:31

Yeah, there's no way. I mean, and the thing is we have some facilities here we're lucky where you have Accelerate, you have Elevate and then you have I don't know if it's still open, but the one that was in Herkimer that the coach for the Herkimer Generals had for a while. He had a hitting facility down there and a lot of kids put a lot of time in those things. But that's the thing. Like you know, tyler Schaaf and those guys who have made it from this area if you're really dedicated to it and you want it bad enough, you'll find opportunities to play and that's what you have to do.

Speaker 4: 22:03

I mean, you've got to go out and find places to play and unfortunately for a lot of kids that costs money, right, I mean, if you're going to get involved in these travel teams and stuff, you know it makes it. That's what saddens me a little bit about some of this stuff is like you know, know you have kids who are great athletes but come from from homeless, who maybe could not, cannot afford that the extra money and they want to play school ball and those are the kids I think that don't have the same opportunities because you know to fork up the money to go play travel ball. Uh, for some of these teams, for some of these uh families, it's a lot.

Speaker 4: 22:36

It's a lot of money, yeah you know, you have your kids involved in a lot and and you know, just just just even not even being in the travel stuff, just being in some of the local stuff, um, it adds up, it adds up well, I was just saying the other day to my son because he'll he'll be on one of the modified teams here in rome.

Speaker 3: 22:56

So I think their first game is like may 3rd or 4th. They play notre dame at notre dame, and then it's literally like the month of may. They play like monday, wednesday, fridays, and you know three games a week, you're done in one month. Right, that's not, that's, that's barring. You know no rain, outs or anything, because you get it you get a week of rain, um, and that that moves.

Speaker 4: 23:18

You know that gives you three games, so you have to reschedule somewhere yeah, it's good to happen, right, it's just brutal and then and then it's not one of those things where you get, you know, you get a week of rain and then you have a good stretch of good weather. It's. You know how it is around here, it's either it's, it's all or none.

Speaker 4: 23:34

It's either you're gonna get some great weather for a couple weeks or you're gonna get rain, rain, rain, for you know a bunch of a bunch of weeks where it's gonna, it's gonna hamper the season and it's it's tough because the kids, it hurts the kids at the end of the day. You know, I mean you can only try to reschedule so many games and you know the double headers don't, you know the kids don't get it. Whenever you get into a double header you lose game time. You don't, you don't, you don't. You don't make up those games really. I mean you might play a double header but you're not getting the same amount of innings out there, especially with some of the new rules for modified.

Speaker 4: 24:05

I've been hearing that they're trying to keep the games to about two hours now, which is good and bad. I mean, some of the modified games that I've been involved with are brutally long, but at the same time, you know you need these kids out there playing ball. I mean that's where they're going to learn. You know the game experience is where they're going to learn, and I think some of these umpires are vouching for you know two-hour games and there's a five-run limit now, I think per inning, which again is good a little bit, because I've been involved in some games in the past where it's gotten out of hand.

Speaker 3: 24:47

But at the same time you're limiting the kids opportunities out there too. So why we wait for uh coach emily to jump on talk some rfa softball? We got a little bit of time. I want to get into nico uh, the quarterback from, I guess you can say his, his old team in tennessee. Former team uh was looking at four million dollars and you know, I guess, tip your hat to josh heupel in the university saying you saying there's nobody that's bigger than the team. Don't get me wrong. He was, I think, an average quarterback for Tennessee last year. I think a lot of expectations for him coming in for Tennessee another year in the program. Now I'm hearing that Ohio State, of course that has the money. Ohio State, oregon and, I just heard, colorado are three of the teams potentially interested in his services $4 million. I don't think he's going to be the only one, pete. I think we're going to start seeing this trend.

Speaker 4: 25:36

I think you're going to start seeing more of it. But good for Tennessee for saying no, right? Because I heard the same thing when I, when I heard about it and I started seeing like I'm like where's this kid rank? I I think he said that they was, he was the sixth best quarterback in that league. Um, so they probably said you know what, thanks, but no thanks. And plus, I think the way it was done, uh, the day before the day of spring practice, yeah, um, that says lot about that kid. You know what I mean.

Speaker 4: 26:02

Unfortunately, like, and unfortunately, other teams are going to go out and go after him. But good for Tennessee for saying no, and I just wish that other teams will look at that and say you know what, maybe this is not the type of kid we want on our team, but it's not going to happen that way. You know there's going to be a team out there that's going to be willing to give him the money he's going to get what he wants. But I think that's what you need to do. You need to have more and more teams that just say no to this.

Speaker 4: 26:25

I mean, I just saw something for Duke. I mean the Knieppel kid. I think someone offered him $5 million to go somewhere else and he said, no, he's staying at Duke, so good for him. But, um, so good for him. But I mean the landscape that we're in right now. I mean that's what's going to happen. I mean I, I think what started this is I. I I heard something that tennessee got got about eight million dollars in nil money, um, so he basically said, well, I want four million of it. So I mean, do you blame the kids for for, for max and all how much they, you know, up up in the ante somebody's gonna pay him.

Speaker 4: 27:00

Ohio state's gonna pay someone's gonna pay him right now, he's gonna get his money and he's gonna be.

Speaker 3: 27:04

I I think he's. There's gonna be more of these guys that you're gonna see that they're not college athletes anymore, it's pro sports no, it's pro sports, um.

Speaker 4: 27:13

But you know, I was having this conversation with a bunch of friends this past week at work and I was like you know what do you do? Do you? You know the? You set a salary cap, which I think is a good idea, right, but at the same time, you know, setting a cap does that hurt the big schools? I mean a school like Alabama and Oregon who has the money right? Do we just say you know what? We're not gonna set a salary cap, go out and get as much money as you can for NIL.

Speaker 4: 27:37

And then what will happen is you're gonna end up having just like society, right, society. You're going to have the upper class, the middle class and the poor, and it's like, well, you know what, if you create that kind of system, then you're going to have the best of the best in the upper class playing against each other and beating each other up and going after the money. You're going to have the middle class, which is probably like a Syrac syracuse right, where they can't get as much money as in alabama, but they're going to dominate the middle class. And then you're going to have the lower end teams who just can't raise that kind of money and they're going to do fine in their area. So I go both ways, like a cap kind of levels the playing field.

Speaker 4: 28:18

But does it really? Does it really level the playing field? For you know, if alabama can, if alabama has the same money, can bring in the same money as a syracuse, right, is it really a level playing field? I still, I still think alabama, you know, has the advantage because that money that they can't spend in nl they're going to spend elsewhere. They're going to, they're going to improve facilities, they're going to do more things at their facility to lure those kids to Alabama. So they might not get it in NIL money but they might say, well, come to Alabama, because look at the facilities we have here over Syracuse. And so I think it's the same thing. You're still creating that society system of, you know, the upper class, the middle class and the lower class.

Speaker 3: 29:03

All right, hold your thought it's no different in football, Because I got Coach Emily waiting to get in the wings here. She's probably saying we don't want to listen to you guys talk football here. Hold on, I got to change these settings around because that doesn't look good and we got to get you. There you are, Coach. I got to get you front and center. Never mind college football. Talk right, it's softball baseball time. How are you?

Speaker 5: 29:23

I'm good, thank you, how are you guys? Well, I'm doing good.

Speaker 3: 29:27

I'm not used to doing this thing at night. Normally these are done in the morning, so I appreciate it, because you probably just got off a bus not long ago, right the long day today, at Clifton Park.

Speaker 5: 29:44

Yep, yep, we were out playing two top teams in the state.

Speaker 3: 29:46

We faced off against Shenandoah and Gilderland today. So we'll get to that part in a minute. But let me just start with yourself. I know you've been involved in the program. This will be your first year as the head coach, taking over for Coach Jerry, who I always laugh because when I get him on this show I barely get any words in because he just always talks and talks, and talks. So this is going to be a little bit different.

Speaker 5: 30:11

But what's different about you compared to you know, taking over for Jerry and what's going to look different. I think the biggest thing is just you know I love Coach Jerry. He's a great role model for me. Great coach Guy really knows his X's and O's. He's a great role model for me. Great coach Guy really knows his X's and O's. But I think the difference between me and him is, you know, I was the girls, you know, a decade and a half ago, so I know exactly what they're feeling. I know exactly what. You know what's in their mind. And you know, the thing that I take the most pride in as a coach is I feel like I have my thumb on the pulse of the team and I think the biggest thing is just relatability, probably.

Speaker 3: 30:49

So, coach, last year this is a team that won 11 games, but it's also a team that I think they only lost one senior off of last year's team. So I think you guys bring back a lot of juniors and seniors, so it's an experienced team and similar to Coach Howard. I just said he's got a lot of juniors and seniors, so it's an experienced team and similar to Coach Howard. I just said you know he's got a lot of experience this year on the baseball team, similar to you. So, coming into your first year as the head coach, I know you've been involved in the program. But how much does that help?

Speaker 5: 31:13

Oh my gosh. Honestly I keep saying this to everybody that's been talking to me about this I feel like I've been handed a silver platter and it's my job to to take it and do the right things with it. Um, honestly, we've got a very talented team. We're not short for talent. We're not short of experience. It's just a matter of taking all the pieces and being able to put it together at the right time, in the right way, and and we're going to get there. I can promise you that.

Speaker 3: 31:42

And Coach, last year. It's a team that you know. They made it all the way to the semifinals and ran into a really good Liverpool team. And again, similar to baseball too, I keep saying the non-conference schedule. You guys playing the TVL with a non-conference schedule. You talked about the two games today against a really good Shen team and a really good Gilderland team. So that gives you guys a lot of experience coming into the season. Talk to us a little bit about that and how much it's going to help you.

Speaker 5: 32:07

Oh, absolutely. I mean I said this to the girls before the games today. You know I said don't feel sorry for yourself. You know we're getting on a bus for two-plus hours to go across the state to play two amazing teams that are going to set us up for this conference play. We've got a big game and we hope to make a statement tomorrow against New Hartford, actually against a former co-coach of mine.

Speaker 5: 32:31

I coached with Dan Salteri at Herkimer for many years. That guy is like a father to me. He's known me since I was a kid. He's seen me play as a player and early in my coaching career. So it's going to be kind of a bittersweet moment. You know I'm going to give him a hug before the game, but then I'm going to put my blinders on and we're going to go to work. But no, I'm excited.

Speaker 5: 32:54

You know we learned a lot today. Shen's an awesome team and, man, we hung with them for the whole game game. You know just a couple of unfortunate plays and a couple of times where we were trying to produce, where it just didn't go our way. But we hung with them and you know they're the last five years. I'm pretty sure they made it to the state. Uh, final four, the last, you know four out of the five years and to drop only five to two. I think we can hang our hat proud on that one. And and Gilderland again, you know they're, they're an awesome team.

Speaker 5: 33:26

We lost in that game too, but we saw so many good things. We had a lot, of, a lot of power and potential in the circle. Today. That's super promising because you know you got to have a good battery in order to win softball games for sure. So I excited, I think we're ready to go and I think the I think the TVL is going to be going to be surprised to see us yeah, and I was just going to say the TVL I mean you got Camden a year ago, I think won 20 games.

Speaker 3: 33:51

I mean Whitesboro, new Hartford, I think they each won 15, 16 games. I mean Notre Dame, pags, your alma mater, I think they won 15 games. And then CVA, who? I think they won 13 or 14 games. So everybody in that conference is really good. So it's a really tough schedule from start to finish.

Speaker 5: 34:07

Yeah, absolutely, you know. I take that as a blessing, though, because you know the worst thing that could happen and I've experienced this as a player you know when you have your conference games and and you're blowing teams away and you feel like you just don't have the competition all season and all of a sudden you get to the post season and you get spanked, you know. So I take it as a blessing that that we get to see adversity, uh, from the beginning of the season all the way through to the end, and it just sets us up for good postseason play. It just gets us prepared. We get to see some adversity, we get to see how our team handles adversity, and we've got a lot of talented teams in the area that are going to do some really good things in the softball field, and it's going to really be awesome to see how we match up against it.

Speaker 3: 34:48

I think, if my math is right, you might have 10 girls out of 12 on your team that are upperclassmen. I think you got four seniors right, six juniors on the team, I think, a couple sophomores, um, if my numbers are right. But talk to us about some of the girls, some of the names that we'll be hearing throughout the season, and is there a couple girls, um, you know that you would say, well, they're coming in with expectations, but you know, I guess you can say that is there somebody that's unexpected, that you're really looking forward to seeing how they perform this year.

Speaker 5: 35:20

In all honesty, I come in and my thought process is everybody's got a clean slate. You know this is the first year of our future and coming in as a new coach. I want the girls to know that you know this is the first year of our future and coming in as a new coach. I want the girls to know that. You know your experience is great but every single year, every single game, you got to show up. You know there's players that have, you know, started every single game their entire softball varsity career for us and if they don't produce, you know there's people chomping at the bit behind them. We've got a lot of great players. You know. First ones off the top of my head right now is our first five hitters. They really, these last two games, have really showed up.

Speaker 5: 36:02

You know we've got Kennedy Campbell, junior center fielder, leadoff hitter. She's a slapper, she's a tough out man. There's there's nothing she can't do. You know she can drop a bunt. She can do a soft slap in just the right spot, get it stuck in that Bermuda Triangle. She can hard slap and punch it past the infield like nobody's business and if I want to, I can have her swing straight up from the left side or the right side and the girl is fast. You know you can't bobble the ball and expect her to get out. You know you got to be perfect on defense to get that kid out. And then behind her, you know, we've got Lex Thompson, senior shortstop. The kid can absolutely play. You know there's not an aspect of the game where she has much to improve on.

Speaker 5: 36:49

After that we've got juniors Haley Bostwick, transfer from Whitesboro, you know, coming off a very unfortunate injury last year. She had an ACL tear after the basketball season so she missed out on her sophomore year with us last year. So, coming on as a junior she's got tons of potential, lots of power and that kid's a gamer. She doesn't back down, she's a fighter and she's the type of kid that can play anywhere. With having her on the roster it's really made it so. That way there's no holes in our lineup, you know, and and we can move a lot of things we can have her play third, play second, play short. I mean she goes. She went behind the plate for us in game two. Uh, the girl can absolutely play and you know, having her in different spots allows us to put other players in different spots, you know.

Speaker 5: 37:31

So having her, in different spots allows us to put other players in different spots, you know. So you know we're getting a lot of good experience out of that. After that we, you know, we've got Mack Howard, catcher, stud catcher. I mean geez, she threw out four steals today from Shen softball and they stopped stealing because she just kept gunning them out. And you know that's that's huge. When you can keep them at first base, that's huge. And you know that's huge. When you can keep them at first base, that's huge. After that, we hit Soph Toste and I've never seen a person, let alone female, hit a ball as hard as she does. You know, and I've coached in college, I've seen and coached with men's softball, men's fast pitch softball players, and she hits the ball hard. After that, you know, we got a lot of really stud utility players that can just play anywhere, they can hit the ball hard, they can manufacture runs.

Speaker 5: 38:20

For us this is going to be a really exciting season. There's a few kids that I think are going to really get the chance to step up this year. One that comes to mind right now is senior Chloe D'Amico. You know she's a type of kid last year where she sometimes she was on the bench, sometimes she was on the field. You know she was kind of waiting her time and you know I'm giving her opportunities and she's doing really good things with it, so I'm excited to see what she does.

Speaker 5: 38:47

Barbara Ciotti another one kind of very similar to Chloe, kind of on the bench, off the bench last couple of years and she she did great. She was a pinch hitter for our first game and then ended up having a great at bat, started our second game at first base and did some really good things. So you know, I said to the girls I was like I feel like I could just roll the dice and we would have a good lineup. Like so many of you can play in so many different positions, it's like a. It's the most amazing problem a coach could have.

Speaker 3: 39:18

I was just going to say those are really good problems. Yeah, as a coach to kind of just roll the dice and pick names. I'm looking at my lineup.

Speaker 5: 39:24

I'm like. I'm like, how do I not get this kid in? But how do I not get this kid in? There's not enough spots on the field for all of you. It's just so good. I'm excited. It's good because if one of our usuals isn't having an on day, then I know that next person in line is going to be able to get the job done. I'm really excited.

Speaker 3: 39:45

To get back into the sectionals and see this team make a run. What's this team have to do to make that run as the season goes on?

Speaker 5: 39:54

100% the entire game between the ears. Number one they have to believe that they belong. They have to believe that they belong, that they are going to win. They can't walk into any single game and think that it's going to be a loss automatic. They got to go in knowing they're going to win, producing the win and walking around with a little chip on their shoulder and you know, like, like today, we played Shen. We're watching them warm up and the girls are going oh man, she's pretty good, she's pretty good. And I'm like girls, you're pretty good. I don't even think you realize how good you are, you know. So I think it's just gaining that confidence and actually believing in themselves that's going to be the key to our success or our demise. I keep telling them I'm like the only team that's going to beat you is you 100. If each and every one of us plays our best game, there's not a team in this state that will beat us and coach.

Speaker 3: 40:47

It always comes down to pitching too right in any sport, pitching and playing some solid defense. I know you talked about some of the fielders that you have Talk to us. I know you got a couple pitchers back from a year ago as well. That are pretty good pitchers, so can you talk to us a little bit about those players?

Speaker 5: 41:01

Yeah, absolutely so. We got more than three pitchers, but we've got three pitcher pitchers. A lot of our girls in their past have pitched for us, but three stud pitchers and the beautiful thing about them is they all bring something a little bit different. We got two juniors returning. Maddie Safin is a junior returning for us. You know, maddie's that type of kid. She's a little bit like a Greg Maddox where she's got great spin, great movement and she hits her spots. You know she doesn't throw the ball 65, but she doesn't have to, you know, because she's able to work it. She's able to work the count and she's a bulldog, she's a believer.

Speaker 5: 41:38

Then we've also got junior Sophia Iglesias-Toste, that number five hitter that I was telling you about, that hits the ball really hard. You know she's built different. She's a tall, strong kid that throws the ball hard. And not only that, but when she believes in herself and she trusts her grip, she can spin it really, really well. And then after that we've got actually some future. We have a freshman, amelia Szymanski, on the team that actually went out and pitched game one against FM for us and went five strong innings, threw a bunch of strikes and held them back, and she's got a lot of promise. You know she's young, she's lean right now and over time, with some experience, with some more coaching and a little bit more practice and experience at this level, I think she's going to be a real, real bulldog for us to get some outs. She's another one. She's got speed, she's got spin and she's got a change of speed. That's pretty good.

Speaker 3: 42:41

Coach I had to put up. Coach Beers said ask her how her car is.

Speaker 5: 42:47

Thanks, beersy. All right, so I'll tell you a little story. I don't mean to be a little bit too much, like Coach Sklizinski talking too much today I'm going to try real hard.

Speaker 5: 43:02

No, that's the fun part, that's what makes these things great. I ran over a bolt and my tire had a bolt stuck in it and last night after practice I was like I got tons of time. I got spare wheels and spare tires in the garage. And one thing you can know about me is that during COVID, my COVID project was learning how to work on cars. So we went out and bought a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and I've done so much work on that thing. Um, it's just always something I've wanted to learn how to do. So, uh, I had some spare tires and I put them on last night. They were fine. You know, um, they're old tires, but I was like I'll get me a couple of weeks until I can get a new set on my way to school. I don't know how it happened, if I didn't torque the lug nuts correctly or if they were just off balance, but the my driver's side front tire fell off fell off like the lug nuts got lost in my house in the school.

Speaker 5: 44:07

I just saw jerry, he goes hey, now I just I talked just the right amount. I just saw Jerry he goes hey, no, I just I talked just the right amount. But anyway I luckily I've got really really good parents and good friends and good neighbors to help me out, got me, got me help, and we, we jacked it back up, got the, got the tire back on, put some new lug nuts on it and I drove it home. So we're good.

Speaker 3: 44:27

You got me excited. I've never met you before. I've heard a lot of good things from a lot of the coaches in Rome and in the area, and I reached out to a bunch of the guys to see if I can get your number to get you on. So I really appreciate you taking that especially after a long day for you to come on, get home, jump right out at me and talk some softball.

Speaker 5: 44:44

So I really appreciate it and we'll be around to some of the games that cheer you guys on. Sounds good, awesome, thanks.

Speaker 3: 44:52

Coach, good luck the rest of the way. All right you got it All right.

Speaker 5: 44:55

Thanks guys.

Speaker 3: 45:01

Hey, did we lose you?

Speaker 4: 45:02

Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was all of you or just me, but apparently my connection dropped.

Speaker 3: 45:06

You know, I was telling her just about before you dropped off was I would run through a wall for her. I don't even know her. I was sitting there saying to myself man, oh man, she's got a lot of energy, a lot of pep to her.

Speaker 3: 45:23

I really like the fact that, as a new coach taking over, you've got to be yourself, and I really liked how she said she's know she's going to be herself and everybody's got the fresh start and you know if. If somebody's not playing well, it's it's next next girl up, right?

Speaker 4: 45:40

Yeah, sounds like she's got a great group and it's going to be a fun season for those girls, that they got the right person at the helm and even she said, said, she's here for the coach, jerry, and it's nice to see that she still has that connection with coach and learning from him and taking the program and running with it. So good for her, I think. I think the girls are, uh, in good hands for sure yeah, it's.

Speaker 3: 45:59

It's always nice, though, to walk in, and when I, when I walked into sequoia, my first year I had I had a senior oriented team. Um, it's nice to walk in with experience. You know what players that have been there before, they've been in those tight games. They've been in those big non-conference games. That always helps a new coach coming in Now she's been with the program, but it always helps your first year to come in with some experience. But I'll tell you what opening up with, you know, non-conference today playing Shen and then playing Gilderland, those are two really good teams. And conference today playing shen and I'm playing gilderland, those are two really good teams. And and that tri-valley just like talking to coach howard the tri-valley for softball is really good yeah, there's not a team.

Speaker 3: 46:38

That's going to be a slouch team. They're going to be really good and they're going to get challenged out of the gate tomorrow right, and games like today is what's going to make them better.

Speaker 4: 46:46

Like like you said, these are the type of games that are going to make you better for the rest of the season and you know, like she said, like to have those teams that are good in that league is going to make them better throughout the year too, because if you're beating everybody, like she said, if you're beating everybody up, it's going to get harder throughout the season to get motivated, and then you're going to slip up and play sectionals and lose a game that you shouldn't. So it'll keep them on their toes. It'll keep them ready. Again, I think they're in a great spot and it's going to be exciting to see what they can do this year.

Speaker 3: 47:16

Well, Pegs, we said watching college basketball and really in any sport, defense wins championships.

Speaker 4: 47:21

Yeah. And even in softball and baseball you've got to have pitching and you've got to be able to make plays behind you and it sounds like they can't score they can't beat you, right, that's right, that's right.

Speaker 3: 47:32

So I was hoping we would have gotten medesis on tonight for a little bit. I gotta see what happened. The stat man might have retired, I gotta see what the stat man.

Speaker 4: 47:40

But uh, this eight o'clock thing, man, it doesn't feel, doesn't feel natural we're still used to doing it in the mornings it's a little different but you know it works well for our schedules because, like you said, kids everywhere running us everywhere ragged To make that 9 to 11, that's tough. There's lots going on between 9 and 11.

Speaker 3: 47:59

But if it's a way to get the gang back together and talk sports, we'll do it. So tomorrow night I got Jim Tracy's going to join me. It's a whole new thing Beyond the Game tomorrow night with Jim Tracy. He's the me. It's a whole new thing Beyond the Game tomorrow night with Jim Tracy. He's the co-founder of Legacy Communications. He's the author, speaker and host of the Grampian podcast. So this will be a completely new set of series of interviews that will be coming up. They'll run about every two weeks. So we'll debut that tomorrow night right here at 8 o'clock, beyond the Game on the Rockpile. So, pags, it was good to have tomorrow night right here at 8 o'clock Beyond the Game on the Rock Pile. So, pags, it was good to have you back on tonight. We'll do it again next week.

Speaker 4: 48:37

Fun, as always.

Speaker 3: 48:38

Hopefully we'll get a chance to watch some baseball this week and our kids will be able to get outside and play. I hope so. See if I can get up to watch some RFA baseball and softball this week.

Speaker 4: 48:49

My daughter, I know, loves going to watch, so we'll see if we can get up there and watch some of the games. Yeah, it's always good to catch a baseball game. I like catching the local stuff here at West Berlin. It's always fun to watch the boys and girls play.

Speaker 3: 48:58

So hopefully we'll be able to get out and watch some games.

Speaker 4: 49:00

We'll see. We'll see We'll be shoveling snow, but we'll see.

Speaker 3: 49:03

Nothing, anything, is better than that. I can just put my snowblower away today, so maybe that's the jinx and we're going to get like three feet of snow but, I, hope not, but all right, man, I'll talk to you soon.

Speaker 4: 49:15

Yep Sounds good, all right.

Speaker 3: 49:19

So I want to make sure let me get rid of that. I don't like there we go. Um, I want to make sure. I think both coaches uh, I want to make sure. I thank Coach Howard and Coach Emily for coming on with me tonight to talk some RFA baseball, some RFA softball. Both teams set up to have a really good season, so make sure to get out and watch both teams. Support all your local teams and the Mohawk Valley Sports Watch.

Speaker 3: 49:47

I can't thank everybody enough for following the show. This is weird doing it at night, but if it's a way for me to get the guys on and talk some sports, we'll do it. Make sure to tune in. Tomorrow night I go beyond the game. Right here on the Rockpile I'll talk to Jim Tracy a whole different type of series of interviews that will run over the next two weeks. I'll be shooting and do maybe two or three shows of those per month. So make sure to tune in and, as always, on behalf of the entire Mohawk Valley Sports Watch, coach Paggs, coach Medesas, the stat man and myself have a good weekend. Everybody, we'll see you next week right here on the Mohawk Valley Sports Watch.