Skip Talk: Summer Check-In
7/10/2017 10:29:00 AM | Baseball
Panther Newcomers Join Jordano, Staff on Campus
Having just completed his 20th season at the helm of the University of Pittsburgh baseball program, head coach Joe Jordano is the winningest coach in program history. Here the skipper discusses the upcoming season.
How are things progressing this summer?
I am very pleased with the progress our guys are making this summer. As you know, we had some young talent last year, and with each opportunity they have they will get better. Our freshmen are on campus now, taking credits and getting into a good routine, and are showing an incredible enthusiasm and focus. Our strength staff relayed some very good feedback on their effort. This is exactly want I wanted, to make sure we are getting kids committed to being the best they can be, both on and off the field. This is going to be a very good group to coach. I am looking forward to it.
How do you feel about this upcoming season?
I certainly feel much better than I did last year at this point of the summer. Last July we were working very hard trying to recover from the unexpected loss of Leblanc and Yarnall. That scenario has been well-documented and quite frankly, we couldn't overcome those losses. This year we are in much better shape. We anticipated and prepared for the loss of Isaac Mattson and commit Nick Egnatuk. Believe me, I would love to have both of those guys back, but with the medical redshirt of David Yanni and Liam Sabino becoming eligible after his transfer to us from Vanderbilt, we are in great shape in the infield. Those are two very talented players that will be back. In addition to our other guys that gained great experience a year ago.
Does last season affect what you are doing this year?
Not at all. I will be very candid with you, there is no team in our conference, or possibly any team in the country, that could recover from what we went through. No way. We start with 32, lose two potential weekend starters, lose your No. 3 hitter/starting shortstop in week two for the year and lose your utility INF/DH guy at week seven for the rest of the year. We go into the final four weeks of the season with a healthy roster of 24 players, that is crazy. But what we did get out of it? We played hard to the last out of the season and were competitive. Listen, everyone wants to win more games and I know we are on the right path, but you cannot overcome things that are completely out of your control. Our guys stuck to the plan; our coaches never gave in and we played with heart. That's all I can ask, and that's what we did. That clubhouse after the final game was one of the most emotional that I have been a part of in a long time. When you pour everything you have into each other and give everything you have – it hurts. Those guys that are returning learned from that experience.
Entering the fall, what is your objective?
Keep things very simple. I am a firm believer in simple, executable goals. We need to understand our core principals and focus on what we control. That is our process. We will not focus on results, but on how we do things every day – when no one is watching. Our process will maximize and put us in a position to be successful. We need to stay healthy and compete every opportunity we have, and we will be prepared going into next season. Believe me, it goes fast. The fall flies by and before you know it, the season is right in front of us. I truly cannot wait to set our plan in motion with this group of men.
You are entering your 31st season as a head coach and your 21st season at Pitt, how are you feeling at this point of your career?
I am energized. I have been through some tough times here at Pitt, but there is nowhere else I would rather be. You know, starting here at Trees Field then moving to Cost Field, managing scholarship and roster limits, then competing in the ACC have all been challenging, but I feel strongly that my staff, my players and I have done a solid job of managing each of those challenges. For the first time in a while, I look at this roster and this coaching staff and know we have the ability to be very good. In addition, the commitments we have already secured for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 classes are the best ever. We continue to recruit student-athletes who are committed to academic success and committed to an effort that will put us in a position to compete for an ACC Championship, as well as earning a berth in Omaha and winning a national championship. We are committed to that process and feel that we are on the right path to win. I will continue to, first and foremost, operate the baseball program with the highest level of integrity and professionalism possible. We pride ourselves on being great representatives of the University. The future for all of our sports and the University of Pittsburgh, under the leadership of Heather Lyke and Chancellor Gallagher, is very bright. There is a renewed expectation to win. We all embrace that expectation and are working hard to make that happen. It is a great time to be a Panther.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
How are things progressing this summer?
I am very pleased with the progress our guys are making this summer. As you know, we had some young talent last year, and with each opportunity they have they will get better. Our freshmen are on campus now, taking credits and getting into a good routine, and are showing an incredible enthusiasm and focus. Our strength staff relayed some very good feedback on their effort. This is exactly want I wanted, to make sure we are getting kids committed to being the best they can be, both on and off the field. This is going to be a very good group to coach. I am looking forward to it.
How do you feel about this upcoming season?
I certainly feel much better than I did last year at this point of the summer. Last July we were working very hard trying to recover from the unexpected loss of Leblanc and Yarnall. That scenario has been well-documented and quite frankly, we couldn't overcome those losses. This year we are in much better shape. We anticipated and prepared for the loss of Isaac Mattson and commit Nick Egnatuk. Believe me, I would love to have both of those guys back, but with the medical redshirt of David Yanni and Liam Sabino becoming eligible after his transfer to us from Vanderbilt, we are in great shape in the infield. Those are two very talented players that will be back. In addition to our other guys that gained great experience a year ago.
Does last season affect what you are doing this year?
Not at all. I will be very candid with you, there is no team in our conference, or possibly any team in the country, that could recover from what we went through. No way. We start with 32, lose two potential weekend starters, lose your No. 3 hitter/starting shortstop in week two for the year and lose your utility INF/DH guy at week seven for the rest of the year. We go into the final four weeks of the season with a healthy roster of 24 players, that is crazy. But what we did get out of it? We played hard to the last out of the season and were competitive. Listen, everyone wants to win more games and I know we are on the right path, but you cannot overcome things that are completely out of your control. Our guys stuck to the plan; our coaches never gave in and we played with heart. That's all I can ask, and that's what we did. That clubhouse after the final game was one of the most emotional that I have been a part of in a long time. When you pour everything you have into each other and give everything you have – it hurts. Those guys that are returning learned from that experience.
Entering the fall, what is your objective?
Keep things very simple. I am a firm believer in simple, executable goals. We need to understand our core principals and focus on what we control. That is our process. We will not focus on results, but on how we do things every day – when no one is watching. Our process will maximize and put us in a position to be successful. We need to stay healthy and compete every opportunity we have, and we will be prepared going into next season. Believe me, it goes fast. The fall flies by and before you know it, the season is right in front of us. I truly cannot wait to set our plan in motion with this group of men.
You are entering your 31st season as a head coach and your 21st season at Pitt, how are you feeling at this point of your career?
I am energized. I have been through some tough times here at Pitt, but there is nowhere else I would rather be. You know, starting here at Trees Field then moving to Cost Field, managing scholarship and roster limits, then competing in the ACC have all been challenging, but I feel strongly that my staff, my players and I have done a solid job of managing each of those challenges. For the first time in a while, I look at this roster and this coaching staff and know we have the ability to be very good. In addition, the commitments we have already secured for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 classes are the best ever. We continue to recruit student-athletes who are committed to academic success and committed to an effort that will put us in a position to compete for an ACC Championship, as well as earning a berth in Omaha and winning a national championship. We are committed to that process and feel that we are on the right path to win. I will continue to, first and foremost, operate the baseball program with the highest level of integrity and professionalism possible. We pride ourselves on being great representatives of the University. The future for all of our sports and the University of Pittsburgh, under the leadership of Heather Lyke and Chancellor Gallagher, is very bright. There is a renewed expectation to win. We all embrace that expectation and are working hard to make that happen. It is a great time to be a Panther.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
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