Q & A With Behrend Baseball Coach Paul Benim

What are your general thoughts on how the season started down in Florida and where do you feel like your team stands right now?

It's all good. We were prepared entering our spring trip. Our players played exceptionally hard and made several positive things happen on the field. We felt like we battled several teams that will move on to have solid seasons. Although our pitching and defense did not demonstrate the experience our program has in these spots, we know they are very capable, and will improve with each outing. We trailed in most of the games we played and offensively we were very resilient. We are moving in the right direction.

Who is performing particularly well for the team right now?

There are several players that had really strong weeks. David Koerbel and Andy Chrobak consistently provide us with strong starts, while Ryan Smith was exceptional out of the pen. Offensively we received contributions from numerous hitters which is a good thing. John Gray, Geoff Lang, David Miller and Eddie Kessler were very productive in the opening week of the season. Our players need to continue to realize how vital the one-on-one battle with the pitcher is, and compete in each and every at-bat.

What does the AMCC look like this season? How do you think you will fare against conference competition?

Once again, the preseason honor from our league coaches is nice to talk about, but we need to compete every day and finish strong in the league. We will be challenged this year and take every team's best shot. It is very difficult for any program to go 17-1 against the league schedule. The AMCC is ultra competitive and you have to play at a high level everyday.

Has anybody really surprised you with what they brought back from the offseason?

Our seniors prepared themselves and provided strong leadership. Performance wise three sophomores made our team take notice. Adam Hartwig and Rich Doyle provided quality at-bats, while Ryan Zamiskie gave our program three solid mound appearances in relief. Freshman Ryan Geibel was also good on both sides of the ball.

What is the biggest challenge as your team returns home and prepares for the heart of your schedule?

Baseball players have to be tough. It is hard not always knowing when your next game will be, and dealing with all the demands of school, baseball, and real life. We are lucky to have such an excellent group of young men on our team that thoroughly enjoy being in the Behrend baseball program and playing together.

What are your expectations for the end of the season and into the postseason?

Our goal is to compete to win the AMCC championship. In addition, we strive to do well in the extended postseason. We want our players to live in the moment, play one game at a time, and enjoy the greatest game in the world!