The Shorthorn - Assistant coach Jay Sirianni plays verbal pitch-and-catch with The Shorthorn

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Assistant coach Jay Sirianni plays verbal pitch-and-catch with The Shorthorn

Written by Sam Morton, The Shorthorn staff

Monday, 18 January 2010 08:54 PM

In his sixth season as Mavericks pitching coach, Jay Sirianni looks to mold the skills of this season�s group of young players and improve the consistency of his returning pitchers. Sirianni said that he observes the individual needs of players in order to help them progress at UTA and in their future draft potential. (The Shorthorn: Andrew Buckley)

Jay Sirianni became UTA’s pitching coach in 2004, and has overseen the development of 16 student-athletes in their quest to break into the Major Leagues during his career.

We sat down and talked about the mound with the man who once won a baseball game 50-3 — yes, 50 runs to 3 runs — when he pitched for the University of Nebraska in 1999.

The Shorthorn: As a college pitching coach, what do you do specifically to prepare these pitchers for the next level?
Jay Sirianni: “For us, it’s about development no matter what, whether it’s getting them ready to play professional baseball or to continue to develop to win here. A lot of it is our guys, they’re pretty talented and work hard. I just try to get them into a routine that works for them, whether it’s more long toss and less bullpens or more bullpens and less long toss. It’s really the relationship I form with the guys. Nothing is set in stone with those guys.”

Pitching is just as much mental as it is physical. Once you fall into a rut, it’s tough to mentally break out of it. How do you build these pitchers’ confidence back up when they endure an extended slump?
“It’s kind of like the shooter’s mentality. As a three-point shooter in basketball, if you’re shooting a lot and missing, then you’re bound to make one. On the mound, you’ve just got to get back on the horse. But our guys are pretty mentally tough. They have to be. Being on the mound is maybe the loneliest place in sports.”

Pitching and defense are all the rage right now in Major League Baseball. Does this trend have an impact on UTA’s baseball philosophy?
“Not so much. Our ballpark is really hard to score in. It sits backwards and blows from the south quite a bit. It’s a big ballpark, but really in college baseball, you’re going to score. I mean, at the end of the day, you’re going to score three runs. It’s the team that prevents the big inning, and that’s one of the things we talk about mainly as a staff. Don’t walk guys, make them hit and field the ball when you get it hit to you.”

UTA's pitching statistics
the last three seasons

	W-L	ERA	BAA	BB	SO	CG
2007	13-40	6.20	.315	175	330	4
2008	26-31	5.83	.306	185	328	5
2009	30-26	4.38	.292	183	410	4

Your team earned run average improved from 5.83 to 4.38 last year. To what do you attribute this improvement?
“Experience. We had an older group with guys who had been through a lot, and they’d had some successes in the past. Last year, they all just kind of came together, but the experience is the biggest thing. [Ryan] Robinson had a great year. I think he won 11 or 12 games in two years here as a left-hander, and he’d set the tone on weekends. Nate was a guy who could get guys to swing and miss, and that shut down Saturdays pretty well. And on Sunday, we had guys who’d been through the battle a few times.”

Nathan Long and Ryan Robinson are huge losses for the staff. Who are we counting on to fill that third and fourth rotation spot behind Rett Varner and Jason Mitchell?
“Logan Bawcom will be big for us, a transfer from Midland College, so he’s going to be important. Brody Walker is a left-handed freshman who, stuff-wise is pretty good, but has got to learn to pitch a little more. Preston Beck will be big for us, but we’re going to be young. I like our talent, but the younger side makes it a little scary.”

What do they bring to the table?
“Our players are mainly velocity guys, trying to get swings-and-misses. Sam Hansen’s kind of a sinker guy, and Brody Walker is going to end up being a swing-and-miss guy from the left side. So it’s going to be an interesting mix of guys, but it’ll be different from last year.”

You’ve been able to get 16 pitchers into major league systems in the past six years, including Nathan Long and Dillon Gee. Do you think it’s anything you’re doing particularly?
“It’s our guys, it is. It’s their make-up their blue collar attitude that gets them there, I’m just here to help. Doesn’t mean I’m always their mother.”

What are your expectations for 2010, and why should UTA students be excited about the upcoming season?
“Well, we’ve got the 13th best player in the country according to collegiate baseball, so between [Michael Choice] and Rett [Varner], we have some pretty good talent. We’re going to play a great schedule every year. Teams from all over the country come in. Plus, this is a younger group without as much experience, so they’re going to be playing with their hair on fire, so it’ll be fun. We’re excited to be around this group, we like our athletic ability, but the experience side is a little scary.”

If you weren’t a baseball coach, what would you be?
“I couldn’t tell you. My dad was a college coach, and my brother is a high school coach, so this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Super Bowl prediction?
“Colts and Vikings. I like Brett Favre and Peyton Manning, so I guess I’m kind of a quarterback fan.”

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