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After a snow delay it looks like Buffalo and Davidson might get three games in this weekend. The current plan has a double header starting Saturday at 6 and then perhaps a Sunday morning contest. The earlier Sunday the better because the team needs to be on the road before the afternoon.
Anyone who does not think that Northern Baseball and Softball players are not the hardest working kids in the NCAA needs to have their heads examined ;)
Anyway with three games the starters are supposed to be McGee, Magovney, and Burke. It's the "Weekend" power lineup of pitching that will get the bulk of UB's conference games later this season.
Davidson is entering their final season in the Southern Conference before heading to the Atlantic 10. When they get back into the A10 coach Dirk Cooke will be able to compete against his Alma Mater. Cooke pitched for Richmond in the 70's and started off as an assistant head coach.
In 1991 Cooke took his first head coaching job at Davidson and has gotten the Cats into the So-Con post season tournament 13 times but never had the program ranked higher than 4th in the conference. His last winning season was 20 years ago in 1994.
But that record needs to be seen through the lens of the So-Con's stronger programs.
Buffalo is coming off of their first-ever winning season behind Ron Torgalski who had the Bulls just a half game out of winning the Mid American Conferences regular season title. UB is returning the bulk of their pitching and a lot of key hitters. UB was picked by the media to finish 3rd in the MAC East in a recent poll.
Pitchers This Weekend:
Mike McGee - During his sophomore McGee brought his era down to 4.29 from a freshman number north of 10.... The young lefty tied the school record for the most starts in a single season in program history (15).
Anthony Magovney - Magovney tied McGee with 15 starts after working his way into the weekend rotation. His seven wins last season tied for the third most in a single Buffalo season. He was named to the All-MAC second team when the season was over on the strength of some great numbers and a pair MAC East Pitcher of the Week awards.
Mike Burke - Burke was UB's star on the mound last season, a season which ranks as one of the best seasons in program's modern era. He won eight games and threw for 101.2 innings over 14 starts, the latter two are both program records. Burke can go the distance throwing three complete-game shutouts last season....
The First Team All-MAC player is also UB's shortstop of choice when he is not on the mound. His fielding percentage last season was .950. At the plate he hit .266 with 21 RBI's and nine doubles.
After the season was over Burke was named to The Perfect Game’s Summer College All-America Team after a big season for the Holyoke Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
