It can be said that the most difficult part of starting college has to be meeting new people and making new friends. If you add playing a sport and a full course load, then one might have an idea of what it is like to be a student athlete.
The baseball program at Buffalo has struggled since re-entering Division I in 2000 and has been searching for a player or two to bring the team out of the basement. While there have been some great players in the past few years, no two players were more important than junior second baseman Brad Agustin and senior reliever Zach Anderson.
Together, Anderson and Agustin were part of arguably the best draft class the baseball program has ever produced. Anderson has been the closer this season and has been just about lights out whenever he has toed the rubber. Batting in the two-hole and providing a steady presence in the lineup for the booming offense this season has been Agustin.
Coming to UB
After graduating together from local high school Williamsville East, the two ballplayers decided to stay close to home and try to provide a boost to the Bulls.
"One of the main reasons I came to UB was because of the recruiting class that came in," Anderson said. "Playing with Brad in high school, he's such a competitor. He's one kid [who], in a war, I'd pick to have on my side. It's been an honor playing on his team for so many years."
Agustin was also excited to stay home and play baseball for the Bulls.
"I liked that it was close to home," Agustin said. "A lot of my high school friends were going to UB and I really liked the coaches."
Head coach Ron Torgalski can't say enough about how much both players have meant to the team and the University.
"[They've brought] work ethic, intensity, and both have matured tremendously since they came in as freshman," Torgalski said. "Their approach to the game has changed and their commitment has been fantastic."
While it may not look like there has been much improvement, the Bulls are knocking the cover off the ball this season. The team ended last season by posting a team batting average of .266 and has managed to raise that number this year to .303.
The decision to stay and play at home wasn't a difficult one for Anderson.
"Growing up and being around UB for 11 years, I wanted to come here and make a difference," Anderson said. "Trying to put a stamp on UB and [trying] to get it recognition as a program. There is a lot of talent in the northeast that a lot of people don't recognize, so staying in the area gives some attention to Buffalo."
Both players are respected leaders on the field and the best of friends off of it. Torgalski realizes the advantages of having players who are familiar with each other.
"When they come in as freshman, it gives them that comfort level," Torgalski said. "Those two, especially, they came in with a recruiting class with local guys who they had played summer ball with and high school ball, as well as grew up playing Little League together."
Professional aspirations
On June 9, both players will wait and see if their names are called in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. Playing in the big leagues is the dream of every Little Leaguer across the country, and both players hope to be able to realize that dream.
"I'm extremely excited," Agustin said. "It's been my dream since I was little to get that chance to play at the Major League level. For my family and friends, I'm just hoping and wishing I get drafted."
Anderson welcomes the chance of playing professionally but hasn't counted his chickens yet.
"It's a day-by-day process," Anderson said. "I have to keep everything situated; hopefully the team keeps winning so looks keep coming in. I haven't really thought about it too much and it's down the road a little bit, but if everything pans out, God willing, I look forward to the opportunity to play."
Torgalski and his staff do everything they can to help get their players' names out there for scouts looking to draft them.
"We do a lot to promote our kids," Torgalski said. "We try and send them to very good summer leagues, where they get exposure with wood bats. We'll talk to a lot of guys and send things out."
Preparing for the near future
The preparation for this day has been an ongoing process since tee ball for both players. It continues, even now, not only on the field for the Bulls but at summer leagues where Anderson and Agustin get the chance to really prepare for the next level.
"Summer leagues have been huge for me," Agustin said. "[Leagues] around Buffalo aren't very good, but once you move to the good ones over the summer, you can fine tune your tools and get better for the fall and spring seasons."
The experience is something that Anderson has taken away from his summer outings.
"I've played away from home the last two summers," Anderson said. "You get away and get a chance to meet new people and see different parts of the country. It's a different talent level as well. All you are is a name, and from there you have to prove yourself."
With so much pressure to perform and post good numbers, both players agree that taking care of the numbers ultimately helps the team win.
"You have to have good stats," Agustin said. "It is a team game and you do your best for the team to win. If the team does well I think the numbers will be good."
The stress of managing school and baseball tends to weigh on the student athlete. Agustin and Anderson take a different approach when dealing with the juggling act.
"Especially in a semester like this one, it tends to be stressful," Agustin said. "You know you have tests and stuff, so when you're in a game you try and put it in the back of your mind and not worry about it and play [the] game."
Putting things off sometimes adds to the stress of the reliever.
"I'm kind of a procrastinator," Anderson said. "I leave everything until the last moment in hopes that I get everything done, and I'm usually pretty successful with it. Staying organized, even though I procrastinate, has definitely helped."
Inspiration through friendship
Every person has someone or something he or she looks to for inspiration. Agustin is thankful to his family for always being there for him.
"My family comes to a lot of games," Agustin said. "They support me in every way in anything I do. They come to my summer games as well, and it's always good to see a familiar face when you're away. My step-dad taught me how to play baseball while growing up and really got me into it. Whenever I have a problem, like a twitch in my swing or something, I give him a call."
Both players have already left their mark on the baseball program. Their success will be a blueprint for Torgalski in future seasons.
"When they leave, I hope they look back and say, 'We helped to get this program going in the right direction,'" Torgalski said. "They changed the approach and intensity of the team just by being a part of it. We have taken steps in the four years they have been playing and we're hoping to build on that."
The friendship that started years ago helped two young baseball players transform a baseball team and drive one another to be the best player each of them can be. It goes to show that a little help from your friends can, like a towering home run to win the game, go a long way.
