Coach Jeff Cochran may be a relative newcomer to the college, but he is no stranger to the sport of baseball, and this year will mark his first as Bucks’ baseball coach.

Just recently meeting most of the guys he feels confident in their abilities. “These are a great group of young men who want to compete,” Cochran says of his players.

Cochran’s been coaching since 1986 at high schools in Pennsylvania and Florida.  In 2007, he took Northampton Township’s little league team to the state championship including an appearance on ESPN.

The team’s ace, Patrick O’Leary, has been throwing for close to a decade. Prior to playing for Bucks, O’Leary was busy being scouted by professional teams, but an arm issue interrupted any Division I aspirations.

Coach Cochran says his hope is that O’Leary’s “arm problems are in the past and he will regain what he had and move on to a major Division I school.”

The bullpen quadrant of Matt Creevy, Chris Wall, Juwan Russel and Ryan Calabro are poised to offer a shutdown back-end of the game. Cochran believes all four have the mentality of a closer.

“[I’d] pick any one of them as I believe in each one of them,” he said.

Right now, the coach’s biggest concern is finding a starting catcher.  There are a lot of new faces, and he hopes someone on the roster can remain a Mike Piazza-ian figure behind the plate.

With the team being led by Captains Dustin Singer, Matt Creevey, and Zach Steubing, he is positive that Bucks will be out there playing their best this season.

These infielders are returning to the field after playing last season with the experience to help new teammates face off against their opponents. Cochran feels the outfield is secure and the guys out there have “a ton of speed and strong arms.”

When asked about strategies against rivals Bucks coach says, “I am not worried about history, we start today towards tomorrow representing Bucks in a proud manner.”

At their first informal practice last week he told the team that he expects them to “work hard, have fun, stay focused,” and let their opponents know that, ‘Bucks comes to play!”

His players know that they are expected to face each game with the same attitude whether it is played at home or away.  The team’s been adding weight training three times a week to the regular practice schedule to build up stamina. The coach has no doubt his players are dedicated.

“I am sure these guys will welcome double headers without hesitation,” says the first-year coach.

His personal philosophy about baseball is simple: “It has been the same for 100 years, respect it, yourself, and your opponents.”

When it comes to his pregame pep talks he tells his guys to, “play hard, have fun, get dirty, and decide the game between the lines.”Cochran believes the greatest achievement a coach can have is helping place a student athlete with a college team. He stresses the importance of keeping on top of schoolwork.

“These guys have talent, it is up to me to help them become better student athletes and help them move on to four year colleges and if they want to play ball, help them find the right school, but they know it comes down to grades.”

The 2013 season opens March 22 and the game schedule can be found on Bucks’ homepage www.bucks.edu .