Baseball coach looks to improve from last season
Mesa Community College baseball head coach, Tony Cirelli, looks forward to a season of progress from his “Gashouse Gang” otherwise known as the defending 2014 NJCAA Region I, Division II Champion Thunderbirds.
Cirelli got his start through the high school and collegiate ranks as a ball player before injuries shortened his baseball career. He switched to coaching, taking over from former coach Roger Schmuck in 1995. “Our big thing here is to improve and develop every day. We don’t talk much about winning,” Cirelli began when asked about his philosophy on the game and his approach to coaching this year’s club. “Fundamentals are everything.” Cirelli added, noting the approach is the same when preparing for each opponent. “We can show up every day and we can play hard. We try to respect this game and this program,” Cirelli said.
Overall, heart and character have a big impact on this ball club. “I’ll take a guy who gets dirty and just keeps grinding away.” Cirelli said when asked about the origins of the “Gashouse Gang” nickname. “We’re dirty. We play gritty. We get down into the dirt, working hard while improving every day.” “You have to play the game right.” Cirelli said, when asked about his in-game strategy of using a “small ball” mentality, applying the team’s speed, and utilizing good defense. “Being good at fundamentals are what works for us.”
Last year the T-Birds were in 26 games decided by one run. Due to the preparation under Cirelli’s guidance, they won 19 of those games. This kind of success breeds confidence against any opponent on the schedule this season. “We call that ‘Gashouse,’” Cirelli added, making a point of emphasis on the heart and grit of his players.
The T-Birds have five notable players returning for the 2015 campaign. The No. 1 ranked club as voted by the NCJAA coaches poll for this season in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, welcomes back Alex Gudac, a Utah native, for his second season. Gudac batted .325 last season with four home runs, 34 RBI’s and 24 stolen bases providing a spark for Mesa’s championship run. Next is outfielder and designated hitter, James Anderson. Anderson batted . 355 from the right side of the plate while driving in 20 RBI’s and 1 home run last year.
Casey Moses, the T-Birds short-stop, also returns after a season that saw him hit a .297 average over 54 games from the right side of the plate in the all important lead-off spot in the lineup. The fleet-footed Casey batted in 23 RBI’s and had 9 stolen bases last season.
California born pitcher Joseph Carvalho returns to solidify his legacy as an All-American right handed pitcher. Last season, Carvalho started 20 games, finishing the season with an 11-2 record over 107 2/3 innings pitched with an impressive 1.67 ERA with 78 recorded strike outs.
Lastly, rounding out the group is the 2014 NJCAA Championship Tournament MVP third baseman, Jordan Zimmerman. Zimmerman, a Mesa native and Red Mountain High School alumni led the club with a club leading .387 batting average, .432 on base percentage and a .558 slugging percentage while driving in 49 RBI’s in 233 at bats over 61 games.
These numbers represent an impressive job from the right side of the dish. Zimmerman hit 5 home runs, 15 doubles and 6 triples over the course of the winning season. Zimmerman has definite opinions on the upcoming season and what he expects out of himself and his fellow team members. Zimmerman moved from third base over to second, where the club can use his range and quickness to cover the middle-infield defensively this season.
“I started playing baseball at four years old. Played little league, then high school varsity. I’ve always been a short stop,” Zimmerman said. “I just look for a certain pitch. When I get my pitch, I usually hit it,” Zimmerman added while describing his approach to seeing the ball at the plate that led to a club leading .378 batting average last season.
This approach led him to win the MVP for the Championship Tournament, an honor Zimmerman is humbled by, “It was really cool, I’ve never felt anything like it. Just to be a part of something like this was really amazing.”
“I like coach Cirelli. As I’ve worked with him he’s really improved my skills as a baseball player,” Zimmerman said. He mentioned that he has already signed a letter of intent for Michigan State, and has no other goals this season other than to improve and win another national championship.
While the “Gashouse Gang” may look a bit disheveled, their minds and hearts are all in the same place. Working to improve on the field of play each day while focusing on the game at hand in an effort to win on a quest to once again be national champions.
