SUNY University at Buffalo Men's Baseball

Torgalski enters his 10th season as the head coach of the University at Buffalo baseball team, his 16th season overall with the program. Torgalski spent seven seasons as an assistant coach with the team before being named head coach in July, 2006. In his ninth season at the helm of the Bulls, Torgalski guided UB to a 16-35 overall record and a 7-20 mark in MAC play. He coached junior Nick Sinay into a first-team All-MAC selection as well as a 22nd round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2014, the Bulls closed out a successful campaign with a 26-26 overall record and advanced to their second MAC semifinal in three seasons. Despite the semifinal defeat, the Bulls finished the 2014 season with the second highest win total of the modern era (26) and fourth most all-time. Last season, the Bulls saw three players named to All-MAC teams while a pair of players, Mike Burke and Tyler Mautner, were selected in the 2014 MLB draft. It marked the first time since 1983 that the program had two players selected in the same draft. Mautner was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 14th round (410 overall) while Burke was taken in the 30th round (901 overall). The 2013 season was a special one for Torgalski and his staff, as the team won 33 games to set an all-time program record for wins in a season. The Bulls won 19 games in the Mid-American Conference season, another record, and lost out on the regular season title on the last day of the season. The team won all nine weekend conference series, and never had a losing streak longer than three games. For his efforts, he was named the MAC Coach of the Year, while his senior center fielder Jason Kanzler was named the conferences player of the year. After a program-best eight weekly awards were earned by UB players over the course of the season, six players made the All-MAC postseason teams to set another program high-water mark. For the second straight season, the team made the MAC tournament, playing in three games. In his time at UB, Torgalski has established a respective program with many notable accomplishments including the programs first-ever appearance in the Mid-American Conference tournament in 2012, where the team won two games and made the semifinal round before bowing out to eventual champion Kent State. It was also the third 20-win season for the team under Torgalskis leadership, and with a 6-2 win over Toledo on May 6, 2012, he passed the 100-win mark for his career as a head coach. After the season ended, a pair of UB players received an opportunity to continue their careers on the professional level, with Tom Murphy and Cameron Copping joining the farm systems of the Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners, respectively. Also in the postseason, Jason Kanzler was awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove, and Pollock and Murphy made the Mideast Region Teams. Under Torgalskis guidance in 2011, sophomore catcher Tom Murphy was named the Mid-American Conferences Player of the Year, the highest award earned by a Buffalo player in the modern era of the program. In 2012, the program put four player on the postseason All-Conference teams, nearly doubling its all-time total in one go-around. Tom Murphy and Matt Pollock were first teamers, while Jason Kanzler and Cameron Copping made the second team. In Torgalskis tenure, 13 players have signed contracts with Major League Baseball teams, most recently in 2015 with Nick Sinay. In 2014, Torgalski saw two guys sign pro deals, Mike Burke and Tyler Mautner. UB Standout Tom Murphy was drafted in the third round by the Colorado Rockies, making him the highest UB player drafted in the modern era of the program. With his selection, Murphy becomes the fourth player drafted since UB reinstated baseball for the 2000 season. Zach Anderson was drafted in the 29th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2009, Mike Folli was drafted in the 42nd round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2007, and Joe Mihalics was drafted in the 34th round of the 2005 draft by the New York Mets. Copping signed with the Mariners just a week after his battery mate Murphy, becoming the 11th player to sign a MLB contract under Torgalskis leadership.   Other past free agent signees from UB include 2008 graduate Steve Geltz, who currently pitches for the Tampa Bay Rays, and 2010 graduate Chaz Mye signed with the Oakland As. Geltz just finished his first full season in the majors last season with Tampa Bay with appearing in 70 games while earning a 2-6 record with a 3.74 ERA. Geltz also earned his first two saves of his MLB career. The team had a record-breaking season in 2009, when the Bulls made tremendous strides in several offensive categories by setting all-time single team records for most hits (591), runs (424), RBI (384) and walks (253). In 2012, the team broke another program record after clubbing 56 home runs and 135 doubles in a school record 56 games, also setting the record for total bases (931). The team turned to its pitching staff in 2013, though, posting a team earned run average of 3.72, the lowest since the 1973 season. In the past eight years, Torgalski and his coaching staff have enjoyed conference success in the naming of 22 Bulls as All-MAC selections. The Bulls accomplishments are found not only on the diamond but in the classroom as well with another four players being named to the All-MAC academic team. The Bulls have displayed academic excellence in achieving their highest team GPA under Torgalski. These accomplishments are examples of Torgalskis influence in motivating these young men for athletic and academic success.   Torgalski has enjoyed success in coaching baseball as he was head coach of the New Hartford American Legion team that finished as the New York State runner-up. While Torgalski seems like a baseball guys all the way, he has also served as an assistant coach in basketball at the collegiate level. He spent six seasons as an assistant coach at UB and also for three seasons at his alma mater, Hamilton College, where he helped lead the team to a No. 1 national ranking in the final poll in 1990-91.   Torgalski attended Nichols High School in Buffalo, NY, where he was an All-Western New York player in both baseball and basketball.  While at Nichols, Torgalski teamed up with former NBA star Christian Laettner and guided the team to a New York State Class C title and was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player. In recognition of his accomplishments, Torgalski was named to the Nichols Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.   From there, he went on to letter in both sports at Hamilton College. As a basketball player, his 10.6 assists per game average in 1989 still ranks as the third-best ever in NCAA Division III history. After graduation from Hamilton in 1989, Torgalski went to Sweden and played professionally with the Monstreas Club basketball team before coming back to UB.   Torgalskis heart took him back to baseball and when UB decided to bring the sport back to Division I status in 1999-2000, it was Torgalski that former head coach Bill Breene wanted as his right-hand man. Torgalski, who earned his masters of science in education from Canisius in 2003, is a member of the National Baseball Coaches Association and the New York State Coaches Association. He resides in Williamsville with his wife, Lisa and their two sons, Nicholas and Tyler. 2013 MAC Coach of the Year Two MAC Players of the Year 46 MAC weekly honorees Seven MLB draft picks Four Freshman All-Americans 23 All-MAC selections Eight Academic All-MAC honorees 14 pro contract signees

Ziroli graduated from Marshall University in 2004 and is entering his seventh season as the pitching coach for the Bulls. He has been an integral part of the coaching staff, consistently helping the pitching staff surpass program and individual records over each of his first six seasons.  The Ziroli led pitching staff made history in 2016 as they allowed the least amount of walks (194) since the programs reinstatement in 2000 as well as owning a program record strikeout to walk ratio of 1.9. Ziroli saw two of his relief pitchers from the 2016 campaign sign professional contracts as junior closer Mike Kaelin was drafted in the 15th round of the MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels and junior relief pitcher Blair Lakso signed a contract with the Minnesota Twins. Under Ziroli's watch in 2016, junior right-handed pitcher Alec Tuohy was able to make the switch from reliever to starting pitcher and earned first team All-MAC honors. The junior finished off his campaign with a 7-4 overall record, second most wins in program history for a single season, while owning a 2.98 ERA and striking out 69 batters, ninth in program history for a single season. In 2015, Ziroli helped lead the UB pitching staff to a program record in strikeouts in a season with 377. Ziroli's staff also set a program record for saves in a season with 13 including a team-best five from closer Mike Kaelin. The UB pitching staff has continued to show improvement in staff ERA under Ziroli, highlighted by a 3.72 ERA in 2013 that was the lowest since the 1973 season and led the conference for the first time ever. Recently, 2014 graduate and All-MAC first team member Mike Burke was drafted in the 30th round by the Baltimore Orioles after a senior season that saw him break numerous modern day pitching records including strikeouts in a season (78). Burke holds the UB program record for wins (20), starts (43), innings pitched (291.2) and strikeouts (224).  Fellow starting pitcher Kevin Hughes earned second team All-MAC accolades under the tutelage of Ziroli in 2014. In 2013, the team set new program high marks almost completely across the board, with new post-reinstatement era records in ERA, innings pitched, wins, shutouts, runs and earned runs, saves, and fewest walks and wild pitches. He guided Burke to one of the best all-around seasons by any pitcher in program history, and the team saw three pitchers make All-MAC teams (Burke first team, River McWilliams and Anthony Magovney second team). Freshman Ben Hartz also had a great season for the Bulls earning Freshman All-American honors after earning six wins and a save while holding opponents to a .236 batting average against him. His 2.01 ERA for the season was the eighth lowest in the all-time history of the program, and it stands as the lowest ERA by a pitcher post-reinstatement (in 2000). 2012 graduate Cameron Copping signed a free agent contract with the Seattle Mariners after a senior season that saw him break numerous modern day pitching records under Ziroli's watchful eye.  Ziroli pitched for the Thundering Herd in 2003-2004. In his senior season, he went 3-1 with a 4.04 ERA as primarily a middle reliever, logging 23 appearances with two saves and 62 strikeouts. For his Division I career, Ziroli went 7-4 with a 4.08 ERA. Prior to that he pitched at Parkland College in Champaign, IL in 2001-2002, team won JUCO division II national championship.  After graduating, he played two years of pro ball, signing with Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League in 2004 where he played alongside his older brother Mike. He then played for Richmond Roosters of Frontier league in 2005.   Once his playing career ended, Ziroli spent time as the pitching coach for Thunder Bay Border Cats in Thunder Bay, ON, Canada, member of the Northwoods League in 2006. Most recently, he has worked for the Chicago White Sox Training Academy in Chicago as an instructor.  Ziroli has a B.A. in Sports Management and Marketing from Marshall. Originally from LaGrange, Illinois, he now resides in Buffalo with his wife Michele.