Amidst all the hype surrounding football and basketball, there is a Panther team prowling… Amidst all the hype surrounding football and basketball, there is a Panther team prowling around the baseball diamond at Trees Field, awaiting its chance to get back to the Big East Tournament.

The Pitt men’s baseball team is using this off-season to rearrange, rework and recover.

The biggest rearrangement to date came earlier this month when head coach Joe Jordano promoted Joel Dombkowski, long-time assistant coach, to be his associate head coach.

Dombkowski has been an assistant to Jordano for the past 13 years, five of which were served at Mercyhurst College.

“I am very pleased to promote Joel to the position of associate head coach for our baseball team,” Jordano said. “It is a well-deserved honor, and it is a testament to his outstanding coaching ability and his loyalty to the University of Pittsburgh.”

Before Dombkowski became part of Jordano’s coaching staff, he played for him during his college career at Mercyhurst. Dombkowski was a standout catcher, earning All-Region honors twice, and helping lead the Lakers to two playoff appearances in 1989 and 1991. After graduating, Dombkowski made a quick transition from player to coach.

The rest is history.

“There’s a certain amount of trust and understanding you gain when you’ve coached with and known someone for so long,” Dombkowski said. “We’re ready to take this team to another level.”

With his new position, Dombkowski will assume all offensive responsibilities of the team, as well as continue to be heavily active in the recruiting process. Dombkowski is eager to continue finding the talent that Pitt baseball is looking for. He is excited to help build this team into one of the best in the Big East.

As part of Jordano’s staff at Mercyhurst College from 1992 to 1997, Dombkowski coached the Lakers to five consecutive NCAA Regional appearances while earning two straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles.

Pitt finished 38-18 last season, but lost in the Big East Tournament to Boston College and St. John’s. The regular season record was the second-highest win total in school history.

Dombkowski has a positive outlook for the upcoming season, and said the team is working hard to prepare for the journey ahead.

“Our fall season just ended,” he said. “Things went very good. The team really competed. Our pitching is looking just as strong as our hitting. I think we sit in a very good position.”

Now, the coaches plan to work individually with the players, making sure they are ready come February. Dombkowski’s main focus for the remainder of the winter will be working on hitting with the team. Under Dombkowski, the Panthers have broken five single-season team batting records and six individual batting records.

While players and coaches continue training, a few Panthers are recovering from surgeries performed during the off-season. Dombkowski stated that he is positive about their recoveries and hopes to see them back on the field soon.

Also in the works for the team is talk of a new facility. Dombkowski expressed a lot of enthusiasm about this possibility.

“We would love to make Pitt’s baseball field beautiful, like the rest of campus,” Dombkowski said. “We want this to be a place players are attracted to. A place they want to play.”

For now, they will play at Trees Field, and the players are mentally preparing themselves for the upcoming season.

Dombkowski stated that one of the keys to succeeding this year will be preparing for each and every game. He knows that the team realizes what it is going to take to win.

“You can’t take anything for granted,” he said. “We just have to keep on improving, keep on working hard, and keep on making progress.”