The Geneseo Mudcats are Geneseo’s only on-campus baseball team, organized and coached entirely by student members. Almost thirty years ago, a group of Geneseo students who had a passion for baseball came together to form a club baseball team and today, the Mudcats count over 25 players on their roster. Led by senior biology major Mike Ferko and senior history adolescent education major Jack Anderson as the coach and assistant coach, respectively, the team hosts practices, arranges umpires and organizes both a fall and a spring season every year.
Being the only baseball team on campus, the Mudcats attract students from all class-years and experience levels. “It’s not only joining something just to join something. All these guys are here because they love the game of baseball,” Ferko said.
Ferko was elected to be the head coach in the spring of his junior year. As head coach, he’s responsible for scheduling and running practices, managing games, creating line-ups and helping each player reach their full potential.
“I felt flattered that these guys saw me as someone who could lead them and coach them to winning games,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun … being able to create line-ups, run practices with my friends. It’s an awesome job.”
Players enjoy the student-coach aspect to the team, feeling like there’s less pressure on everyone because there isn’t an older coach or one who’s above everyone else. Having someone who’s a fellow student and friend lead the group helps establish trust and good chemistry. “It’s a relaxed environment, but we’re still able to motivate each other to achieve our goals,” Anderson said.
Anderson, as the assistant coach, helps run practices and make decisions during games. He sees practices as a place for players to not only improve in the game but to bond with teammates.
Both players stressed their appreciation for the friendships the team has brought them. Being a club team, the Mudcats’ survival is reliant on players staying invested in the program and strong ties amongst players makes the team both easy and fun to buy into.
Ferko is thankful for the leadership opportunities the team has given him, and Anderson, coming to Geneseo as a transfer student his sophomore year, was able to find a group of friends with similar interests.
After a winning fall season, the Mudcats look forward to more success this spring. With the northeastern winter weather, the team isn’t always able to fit in the games they want but the current schedule has series against teams such as University of Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and St. Bonaventure.
In the days leading up to each game, Ferko looks over the players available to create the lineup. He says he likes to map it out in ways that are both optimal for helping the team win and allowing everyone playing time.
“Something you learn as coach … you can’t have a plan go effectively 100 percent [of the time], but having a backbone plan makes me feel more confident heading into the games,” Ferko said.
Those looking to get involved with the Mudcats can email baseball@geneseo.edu. The team is always accepting new players who are passionate about the game and excited to play.
“Our team is able to have fun with each other but still play competitive baseball,” Anderson said. “Club baseball at Geneseo is a good mix between fun and competitiveness that provides great experiences for students.”