By Paul Casey Gotham
Cody Petre (Letchworth, N.Y./Monroe CC) wants to close the 2012 New York Collegiate Baseball League season.
It’s not that the left-hander wants the season to end before it starts. Petre wants the ball when the game is on the line.
“I like the closer’s role,” Petre said recently. “I like giving it all I got, the full-out approach.”
With 15 appearances out of the bullpen, Petre led Mike Kelly’s Monroe Community College Tribunes this past season. He struck out 17 and earned three saves in 18 innings of work.
“He’s got a live arm,” Kelly said of Petre. “He’s got to figure out how to use it. When he is on, he is lights out. He’s got the potential to throw 90-plus consistently.”
His three-up-three-down outing against Genesee Community College in the Region III Division II tournament put the Tribs one win from the school’s 23rd Regional title.
Petre will look to keep that momentum going over the 44-game NYCBL schedule.
“I look forward to playing against competition like that,” Petre said when referring NYCBL alums Tim Hudson and Brad Lidge. “I want to play as much baseball as possible. I want to play at the next level.”
For the immediate future Petre’s next level is the NYCBL. Beyond that he plans to attend Cortland State in the fall.
Primarily a fastball pitcher, Petre recently started working with a change up and cutter.
“I tried those late in the season,” Petre explained. “It’s still a work in progress.”
Petre will join Tribune teammate Brian Dixon as the Olean Oilers open their inaugural season at home on Friday, June 1st. The Oilers host the Niagara Power for 5 p.m. first pitch on the campus of St. Bonaventure University.
Dixon led the Tribunes at the plate hitting .338. The sophomore catcher also turned in a fielding percentage of .981.
The New York Collegiate Baseball League, founded in 1978, is a summer wood bat development league for professional baseball. Major League Baseball funds a small portion of the league’s annual budget. The league gives college players who have not yet signed a professional contract the opportunity to develop their skills at a higher level of play, gain experience with wood bats and be evaluated by scouts. Current major leaguers Brad Lidge, Tim Hudson, Dallas Braden along with Hunter Pence have all spent time in the NYCBL.
The NYCBL. Sending players to the pros since 1978.
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