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 COACH
RUDY GARBALOSA - lynn fighting knights
PING!BASEBALL DIVISION II COACH SPOTLIGHT
 With
a lopsided 10-1 win over ranked Rollins College on April 9th,
Lynn University won its 30th game of the season - the fifth
year in a row the Fighting Knights have reached the 30 win
plateau. With a solid end of the season Lynn could end up
matching or exceeding their school record for wins and pass
the 41 victory mark set in 1996. Bolstered by a well rounded
roster with proficiency at the plate, on the mound and in
the field, the Knights are making the move from being a consistently
good team to a reliably great team.
The architect behind the winnings ways at
Lynn is Head Coach Rudy Garbalosa, LU’s winningest coach.
He has the Knights striking in all aspects of the game. Last
season Lynn launched a school record 83 home runs while scoring
425 runs, the second most ever for the Boca Raton based team.
The defense ranked first in the nation in double plays per
game last year and can boast one of the most difficult catcher
in the nation to steal against. Furthermore Knight pitchers
have shut out opposition four times this season and limited
their opponent to one or two runs eight times. Earlier this
year Lynn was rose to the number on position in the Collegiate
Baseball Newspaper Poll.
A former second baseman at Long Beach State
who graduated with a degree in mathematics, Garbalosa has
managed his team with calculating determination to keep them
near the top of the Sunshine State Conference standings (perhaps
the strongest and deepest conference in all baseball) as well
as national consideration as well. Coach “Garbs”
recently took some time out to answer a few questions from
Ping!Baseball:
PING!BASEBALL: When
you’re selling a prospective player on Lynn, what’s
number one reason why he should consider playing in Boca Raton?
GARBALOSA:
It is difficult to point to one thing but I would have to
say the atmosphere. What is the Lynn atmosphere? It’s
a bunch of student-athletes who have a passion to be the best
they can be, not only in baseball but in everything in life,
and demand excellence from themselves in one of the best conferences
in the country and some of the best baseball weather in the
country.
 PING!BASEBALL:
Junior transfer Chris Chavez has certainly
been a prize pickup as he has been tearing the cover off the
ball offensively. Not only is he leading the team in homeruns
and second in batting average, but he is putting the ball
in play and one of the hardest Knights to strikeout. Did you
have any indication he’d be making this huge of an impact
when he came to campus?
GARBALOSA:
Christian was a very good junior college hitter. He had an
outstanding freshman year at Breverd CC and then a good year
at Broward CC as a sophomore. We felt that Lynn would be a
great fit for him. Broward was a pitchers park and we felt
that he would have good numbers here at Lynn. But I have to
say that he has taken the ball and ran with it. His work ethic
and passion have made him a big threat offensively. He has
worked not only on his power game but primarily on going the
other way and being able to hit off speed pitches.
PING!BASEBALL: Chavez
is not the only transfer talent to make an impact this season,
in fact, the Knights roster is filled with players who have
developed and jelled at Lynn. How are you and your staff able
to uncover so many athletes who were previously overlooked?
GARBALOSA:
We rely a lot on the relationships with the player’s
former coaches as well as former players who have recommended
them. These sources have given us important information as
to how they will fit in at Lynn, both on and off the field.
A player that is happy will perform much better than a player
who is not. That is why it’s very important for us to
have a student-athlete who is a great fit not just a great
talent.
PING!BASEBALL: When
are opposing teams gonna learn not to try to steal on Kyle
Holloway? The numbers he’s putting up some freaky Johnny
Bench type numbers.
GARBALOSA:
I hope they don’t pay too much attention to those numbers
and keep trying to run on Kyle. Kyle is a special catch and
throw type of catcher. His accuracy is incredible. His throws
are all knee high and on the bag. His times to second base
are consistently around 1.9 to 2B but he has thrown a couple
of 1.8s. He takes great pride in his defense. Kyle is the
best catch and throw guy I have coached.
PING!BASEBALL: How
do you unwind after a Saturday doubleheader?
GARBALOSA:
I like to stay on stadium and maybe water the field as I go
through the games again in my head. I then go home and see
the family for a little while, since I’m getting home
around 8:00 p.m. or so for home games. If we’re on the
road, we usually get back to school around 1:00 a.m. So, once
I get home, I hit the sack and get some sleep so that I can
enjoy my favorite part of having to play Saturday DHs and
that is Sundays with the family. I really like having Sunday
all to my family.
PING!BASEBALL: Could
you coach or manage professionally? Not to mean do you have
the ability, but would you miss working with young student
athletes in a campus setting?
GARBALOSA:
At this point in my career I don’t think so. I enjoy
the educational part of the college game. Its not just about
baseball development, but about human development as well.
I think we get these student-athletes at an important time
in their life and to be able to help them help themselves
is something I really enjoy.
 PING!BASEBALL:
Your alma matter of Long Beach State has produced
some big names as of late including Troy Tulowitzki and Evan
Longoria. I have my fantasy baseball draft coming up soon.
Should I keep the Dirtbags on my short list of players to
go after?
GARBALOSA:
I don’t know much about fantasy league and how it is
played, but if intangibles matter, then Dirtbags are a no
brainer.
PING!BASEBALL: If
you were playing today, what would be your walkup song when
you approached the plate?
GARBALOSA:
I would probably prefer to not have walkup music for myself.
If I had to have one I would either let my SID pick it or
pick the song that would annoy my opposition the most.
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