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Sports

Baseball's Matt Roland Is Rollin' Along

All-Everything Player Looking To Be Next Great Bulldog Leader

The Dayton Bulldogs baseball team is undergoing a facelift, so they'll need to rely upon young holdovers to see them through what could be a dicey 2011 season.    

One guy looking forward to taking on a bigger role is Matt Roland. The all-everything utility player said although "losing nine seniors will be tough," he feels the new core group can eventually pick up the slack.   

"I feel that we could have just as good of a season [next year] because the players that are coming up have been playing with us since before middle school," he assured. "So not having the senior group to guide us will be different but our comfort level with each other may be greater this year."   

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Roland played a majority of his time in the outfield last season but according to the junior-to-be, head coach Mike Abbate envisions using him practically anywhere.  

"He and I have discussed this [position] issue and we came to a conclusion that to better the team and myself I should play the role of utility player," said Roland who added he could mostly rotate between third base, rightfield, and pitcher.    

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His offensive stats were impressive as he hit .347, walked 10 times, scored 20 runs, and seven doubles but according to Abbate, for Roland to take the next step he'll need to be an all-around threat.  

"He's a young great hitter and leader but for him to really help us, he'll need to shore up his defense and footwork," said Abbate. "But he's definitely showed he can hit at the varsity level."     

Abbate also said that Roland can help on the mound when new ace Tommy Losito is on rest.    

"Matt will pitch. He did so for us in big moments last season," Abbate said. "We'll try to make him a starting pitcher and be our number two behind Tommy. And the days when Matt is not pitching he'll most likely play third and some right field. But he won't DH because we want him to focus on his defense."       

Although he was one of the better Bulldogs last season, Roland made it a point to keep his head down, do his job, and let the seniors steer the ship. Now, however, as he looks around the infield and no longer sees the likes of Marquay Mayo [third base], Elliot Karp [second base], and Alex Popolani [first base], Roland said he's taking even more pride in wearing the orange and blue.   

He now knows he's one of the leaders and must act accordingly.     

"Wearing a Dayton jersey and thinking that Elliot, 'Quay, and Alex aren't there was weird at first," said Roland. "We will miss Elliot's passion and voice, 'Quay's quiet determination, and Alex's reinforcing confidence. We have to take that and use it for the season ahead, to get better as a team, and honoring them by playing hard and doing something special again."      

Roland said that honing his physical skills isn't as hard as honing his mental, but will try to work on that by emulating and stealing bits and pieces of the nine seniors—specifically Karp and Mayo.      

"I would like to be the leader that the team needs this year and make sure [mistakes] don't happen [this summer and next season]," he said. "Leadership comes in many ways. Elliot was the vocal leader by cheering and making sure people were doing what they needed and 'Quay lead by example. He did all the right things as a player and I hope to be a mix of the two."     

Abbate said that the leadership tag is earned and not just doled out and the young vets will have to earn that distinction. He added that although Roland is on his way to being a great leader—and he picked great guys to emulate—he still needs to show and prove.     

"His work ethic is good and he's been real consistent and has a great temperament," Abbate said. "He's trying to be more vocal like Elliot but the thing with Elliot was that he backed it up. Not just on the field but in the weight room, at practice, and off the field as a mentor. You can only have a voice if you're playing consistently."    

As Dayton shifts to a new sub-division of their conference, Roland said this team may have a leg up on last season's squad because summer legion ball is allowing them to grow and work through their mistakes.  

"Playing this summer for a varsity legion team, as compared to last year's junior legion, will be a huge advantage for all of us," he said. "This also gives us a chance to try things that we usually wouldn't do, like swinging on 3-0 [pitch count] and throwing a 3-2 curveball."     

He added doing such tasks allows him to practice the little things in hopes of mastering them next season.   

"Plus, I once tried to lay down a bunt [during a recent game], and although unsuccessful, it gave me the confidence to maybe try it in a spot during the season," he said.   

Perhaps more importantly, according to Roland, is that the young freshmen and sophomores get their feet wet during important -- yet less stressful -- practices and games.   

"The players coming up get to see the pace and challenge of a varsity game," he said. "And the returning players get to try to hone their skills."    

When asked what skills he personally needs to hone, Roland said everything.      

"I am looking to improve all aspects of my game from throwing strikes as a pitcher, driving an outside pitch, or just working on footwork and defense," he said. "Playing multiple positions will be tough [because] I consider defense to be the weaker aspect of my game."    

Just like Losito, Roland shied away from guaranteeing a repeat title but he was very confident Dayton can still hold their own once the real season commences.   

"I welcome the challenge. I think we can compete with any team if we hustle and play hard every inning," he said. "Bringing home another conference championship may be tougher but not impossible…we're determined to let people know that last year wasn't a fluke or a one time thing."      

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