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6 Tuesday, October a6, aoio | The Red a Buck Junior’s return could spark Dogs In fielder May looks to rebound By ROBBIE OTTLEY The Red & Black To see what Georgia's upcom ing baseball season means to junior third baseman Colby May, just look at his batting average last year. In his freshman season, Colby May was one of two players to start all 62 games and had a .339 batting average .047 above the team's average. Last season, though, May played in only 37 games and com piled a .176 batting average - .125 below Georgia’s team average. The difference between the two seasons was a strained hamstring that dogged May during the begin ning of last year. The road would only get more difficult after May tore his hamstring and missed the last 15 games of the season. Though May feels that he could have done more to prevent the injury, he anticipates significant improvement in the upcoming season. “[l] probably should have rest ed it, but that’s over with now,” May said. “(Youj can’t take back the past, so that's something I’ve learned from and know not to do now, and I’m glad I’m finally at 100 percent.” May’s injury was a part of a dis appointing season for the Bulldogs, who finished 2010 with a 16-37 record. Though Georgia faced difficulties last spring, head coach David Pemo attributes chief responsibility for the losing record to events beyond the team’s control. "We had high expectations and battled some setbacks," Pemo said. “If the same type of circum stances are dealt to this team that were dealt to last year’s team, it’s gonna be a similar result.” Hoping to vindicate his posi tion and duties on the team, May spent about three months this summer resting and reha bilitating, doing rehab work almost every day. Though he’s always learning more, May believes that his road back from injury has taught him Invaluable lessons about the game of baseball. “(I’m learning] to not try to do too much in pressure situations,” he said. “I Just go out there and relax and have fun and play the game of baseball like I’ve always known how to play.” Pemo expects that his work over the summer and in fall prac tice will lead May to have a much more successful season in 2010. “I think he can put together a season like he had his freshman year. I think he’s a lot closer to that than he is to what went on last year,” Pemo said. May and the Bulldogs conclud ed fall practice this week after the Red and Black Series, a best-of flve Intersquad series between two teams chosen by seniors. Fall practice was the first opportunity for Georgia to return to the diamond after the letdown of the 2010 season. Coming off a postseason appearance and a 38-24 record in 2006, the Bulldogs notched only five SEC wins for the worst season under Pemo. “That’s not acceptable, espe cially here at Georgia,” said Junior outfielder Peter Verdin. “You look l ,' v Yiiini.il I luspii.tl . ! ' (706) 549-6043 • t Vi'*ittiitu |B'-sti'lnu) • Ptiy-ji' .il F x.uns • S|mv A Nfiiti‘l . ‘ • H JV • !! • • choo fcchoo jAPANfsrmfiiAN cmaexpmr i luYONE ENTREE AND DRINK" \ •GET ONE ENTREE FREE! • I EXPIRES 10.3L2010. I I NOT VALID ON DELIVERY. . 1 ONE COUPON PER TRANSACTION. 1 U wm— mmwmimmmwmS OPEN TILL 4AM MON-SAT EASTSIDE WESTSIDE 1055 GAINES SCHOOL RD 1021 PARKWAY BUD #ll7 706.543.8888 706.3518889 Delivery avalabie to dorms and greek houses. WE HAVE FREE WI-FI! FIND OUR MENU AT CHOOCHOORESTWRANTS.COM .SB --rfSiSilf ; Mum W.W* is - 1 ' ,-yt gp jjfofe, ; M WBB3F FILE | Tn Rid * Black ▲ Colby May is expecting an improved season in 2011 after rehabbing a hamstring injury in the offseason. on the outfield wall [and see] the tradition of going to Omaha, going and winning SEC championships, so only winning five conference games really is not good.” But Georgia is looking past last year and toward the 2011 season. In fact, Pemo believes that the previous season’s setbacks will be a source of strength for the 2011 Bulldogs. “We had a bad season in 'O7 and finished second in the country in ’08,” Pemo said. “These guys that were a part of it under stand how ... to handle tough situations and cir cumstances, and I think this year that's gonna be a huge advantage." Pemo also expects that starting pitching will be able to address many of the issues that plagued MAY them in 2010. Pitching was a major weakness for the Bulldogs last year, with the staff posting an 8.51 earned run average. “[l’m] not saying that it’s a pitching staff that’s gonna be dominant or have a great year,” Pemo said. “But we’re thrilled about where we are from a pitch ing standpoint." One starter who will return having endured the obstacles of last season is Junior Michael Palazzone, whose 8.66 ERA last season was the highest of the Bulldog starting pitchers. But Palazzone took an additional year of experience with him to the Cape Cod Baseball League in Massachusetts this summer, where he played against some of the most talented players from the country. His summer success gave Palazzone renewed optimism for the upcoming season. “I think that gave me a little bit of confidence,” Palazzone said. “I SOPHOMORE SLUMP it was the tale of two seasons for Colby May in his freshman and sophomore seasons: 2009 • Started all 62 games • Hit .339 with 11 home funs and 42 RBIs • Named Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American 2010 • Started just 34 games • Hit .179 with five home runs and 19 RBIs think I can be as good as any other weekend starter in the coun try.” Having finished up fall practice, the Bulldogs are looking forward to a break before starting back up in the spring. Georgia will have its first offi cial practice In late January, and the team begins competition in mid-February. Pemo says that he'll be focusing less on his play ers fulfilling team obligations this offseason. “It’s an opportunity for them to kind of get away and be more of a student and a college kid," Pemo said. “Well do some baseball stuff individually and some team stuff, but It’ll be a lot less than we have In years past." And if Verdin has his way, the work In fall practice and the upcoming winter break will reap benefits come spring. “We’ve been beating up on each other,” Verdin said. “It’ll be good to beat up on somebody else." Walsh works to prevent future missed kicks By NICK PARKER The Red & Black Blair Walsh snapped the school record of 114 con secutive extra points made in the Vanderbilt game, but that streak finally came to an end last week end against Kentucky. Now, Walsh is hoping to start another streak. 1 was bound to miss one eventually, I Just hope I won’t miss another one before my career is over,” Walsh said. The miss was Walsh’s first missed extra point at Georgia, and first since the U.B. Army All-American Bowl his senior year In high school. Because of LIVE, LEARN, AND WORK OVERSEAS US PEACE CORPS new Bkills...new language....new music....new friends.... new career...new food...new roads ...new life. APPLY ONLINE and check website for info-event at UGA www.peacecorps.gov UGA Recruiter: Lisa @706 425-2966 jA that, Walsh hit the practice fields early Monday, get ting up “30 to 40” kicks before practice began. “It’s unacceptable, and I’ll fix it.” Walsh said. “I’m just glad it didn’t happen this week.” Walsh's extra point miss wouldn’t be such a cause for concern If he hadn’t missed a field goal in each of the last two games —a 47-yard attempt against Kentucky and a 31-yard attempt against Vanderbilt. All three of Walsh’s misses on the sea son have come from the right hash —and missed Coach credits romance for lifelong profession By LISA GLASER The Rid & Black Frank Pollto started play ing tennis for one reason: a girl. “I liked this girl and she played tennis, so I started tennis. And I stuck to it,” said Pollto, who was promoted to women’s tennis associate head coach In September. Pollto attributes his con tinued Involvement In tennis, despite his dwindling roman tic success, to the encourage ment his high school coach Frank Hicks and college coach Dan Ryan gave him. At Eastern Michigan University, Pollto competed for four years and captained the tennis team his senior season. Though Pollto’s expe rience as a collegiate athlete in the 1980s differs from his female players’ experiences today, Pollto finds he can still relate. “Back then, we had to drive vans every where, and [today] they get to ride in buses and get more stuff. It’s a lot different from when I played,” Pollto said. “It’s similar though. The game has evolved over the years, but it’s still competing. You’re out there competing, trying to beat your opponent, and that’s what it’s all about.” Pollto began coaching immediately alter graduating in 1990 for his alma mater, before assisting at Kansas, Louisiana-Monroe and Ohio State. Bom in Pennsylvania and raised in Ohio, Polito spent the majority of his life in the Midwest, before moving to Georgia to coaching in 2006. The 43-year-old appreci ates the warmer weather, but feels the core of his Job holds constant no matter the loca tion. “Well, I don’t have to shovel snow anymore," Pollto said. “Coaching Is coaching. You’re still coaching, trying to make players better. I Just think that here at the University of Georgia, they give you all the resources needed to have a successful program.” Head coach Jeff Wallace first knew Pollto from seeing him at different college tour naments before they began their working relationship together. Wallace describes Polito as someone who has “never met a stranger,” so their rapport built naturally. "I think my first Impression was that he’s very blue collar, he's not afraid to roll his sleeves up and get to work each and every day. That's something I really like about him. He’s all about 'let’s get better today,'" Wallace said. “He's got a great sense of humor. He’s someone who’s fun to be around." During Pollto’s four sea sons with the team, the women went 86-19 and won two SEC titles. Since begin ning his coaching career in 1960, Polito has learned some of the subtle nuances in work ing with collegiate female ath letes and continues to learn while at the University. right of the goal post because he says he “didn’t want to end up hooking the ball,” so he ended up overcorrecting the issue and “kept it too straight, not enough left." Still, Walsh Is 14-for-17 on the year on field goals, a percentage many kickers dream of. But, for him, even one miss is too many. “I’m not neces sarily having a bad year by my stan dards, but I have to MI.SH make those. It just comes down to It’s as simple as that. Those are kicks they expect you to make,” “When I first started coach ing women, that was different for me. Now, I understand them a little bit better and understand what they go through, dealing with com peting, school and everything else,” Pollto said. “Just like anything, as you get older, you get more mature. I’ve proba bly mellowed over the years, as well. I started coaching when I was 23 and you learn a lot over a 20-year period.” Senior Cameron Ellis has worked with Polito since her freshman year and has consis tently found him to be a knowledgeable and comfort ing figure on the court. “He’s helped our doubles as a team tremendously, and [works with me] on my vol leys, my all-around net game,” Ellis said. “He does a lot of positive reinforcement. He’s a lot of fUn on the court. He helps me stay pretty relaxed. He Jokes around a lot on the court, but he’s intense when he needs to be intense.” Ellis noted the com plementary nature of her two coaches, saying head coach Jeff Wallace Is more “stem,” while Pollto “Jokes more.” Polito said he “fools POLITO around more,” while Wallace Is “more serious.” Wallace agrees he and Pollto make somewhat of an odd pair, but feels each of their goals inter sect. “We’re somewhat different sometimes in our styles, In our approach and the way we do things, which I think can be a good thing for the play ers. At the same time, I think we both want the same thing and that’s to be successful and work hard every day and to get these guys to challenge themselves,” Wallace said. In addition to being the associate head coach, Polito is the team's recruiting coor dinator. Due In part to his efforts, Georgia has the top incoming class for the 2011 season according to the Tennis Recruiting Network. Pollto travels to national tour naments and follows the pro circuit, usually during breaks such as in summer in order to encourage players to attend the University. “[Recruiting], it's just being myself. I think I relate pretty well for an old man. I sit there and try to learn a lot about [potential players], talk to them a lot. We’re only allowed one phone per week [to recruits], so I tiy to talk to them a lot during that one phone call,” Pollto said. And despite his original romantic motivation for play ing tennis, Polito continued playing and then coaching and recruiting simply because of his lifelong love of the sport something he believes he will do for the foreseeable future. “You can always get better, it doesn’t matter how old you are. You Just get better at it. You can win a gold ball, which Is a national championship, at age 80,” Polito said. “So, I mean, you can always get bet ter.” FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK Walsh said. “I went out there and I think I fixed a couple of my Issues today. Went out there pretty early on Monday, kicked about 30 or 40 balls, and did a lot from the right hash, that’s where I missed my last three kicks, and sort of fixed it. And I’ll keep building on it and working on It this week.” Monday’s special teams practice allowed Walsh to really focus on the issue and try to correct it in preparation for the Florida game, one which Is a homecoming of sorts for Walsh. The junior is from Jacksonville, Fla., and the game against Florida cre ates a sort of rivalry between him and his high school friends. So when his best friend hit him up for a ticket to the game, that ticket came with a stipulation. “I'm actually making my best friend, who goes to Florida, I’m making him come and ait with my dad and wear Georgia gear,” Walsh said. “I told him the only way he got to come and get a ticket Is if he wears Georgia gear and cheers for me, so he'll be there supporting the Dogs and you can rat him out on that one. I’m sure his Florida fans love that.”