By Travis Cox
Kyle Toma, the 86^th ranked player in the class of 2012 from Strongsville selected Mercyhurst College. Read more…

PBR: Why did you choose Mercyhurst College?
Toma: I choose Mercyhurst College because of the winning reputation Coach Spano has lead the team to the past 11 seasons. My parents and I loved the campus and friendly coaching staff. Being somewhat close to home wasn't important, but was a small factor. 


PBR: What other schools were you considering?
Toma: Seaton Hill, Marietta, and Heidelberg      


PBR: Where did Mercyhurst first see you? 
Toma: I sent an email to Coach Spano in late July to let him know I was interested in their program. He later saw me in early August at the Buckeye Scout at Dublin HS. He called me a week after to setup a visit. I had my visit in mid September. I met with Coach Spano and the coaching staff while I was down. After the visit we stayed in touch weekly. 

PBR: What role do the coaches expect you to play your first year on campus?
Toma: They expect me to work hard and believe I can come in as a freshman and get a good amount of innings as long as I am comfortable and ready. 


PBR:  What team do you play for in the summer?
Toma: The Strongsville Dirtbags coached by Neal Packanik.


PBR: What sort of sacrifices did you have to make to play a travel intensive schedule during the summer?? What sort of advice would you pass on to players looking to make the same decision?
Toma: You have to sacrifice spending lots of time with friends and family. You also have to sacrifice work if you have a job. You play anywhere from 4-6 games a week and travel out of town every other weekend for tournaments. My advice to other players would be to be serious, and dedicated to the game because you spend your whole summer with your team and they essentially become your friends and family. You should feel as you made no sacrifices at the end of the summer because playing baseball is what you love to do. 

PBR: What was the most memorable experience from this summer?
Toma: Winning nine consecutive games going into the Legion State Tournament in Lancaster, OH and pitching three solid innings in relief against Napoleon Legion. 


PBR: Who has had the biggest impact on you as a baseball player?
Toma: All my coaches growing up, Coach Glazer, Coach Packanik, Coach Sorge and my pitching coach, Coach Freddy. Especially my parents for supporting me and my decisions I made to focus on baseball. 


PBR:  Strongsville is becoming quite the baseball powerhouse.  What are your team and individual expectations for next year?
Toma: Our team goals are to win the conference, district for the 6th time in 7 years, and hopefully win states for the second time since 2006. My individual goals are to become a team leader, get stronger on my lower body, and work on my off speed pitches. 

PBR: What were your stats for this spring season at Strongsville?
Toma: I posted a 2-0 record with one save. I had a 3.5 ERA in 16 innings with 15 strikeouts and 7 walks. I held batters below a .280 average. 


PBR: Who is the toughest hitter that you have faced in Ohio?
Toma: Forrest Perron and Nate Langhals in team inter-squads.