YSU's Junior Pitcher, Kevin Libeg, sits down for a Q&A session

Feb. 21, 2005

Libeg, a pitcher for the YSU Penguins, plays one of the most difficult positions in all of sports. He has to put in hours of practice and preparation in order to perform at a successful level. Throughout his collegiate career he has also discovered that he needs to bring the same level of preparation to his studies to be equally as successful. Horizonleague.org wondered what it was like to balance his time between baseball and his studies.

What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment throughout your collegiate career on the field and in the classroom?

I feel that my biggest accomplishment on the field was when I was the winning pitcher in the Horizon League Championship game and being named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team on our home field. My biggest accomplishment in the classroom was definitely when I received an A in Dr. Bee's Econ Stats class. That class took everything I had and it was also the most rewarding class I have ever taken.

Why did you decide to attend Youngstown State University?

After talking with Coach Florak about potentially coming to YSU to play baseball, I knew that the baseball program was heading in the right direction. I knew the caliber of players Coach Florak had already recruited to come to YSU, and I knew I was going to have a good shot at playing immediately, which was a huge factor.

Coming off of your first NCAA Regional Tournament appearance last season, what are your goals for you and your team this year?

First of all, as a team, our main focus is winning another Horizon League Championship. We know that it is not going to be easy, but we know if we stay focused that we have the talent to duplicate what we did last year and clinch another NCAA Regional Berth. Personally, I hope to do whatever it takes to help the team win as many games as I can on the mound.

Has it been a benefit to both your academic and athletic career having your family in close proximity, originally being from nearby Masury, Ohio?

It is really nice to have several family members and friends close by and it is really convenient for them to come to games. I would always strive to do my best both in the classroom and on the field and having their continued support has always been a benefit.

What is the thing you enjoy most about being part of a team as a player and teammate to others?

I have always participated in sports since a very young age, and I have formed and maintained many close friendships through the years. I enjoy the camaraderie among teammates and just the amount of fun we have together. We have a lot of interesting characters on the YSU Baseball team from many different backgrounds, and poking fun at one another is something we really enjoy.

What did you find to be the most challenging part of pitching, and how does it compare with the challenges you have had to face in the classroom as a student?

I feel that one of the most challenging parts of pitching is locating my pitches. At the Division 1 level, velocity is not nearly as important as location. A good pitcher must be able to throw all of his pitches wherever he wants in any count. This is accomplished through countless hours of hard work and dedication. Most of the accounting and finance classes that I take do not involve much memorization, but they require many calculations. I practice example problems enough times so that I can do them to perfection. With regard to both of them, I feel that preparation and the amount of work I put in can give me a good prediction on how well I am going to do.

How has being a student athlete enhanced your college experience at Youngstown State University?

Being a student athlete has enabled me to become a more disciplined person with respect to my organizational and time management skills. Being a student athlete is also fun because you get an experience unlike any other. I have met a lot of great people at YSU and I have gotten to go to a lot of new places and do a lot of things that I would never have done had I not been a student athlete.

Has your major in finance altered any of your perceptions about the business world from before you entered college?

My finance major has completely altered my perceptions about the business world. I've had some really great professors who taught me a lot about the complexities of business and I now realize how difficult it is to succeed in the business world with a vastly changing economy and technological improvements developing at a rapid pace.

Can you describe the difficulties of maintaining a high performance level academically while striving to perform at an equal level on the pitching mound?

The biggest difficulty would have to be the time constraints that I have and trying to delegate the amount of time that I can for both of them. As a student athlete, there are many demands on your time, so you have to make the most of the time that you have to maintain a high performance level both academically and on the baseball diamond.

As an upper classman approaching your senior year, can you offer any advice to your younger teammates or other athletes that may be just starting their own collegiate careers?

There are many ups and downs to playing sports at the Division 1 level, but in the end know that it is all worth it. Stick with it, because it makes you a more disciplined person and it better prepares you for future endeavors.

During your off-season, how do you like to spend the extra amount of free time that you have?

Well, in baseball there really is no "off-season," because as soon as you get done with your college team, you start summer baseball with another team. During the miniscule amount of free time I have, my favorite activity to do is definitely playing ping-pong with my friends. We have been having large ping-pong tournaments for the past 7 years. I also like to golf, lift weights, and play volleyball as much as I can. Also, I always try to catch a few concerts as well-I always try to see Dave Matthews Band whenever I can.

What are your career plans after graduation?

After my baseball playing days are over, hopefully I will acquire a job with a bank or a financial planning firm. I would also like to further my schooling and obtain either a Masters of Finance or Masters of Business Administration.