Energy, Community Keys for New Drew Baseball Coach Hirschberg

The agony for Brian Hirschberg dissipated Aug. 29, when students moved in for the fall semester.
 
Included among the business and liberal arts majors are members of the Rangers baseball team, giving the school's new coach reason for excitement.
 
"I can't wait to get started teaching and putting a program in place," Hirschberg said. "This is an amazing opportunity. Let's get on the field and get after it."
 
Hired August 10 to replace longtime head coach Vinnie Masco, who shifted to am administrative role in the Athletic Department after amassing a school-record 387 wins, Hirschberg brings youth to the program.
 
The catcher on the 1999 Glen Rock High School team that won the Group 1 New Jersey State Championship, Hirschberg went on to Bucknell University. As a junior, he helped the team to a Patriot League crown and an NCAA Tournament bid in 2003.
 
Unsure of a career path after graduation, Hirschberg knew it involved baseball. He volunteered at Glen Rock, was hooked almost instantly, then eventually found a job as an assistant coach at Penn State-Behrend.
 
After two years there, he spent the past three seasons as Lehigh's hitting coach.
 
"It was so much fun working with the kids, and that's where it hit me that I wanted to coach," he said. "The college athlete experience is a unique opportunity, and something I believe in it very strongly, not just the baseball side. It's about academics and participating in the community, as well as having success on the baseball field. That is the most important part of my program."
 
Hirschberg immediately accepted the offer to join Drew, then began contacting players. He knows replacing a local legend like Masco won't be easy, and he will strive to build off the successes of the past.
 
"Coaches are thieves," he said, with a laugh. "We take what's worked in the past and put our flavor on it. Based on what has worked before, I will try and repeat that."
 
Assistant coach Ed DiMaggio will remain, and Hirschberg hopes to hire one or two more coaches to help out. He said he's open to suggestions,
if anyone is interested.
 
On the field, Hirschberg plans to hold an open competition for spots, especially after the Rangers have gone a combined 36-114 over the past four seasons, including 13-24-1 last year.
 
"They're going to need to bring an energy to the baseball field that will get us back to the winning history that we've had," Hirschberg said. "I want to raise the bar with expectations on the field and in the classroom. If a kid feels like he has to earn his spot, it's going to make him a better baseball player."
 
Count senior rightfielder Drew Obergfell as one of the players. The  Roselle Catholic product has started since his freshman year but understands the need to avoid complacency.
 
"If anything, I want the program to be better off when I leave than when I came in," said Obergfell, who batted .231 last season. "That's the biggest thing for me. We improved last season. It wasn't a huge improvement, but it was for us because we were able to win more games. There was more enthusiasm and motivation. We had a lot of pieces that made us feel that we can be successful, so I'm looking forward to this year. We have a shot to make a dent this year. The sense of urgency is there."