locker room: very Superstitious

Pregame rituals of UB’s student-athletes

an illustration of runner Miles Lewis at the starting blocks yawning.

Illustration by Hal Mayforth

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Kyle Brennan.

Kyle Brennan

Most catchers suit up just before the first pitch. Kyle Brennan warms up in full gear. “You’ve got to make sure you’re comfortable,” says the sophomore exercise science major from South Setauket, N.Y.

The oddness continues: During the warm-up, Brennan often goes off by himself, dipping and diving to get his body ready to block a stray pitch. “It’s a little weird,” he admits, “like an infielder playing a ground ball and making a throwing motion and not having a ball in his hands.”

His teammates joke about his habits, but Brennan doesn’t mind. Last year, a senior on the team reminded him that a former UB catcher, Tom Murphy, caught flak for some weird traditions too. Now the Colorado Rockies draft pick is getting the last laugh.