Episcopal Academy’s Brian Virbitsky is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
The senior catcher/infielder/pitcher and co-captain batted .403 last spring, with nine of his 29 hits going for extra bases. He posted an OPS of 1.004 and received second team All-Inter-Ac honors at catcher, as well as first team All-Main Line selection. He played football for EA’s Inter-Ac champion squad last fall, and next fall will attend Lackawanna College, where he will play baseball.
Q: What do you think has been the most important thing you’ve learned recently regarding hitting?
A: The biggest thing that comes to mind is with the instruction of Episcopal’s hitting coach, Dan Brady. I’m able to send him video clips of my swing and he really does a great job of not only pointing out the things I’m doing well but also the tweaks I should make or different things I should feel in my swing.
Q: What were you hoping to achieve this spring?
A: This season my biggest goal was for the team to win the Inter-Ac title. I was fortunate enough to be a part of Episcopal’s football team which won the Inter-Ac title, and there was not a better feeling.
Q: What are your thoughts about the cancellation of the spring baseball season because of the COVID-19 situation? How did you see your leadership role as a senior captain during the weeks leading up to the cancellation?
A: I was very excited to be a co-captain this year. I believe we had a good squad and we were ready take the next step in terms of the new culture our team is building. As a leader I was trying to remain optimistic about the season and trying to keep the team focused.
Q: Who have been your biggest baseball mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you about baseball?
A: Some of my biggest mentors are Tony Antonello from Media Little League, and my father. Coach Antonello really taught me the fundamentals of the game and how to outsmart your opponent. My father has thrown an incredible amount of batting practice to me and videotapes all my at bats, so I can visualize my swings from every game to see what I can work on. I would also be remiss to not mention my little brother Jake, who always shags my batting practice or puts baseballs on the tee, and comes to all my games as well.
Q: What was your most memorable experience as an EA baseball player?
A: Winning the prestigious Bishop Eustace tournament and making it to the PAISAA state championship my sophomore year.
Q: Who is your favorite baseball player? What is your favorite baseball park?
A: My favorite baseball player is Alex Bregman, and my favorite stadium is Citizens Bank Park.
Q: What do you think you would like to major in at Lackawanna College? Is there a career field that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: I plan to major in business and am very interested in the stock market.
Fun facts – Brian Virbitsky
Favorite book: The Giver.
Favorite TV show: Outer Banks.
Favorite movie: The Dark Knight Rises.
Favorite athlete: James Harden.
Favorite pre-game song: Slide by Calvin Harris and Frank Ocean.
Favorite team: Denver Broncos.
Favorite food: Chicken parm.
Favorite place to visit: Disney World.
Person I look up to: “My brother Kyle, he plays baseball for Penn State and is one of the hardest workers I’ve been around.”
Family members: parents Bill and Leslie, brothers Kyle and Jake.
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
To view a gallery of the Main Line Boys Athletes of the Week from 2013 to present click here
