This week we are catching up with former Waterloo Bucks pitcher Tom Boleska.  The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted the Burlington, Ontario native in the 35th round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft.  Boleska played for two teams in the Pirates organization this year, starting the season pitching for Pittsburgh’s Gulf Coast League team and finishing the year in Single A baseball with the Lynchburg Hillcats.

With three games started in Rookie ball, Boleska finished with a 0-0 record and a 1.50 ERA.  The right-hander then was called up to Lynchburg where he finished the season with a 1-1 record and a 1.60 ERA.  Pitching out of the bullpen, Boleska appeared in 16 games and struck out 22 while walking just four.  During the summer of 2009, the High Point University product finished with a 1-1 record, a 1.59  ERA, held opposing batters to a .251 average, and finished with 25 punch-outs.

In 2010 Boleska appeared in 12 games for the Altoona Curve  and totaled 25 innings pitched on the season and ended with a 1-1 record.  Boleska recoreded an era of 2.73 while striking out 18 batters and collecting 3 saves. 

Boleska played for Waterloo in 2007.  That season, he finished with a 1-1 record and a 1.95 ERA in 21 games.  As the Bucks’ closer, Boleska finished 19 games, had eight saves, and struck out 42 in 27.1 innings pitched, before leaving the team in July.  Boleska’s eight saves is good enough for eighth place in Waterloo’s single-season record book.

Check waterloobucks.com every Wednesday for “Catching Up with the Bucks.”