BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Over the weekend, Canisius baseball player Thomas Zwirecki got called up to the big leagues, asked by MLB superstar pitcher Paul Skenes to catch for him at a practice session in Buffalo.
With a one-week heads-up, Zwirecki thought he was just doing a favor for his college baseball coach.
"I got a text from a coach. He said he had somebody reach out to them that asked if they could find a catcher for a 'high profile arm' in town, so I said, 'Sure, I could help,'" Zwirecki said. "When I heard high-profile arm, I originally thought it was a high school kid who was throwing in front of a scout or something along those lines."
A few days later, he found out that his original thought couldn't have been more off.
"I really got the call and [my coach] was like 'So, you're never going to believe this, but Paul Skenes is coming to Buffalo and needs to throw a bullpen [session],'" Zwirecki said. "My initial reaction is that somebody is messing with me."
Over the weekend, Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers Paul Skenes and Jared Jones were in town for the Bills game
— Canisius Baseball (@GriffsBaseball) January 5, 2026
Paul needed a bullpen catcher, and Canisius catcher Thomas Zwirecki answered the call!
Best of luck to Paul and Jared this upcoming season!#Griffs pic.twitter.com/uvAoecWZaC
Paul Skenes, the two-time MLB All-Star, reigning Cy Young Award-winning and former first overall draft pick, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, was coming to Buffalo, and this Amherst native spent an hour of his Saturday catching a bullpen practice session for him.
Skenes, as well as his girlfriend, social media influencer Livvy Dunne, and fellow Pirates pitcher Jared Jones, were in town for Sunday's Bills game, but the workouts were too important to skip.
"We did it at the Bills facility. In their weight room, they had a turf pad," Zwirecki said. "I threw with him, caught him off the mound, it was very, very incredible to say the least."
Q: “Is this something that you’re rubbing in [your teammates] faces a little now?”
Zwirecki: “Well, it’s safe to say that he is definitely the best pitcher I’ve ever caught in my life.”
Q: And how do the pitchers here take that?
Zwirecki: “They were giving me a hard time. They thought it was one of the coolest things in the world. You can only imagine how a college pitcher feels when they hear that.”
WATCH: 'Very incredible': Canisius student helps MLB all-star Paul Skenes practice in Buffalo
And as the Canisius Baseball season gets going in a few months, Zwirecki said Skenes taught him some valuable lessons to share with his team.
"The way they prepare is the biggest thing that I took away from it," he said. "I'm definitely going to instill that into our guys this year."
