BUTLER TWP— Jake Cuffman hopes to land in Altoona before the end of summer — by way of Bradenton, Fla., Hickory, N.C. and Lynchburg, Va.

Such is the road map the Butler graduate plans to follow this baseball season.

Cuffman, a 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher, began his fifth season in the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system by reporting to minor league camp in Bradenton on Valentine's Day.

Minor leaguers aren't required to report until March 2.

"I want to get down there early and get some throwing in,"Cuffman said. "I'm anxious to get going."

Cuffman turns 22 on March 3. He figures to begin the 2007 season at Class AHickory, where he had two tours of duty last season.

A quick start at Hickory could mean a quick promotion to Class ALynchburg, which is one step away from Class AAAltoona.

"My goal is to get to Altoona at some point this season,"Cuffman said. "There are no guarantees and I'm not sure if they're planning to use me as a starter, set-up guy, closer. ... I would love to be a starter because I think I'm better suited for it, but what do I know?

"I'm a big guy who throws hard. They like that in relief pitchers."

Used primarily as a set-up man last season, Cuffman said he'll work to achieve in any role the organization wants him fill.

"Everyone wants to be a closer, but you can't get to the ninth-inning guy anymore without a good eighth-inning guy," he said. "Whether it's setting up, closing, pitching three-innings-plus into the 11th, I'll do it."

Cuffman hopes to follow a path similar to the one blazed by fellow pitchers Matt Capps and Dave Davidson. Capps began the 2005 campaign at Hickory and was pitching for the Pirates by season's end.

Last year, Capps led all National League rookies and was among the league leaders overall with 85 appearances. Davidson began last season at Hickory and is on the Pirates' 40-man roster this year.

"It can happen that quickly,"Cuffman said.

And Cuffman believes this is the year he can make it happen for himself.

"Last year was my first full season of professional ball," he said. "There was a lot of adjusting going on. My ERAat Hickory wasn't good, but one or two bad outings in relief can destroy your overall numbers.

"Istrung together some good outings toward the end of the year. Now I have to build on them."

Cuffman was 0-3 with a 6.75 earned run average in 29 games at Hickory last year. During a brief stint at Williamsport in the New York-Penn League, he fashioned a 2.92 ERAwith 14 strikeouts and four walks in 12Z\c innings.

In 2005, Cuffman had 15 strikeouts and 20 walks in 35 innings at Williamsport.

"I know I've gotten better,"he said.

The Pirates know, too.

"He's got a good arm and a good breaking ball,"Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said. "He's a big kid and we like his arm strength.

"He's definitely on our radar."

Cuffman is averaging nearly a strikeout per inning — 123 strikeouts in 129X\c innings.

He has a 3-7 career record and has eight career, but he has not started a game the past two years.

"If I can get to Altoona this year, my mother won't have to drive all that far to watch me pitch," Cuffman said. "I want to make that happen."

He would have loved to make it happen for his father as well, but Don Cuffman died at age 53 in December after a yearlong fight with leukemia.

Cuffman said he called his father after every one of his professional pitching appearances.

"It's been difficult," he said of dealing with his father's death. "There will be times this year I'll be asking him for help and I know he'll be giving it to me."