2011 PAC Baseball Preview

The 2011 season will start with high optimism for the Bethany baseball team, who went 21-18 and are coming off an ECAC bid a year ago. When the Bison travel to Fort Pierce, Fla., to start their season Sept. 12 against Susquehanna, the focus will be getting to the PAC Tournament.

Head Coach Rick Carver is entering his 21^st year and will have the largest roster in any of those years. The roster will include a solid set of returners and newcomers who are all ready to compete. Assistant coach Ian Corso will be back for his second season in the third base coaching box, while Duane Lanzy returns as the team’s hitting coach. A new edition to the staff is former Grove City player Jason Onyshko.

“The fall season went very well and the team developed a lot of good team chemistry,” said Carver, the 2010 PAC Coach of the Year. “Tri-Captains Tyler Dillinger, Eric Fudala, and Zac Grayson have helped the talented freshmen class in their transition to college baseball and will provide great leadership as the season goes on.”

The offense will be the strength of this Bison team, which was 44^th in the Nation in hitting just a year ago. The outfield will have the most experience. Seniors and Collegiate Baseball Players to Watch Tyler Dillinger and Mike Pegg provide the most experience. Dillinger will be going into his fourth season in center field while Pegg makes the transition from right field to left field. Dillinger earned his second consecutive Second Team All-PAC award a year ago when he hit .388 and led the team in runs (45), doubles (15) and tied with a team-high 24 walks. After hitting .350 as a junior, Pegg is a career .320 hitter and has 49 RBIs.

Right field sees juniors Anthony Packer and Alex Evans competing for the starting spot. Packer has been a proven hitter since joining the Bison in 2009 and batted .374 last year, raising his career average to .339. Evans came onto the scene last year and will provide a lot of athletic ability in his more natural position in the outfield. Dominic Contraguerra, Dylan Wassel and Anthony Sparks are all very promising freshmen backing up the returners.

Sophomore Matt Panoessa, the main pinch-hitter for the Bison last year, and freshmen Chris Bittinger and Stephen Stanley will provide depth at the outfield corner positions.

The infield will be much improved, as there are three returners at these positions. “The play of our infield defensively will be key in our success this year,” Carver said. The left side of the infield will return D3Baseball.com Third Team All-American Brad Kubis. He returns for his sophomore year after having one of the most successful seasons in Bison history, as Kubis led the team in batting average (.450), RBIs (44), hits (68), and on-base percentage (.473). He will be backed up by a trio of freshmen, including the athletic Contraguerra and Anthonie Farrar.

Shortstop will have a new face from a year ago with three more freshmen battling for the starting nod, including Gold Glover Taylor Fortney, who could also back up at third, defensive specialist Juls Leto and Jordan Ault.

The right side of the infield will be handled by senior Eric Fudala at second base and junior Nate Tieman at first base. Fudala is a Collegiate Baseball Player to Watch and brings offense and defense to the position. Fudala hit a career best .358 last year with 11 doubles, one home run and 19 RBIs. Defensively, he had a fielding percentage of .958 and was part of 19 double plays. Freshmen Ault, who was fifth in the WPIAL in hitting last year, and Jon Pudliner will back-up Fudala.

Tieman comes off a season where he hit .310 and saw an increase in RBIs with 27, while drawing 24 walks. Defensively, he helped turn 30 double plays and has a career fielding percentage of .988. Slugging freshman standout Tanner Werkmann will be backing up Tieman, while sophomore Chuck Ziants and freshman Lee Moog provide good depth at first base.

The DH will be battled out by Ziants, Werkmann, and junior transfer David Yuna. All three provide power bats, while Paonessa will also be the mix for the DH spot, along with pinch-hit opportunities.

The catcher position will be handled by junior TJ Zarewicz if healthy. Zarewicz was second on the team with three home runs and hit .297 as a sophomore. If Zarewicz is not healthy, highly touted freshmen Farrar and Nate Spears will be in the mix. The experience at the position will come from senior Josh Lawrence, sophomore David Pivik and Yuna.

On the mound, BC has an increase of arms to go with, but many of them are young. “The pitching may be a bit inexperienced, but the depth we have leaves us very optimistic,” says Carver. The conference starters look to be senior Zac Grayson, sophomore Zak Kozlowski and freshmen Zac Edmiston. Grayson won a team-high five games, while Kozlowski has experience, as he was a conference starter a year ago. Freshmen southpaws Jacob Fischer and Sean Connelly also will get quality starts for the Bison.

The long relief core will be made up of three freshmen in Jason Swartmiller, Clint Healey and Ault, while sophomore Trent Cornwell brings the experience to the group. Middle relief will be senior Mike Muklewicz and newcomer Stanley.

The back end of the bullpen will be the strength of the pitching staff. The closer Kubis returns after setting a Bison record with 12 saves, which was also good to lead the nation. Power righties Ryan Styche and Moog will look to be the set-up men. Two good lefty specialists are Bittinger and senior Adam Nyswaner, who holds the Bethany career appearance record with 56 and single-season appearance mark with 21 in 2009.

Rounding out the staff is senior Mike Kochman, who will be seen in many different roles for the Bison. “A guy like Kochman can take on many roles because we are confident that no matter the role, he will get outs, compete, and keep us in the game,” says Carver. Kochman threw in a team-high 50.1 innings last year while also being named PAC Pitcher of the Week on May 10.

“We are very excited for the season to begin,” concluded Carver. “We have good chemistry, depth, and the coaching staff needed to reach our goals.”

The 2011 Geneva College baseball team will be attempting to do something that not many teams have had to do in the last quarter century on College Hill. Following a disappointing 14-17 season a year ago, the Golden Tornadoes will be looking to rebound from only the third losing season in 24 years. “Last year was not a whole lot of fun for anyone,” says head coach Alan Sumner. “From every player to every coach, we have made a commitment to turn this thing around and get back to the standard that has been set for Geneva College baseball.”

Despite losing a handful of key components to graduation, Geneva still has a very strong nucleus of players returning to the fold in 2011. The senior nucleus of Jon Jurinko, Matt Baer and Sonny Bozza will get a boost from the return of Justin McGurgan after a year absence. Joel Gatti will also be returning to the line-up after suffering a season ending injury in Florida last spring. “We are very fortunate in that we do have a lot of experience at several key positions,” says Sumner. “Not only with our seniors, but with all of our underclassmen. We are looking forward to being another year older and a lot healthier.”

Joining the group of upperclassmen being looked at for production will be juniors Mike Suluva, Jon Bushmire, Adam Scheider, Herbie Pegg and Noah Medich. They will be joined by sophomore Bryan Visingardi as a strong group of returning position players looking to strengthen our defense and re-energize the offense.

While Matt Baer will look to be the central focus of the pitching staff as its lone senior, junior Mike Trn and sophomores Doug Sanson, Tad Forsythe and Ryan Nolt will all look to eat up innings in 2011. “If you don’t get pitching production as this level, you really don’t have much,” says Sumner. “We feel pretty good about where we are and what we can be as a pitching staff. We have more experience on the mound than we did a year ago and we also have some nice prospects that are joining the program this year.”

A total of ten freshmen will be joining Geneva’s program this spring with threeof those youngsters looking to help the pitching staff. “We are excited about our newcomers,” says Sumner. “We have to continue to turn this program over with an influx of talent every year and we are very pleased so far with the progress our young guys are making as they transition to the college game.”

The Golden Tornadoes begin their road to turning things around in March with the annual pilgrimage to Florida. This year, Geneva will be spending the majority of its time in Clearwater, FL as they will be packing an 11 game schedule into 10 days. “The Florida trip is always an exciting time of year for our program,” says Sumner. “Obviously we have been coming down here for years and it always gives us a very good barometer of where we are as a team and what needs to be looked at before we head north for our conference schedule.”

The schedule certainly doesn’t get any easier once Geneva returns to Beaver Falls. A rigorous Presidents’ Athletic Schedule will feature the likes of Thomas More, Thiel, Saint Vincent and Bethany to name only a few. The 2011 season will be the last campaign before the Golden Tornadoes are eligible for NCAA post-season play as a full-fledged member of the PAC. Following its four-year provisional period, the Golden Tornadoes will be facing a new challenge in 2012. “We are certainly excited about having the opportunity to compete in the PAC tournament next year, but our focus is squarely on the task at hand in 2011,” says Sumner. “The NCCAA has been an outstanding affiliation for us and it gives our program something to shoot for this year.”

As Geneva puts its 2010 campaign in the rearview mirror and looks forward to the prospects of 2011, the Golden Tornadoes and its mix of upperclassmen and newcomers are all on the same page about what it will take to be successful. “It’s just about hard work,” says Sumner. “Up to this point, our guys have worked extremely hard in the off-season and during pre-season workouts. All that’s left is to execute on the field when that first pitch is thrown. We have a new lease on life and are ready to take advantage of that opportunity.”

Following its trip to Florida, the Golden Tornadoes will return home to begin the northern portion of its schedule on March 19th with a home doubleheader scheduled with Mt. Aloysius. Geneva will enjoy a total of ten home dates at 33rd Street Field in 2011.

The Grove City College baseball team features a 13-man senior class that will look to lead the Wolverines to the Presidents' Athletic Conference title in 2011 along with the program's third postseason berth in a four-year span.

Grove City features returning starters at nearly every position, along with an experienced and versatile pitching staff. Head coach Rob Skaricich -- now in his 14th year at the helm -- will look for that experienced nucleus to provide leadership.

A number of senior returnees headline the pitching staff, which will have veterans in both the rotation and the bullpen. Seniors Cory Metcalf and Kyle Silk are expected to pitch at or near the top of the rotation with classmates Andy Klimek, Chip Hasek and Matt Smith competing for spots in the rotation and/or bullpen. Senior relievers J.T. Seelman and Steve Stombaugh are both back in the bullpen with Stombaugh having the inside track towards gaining the closer's spot.

Sophomores Zach Butler and Erick Locker are also battling for positions in the starting rotation and junior Andrew Krull could provide a left-handed option out of the Wolverine bullpen.

Grove City enters the season with a bit more certainty in the field as seven of the eight spots feature returning starters. Behind the plate, senior Marcus Magister returns for his third season as the starting catcher. A three-year letterwinner, Magister shares Grove City's all-time career home run lead with 23. Magister is a two-time First Team All-PAC honoree.

Up the middle, Grove City returns a pair of starters in senior second baseman Andrew Patterson and senior shortstop Scott Moran. Patterson hit .370 last year and led the team in at-bats while ranking among the leaders in several other statistical categories. He also saw significant action at third base in 2010. Moran hit .305 and went 13 for 13 stealing bases.

Grove City welcomes back three returning outfielders in senior Butch Kriger, senior Dan Quirk and sophomore Josh Sacks. Kriger is the incumbent in left and is a three-year starter for the Wolverines. He hit .405 with a dozen doubles in 2010 and provides power from the left side. Quirk enters his second year as the starting center fielder while Sacks took over in right midway through his rookie season. Sacks led Grove City with a .443 batting average and a .536 on-base percentage.

Grove City won 19 games in 2010 and advanced to the ECAC Southern Championship Tournament for the first time. Skaricich is second all-time at Grove City with 216 wins.

A year removed from one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in program history, the Saint Vincent baseball team hopes to take the next step in 2011.

After going 8-30 in 2009, the Bearcats finished 20-20 a season ago. The squad returns eight position starters and the entire pitching staff from 2010, and the Bearcats look to qualify for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference tournament in its first season eligible.

INFIELD
A deep group of veterans returns to the Bearcat infield in 2011.

First base may be the team’s deepest position, boasting a trio of juniors who saw extensive time a season ago, including Mike Hustava, Jack Shaffer, and Steve Bayko. Hustava made 27 starts last year, batting .264 with 16 RBIs and a team-high 11 doubles. Shaffer burst onto the scene in his first year of varsity appearance, making 22 appearances, and 12 starts, batting .407 (22-54) with 15 RBIs, while committing just one error in the field. Bayko, who will also see extensive time at catcher, batted .306 in 28 appearances, with 17 RBIs.

Sophomore Zach Bush looks to be the incumbent starter at second base, after making 39 starts last season and batting .325 (37-113) with seven doubles. Also an experienced third baseman, Bush could share time with freshman AJ Kavinsky, a lefty swinger with a line drive bat who impressed throughout the team’s preseason workouts.

Sophomore Brad Burkardt, an All-PAC pick in 2010, is back at shortstop, after hitting .371 with a team-high 53 hits, including six doubles and two triples, and 27 RBIs.

At third, the team looks to replace three-year starter Adam Miller, who batted .402 as a senior in 2010 with two homers and 20 RBIs. In addition to Bush, versatile senior Joe Aul, who is also experienced at second, short, and all three outfield spots, should see extensive time at the hot corner. Last year, Aul’s first at Saint Vincent after transferring from Community College of Allegheny County, he batted .394 (37-94) with a homer, six doubles, and 17 RBIs.

Senior Nick Hogue is also back, and is capable at both corner infield spots. Last season, he batted .333 (9-27) with six RBIs, and could also be used as one of the first pinch hitters off the bench.

Junior Erik Fichter, a two-year starter, is back at catcher after earning team MVP honors a season ago. He made 31 starts behind the dish, batting .358 with eight doubles, a triple, and a home run with 16 RBIs. He was also solid with the glove, making just four errors in 130 chances, while throwing out 12 potential base thieves.

Fichter is also penciled into the team’s starting rotation on the mound, which will provide the strong armed Bayko with plenty of opportunity behind the plate. Sophomore Grant Krally, who batted .378 (14-37) last year, is also an experienced catcher, and should also be one of the team’s top designated hitter candidates. Two freshmen, Eric Kubeja and George Muzika, also add solid depth at the catcher position.

OUTFIELD
The Bearcat outfield will be led by junior Zack Galasso, an All-PAC pick in 2010. Last season, he started all 40 games in right field, batting .370 (50-135), and leading the team in home runs (7), RBIs (37), and slugging percentage (.593). He enters the 2011 season with 10 career home runs, seven shy of the school’s all-time career record.

Speedy freshman Joey Fearer was impressive in the preseason, and will challenge for the starting nod in centerfield, where Aul is also in line for significant time.

Sophomore Sean Stiffey looks to see the bulk of the time in left field, where he made 15 appearances and three starts as a freshman, batting .333 (6-18). Junior Jeremy Mains made 22 appearances, and four starts, in left field last year, while junior Nick LoNigro and sophomore Nolan Russell also saw time in left last season and will push for time in 2011.

PITCHING
As is the case around the diamond, the Bearcat pitching corps enters the 2011 campaign with plenty of experience.

Junior Paul Kubeja is penciled in as the team’s number one starter. Last season, he made 10 starts, going 3-4 with a 5.05 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 51 innings. He hurled two complete game shutouts, while opponents bat just .284 off the righty, second lowest mark in the PAC.

Senior Jeff Bugajski returns in the number two spot, after going 3-3 with a 5.37 ERA in 11 appearances, and eight starts. The 6-4 righty finished among conference leaders in innings pitched, with 58.2, throwing a pair of complete games, and he demonstrated excellent control, issuing just 13 walks.

Fichter made eight appearances, and four starts, last season, leading the team with four wins, and striking out 21 batters in 33 innings, while sophomore Matt Tyson made a team-high 16 appearances last season, including six starts, going 2-3 with 26 K’s in 45 innings.

Senior Darren Smith looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2010 season in which he went 3-4 with an 8.81 ERA. When on, however, Smith showed electric stuff, and ended the year with 25 strikeouts in 47 innings.

Two newcomers will also be in the mix for a spot in the starting rotation. Sophomore Gary Gerhardt comes to Saint Vincent after spending one season at Irvine (CA) Community College. In the preseason, the righty’s fastball was consistently clocked in the high 80’s, touching 90 mph on a few occasions, while he also has an above-average 12-6 curveball as well as a knuckleball.

Freshman lefty Max Henry also put together an impressive preseason. An imposing figure, the 6-5, 245 pound Henry has a fastball that sits consistently in the high 80’s, while his repertoire of breaking balls proved difficult for lefties to handle.

Mains, who spent last season in the outfield, looks to battle back from off-season arm surgery. Two years ago, he was one of the top freshman hurlers in the PAC, posting a 4.37 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 50 innings. He entered preseason workouts at nearly full strength, and the coaching staff will look to ease him back into the mix on the mound.

Senior workhorse Vince Yandura looks to anchor the Bearcat bullpen. He enters the 2011 campaign as the team’s active leader in appearances, with 41, and went 3-2 in 15 relief outings last year. Junior junkball specialist Mike Tedesco is also back, after making 10 relief appearances a year ago, going 1-0 in 16 innings.

As the Bearcats embark on a new season, head coach Mick Janosko, in his 14^th season, is eager to see what his team can do.

“With so many guys back from last year,” he said, “we’re already ahead of the game in terms of getting players acclimated. I’ve said it a million times, our goal is to be a better team this year than we were last year, and be a better team tomorrow than we are today.

“While the turnaround last year was nice,” he continued, “the fact of the matter is, we were a .500 team, and that’s not where we want to be. We want to play good, hard, aggressive baseball, and our goal at the end of the year is to qualify for the PAC tournament.”

The Bearcats opened the season with a seven-game stretch in Winter Haven, FL followed by a three-game road swing in southern Virginia. The team’s northern opener is scheduled for Friday, March 18^th against Mt. Aloysius, while the Bearcats will open PAC play on March 25^th, against longtime rival Geneva College.

The 2011 version of the Tomcats are hard at work preparing for what they hope will be a fruitful season following a disappointing 15-25 finish in 2010, a year in which they failed to qualify for the conference tournament for the first time since 2006. But head coach Joe Schaly says there is plenty of reason for optimism surrounding this year’s squad.

“To this point I’ve seen a group of young men who have worked very hard on the field, in the weight room, and in the classroom. They are dedicated to reaching goals that they’ve set for themselves, and they’ve put themselves in a position to achieve them,” said Schaly.

One reason for optimism is the amount of players returning to the team this year that have varsity experience. The Tomcats lost only three seniors to graduation and return eight players who started more than 20 games during the year last season. Seven seniors are ready to help guide the way.

“Experience will be a strength of our team this season. There are a lot of at bats and innings in this group of players. The veterans have been through the good as well as struggles during their time here, and that type of leadership has to help us immediately,” commented Schaly.

Experience will also combine itself with a schedule that is routinely among the strongest in the Mideast region year after year. The club’s veteran leadership will be needed to help the Tomcats navigate a difficult slate of games, both in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) as well as a competitive non-league schedule.

“This year we’re headed back to Ft. Myers, Florida on our spring break trip, where we routinely play strong competition, and this year will be no different. We aren’t as familiar with the teams we’re playing this year as we have been in the past, but from all indications it appears as if the slate will be strong again.”

The trip south includes games with Wheaton (IL), Dominican (IL), North Park (IL), as well as Defiance.

The schedule also includes a weekend trip in March to Marietta, Ohio to play a trio of Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) schools including John Carroll, Muskingum, and the home-standing Pioneers, who hosted last year’s NCAA Mideast regional tournament. Mid-week non-conference games also feature another OAC opponent, Mt. Union, as well as NCAA tournament qualifier Penn State Behrend and the return of La Roche to the Tomcat schedule in 2011. The PAC schedule will also feature six games against 2010 NCAA tournament qualifiers Thomas More and Washington & Jefferson.

“Thomas More will be strong again,” said Schaly. “W&J graduated a lot of seniors but has depth that will help keep them in the hunt. The rest of the league is bunched tightly together. There isn’t a whole lot separating the top teams in the league from the bottom teams, so you have to be ready to play every weekend.”

The biggest overall strength of this year’s club has to be its pitching staff. With five seniors ready to log a bulk of the innings this season, the success of this year’s team will fall squarely on the shoulders of this group. The Tomcats will employ a four man rotation to start the season, which is set to be led by James Teyssier, who led the team in wins (5) as well as innings pitched (79.1) a year ago.

“James had a strong year last season, and we expect him to once again lead this staff,” said Schaly.

Fellow seniors Josh Russell and Justin Fiorello also will start on the mound for the Tomcats this year.

“Russell logged a lot of innings last year as well, and to this point has shown better command of his pitches throughout the winter. Justin tied for the team lead in appearances last year, most of those coming out the bullpen. Most of his career appearances have come in that fashion, but he’s also started for us before and we’ll look for him to fill that role again this season.”

Rounding out the starting rotation will be junior Brad Bates, who had a brief stint as the team’s closer to begin the year last season before eventually settling into a spot in the rotation towards the end of the season. The bullpen will also be crucial this year, with Dave Kane and Brian Newmeyer, also seniors who are looking to draw a majority of the innings in relief this season.

“Both Dave and Brian had good falls and that has carried over into the winter. We’re counting on them to contribute quality innings out of the bullpen this year,” said Schaly.

Also expected to contribute out of the bullpen this year will be sophomore Cody Northcott, who worked his way into six varsity appearances last season as a first year player.

Defensively the Tomcats will look to improve in an area in which they struggled a year ago. One area that should be bolstered by the return of two starters is the outfield. Senior Luke Johnson, an All-PAC selection from a year ago who committed one error in 96 chances while also batting .432, and junior Phil Double, who started all 40 games and led the team in doubles with 10, return to roam the expansive confines of Tomcat Park this spring.

“We are fortunate to have two centerfielders playing in our outfield. They both are able to cover a lot of ground, and take pride in their defense every day. Luke makes a lot of great plays, and Phil shows his versatility by being able to play either corner position. They will also be key cogs in our offense this year as well.”

There has been a race to determine who will man the third outfield spot in camp, but so far the job has not been claimed. But, the Tomcats have lots of depth throughout their roster, and the outfield is no different.

“We have depth at all positions out there. I could see a lot of different guys stepping up to the plate and earning that position on a daily basis,” said Schaly.

The Tomcat infield is also very experienced, with five players who each averaged over 30 games played in the infield last year looking to draw playing time this spring. While the team takes a huge hit in losing four year starting first baseman Justin Scarpitti to graduation, the team feels it has the ability to weather the storm.

“We have competition at all four infield positions amongst guys who played every day a year ago. The greatest strength of this group is that all of these guys have the ability to play at multiple positions as well.”

Jake Thomas looks to be sliding to first base for his senior campaign after playing third base during a majority of his first three seasons in Greenville.

“Jake is capable of playing both corners if need be and will also be one of our key guys offensively,” said Schaly. Junior Weston Snyder, who played a bulk of the innings at second base towards the end of the year in 2010 will be tabbed to the same post to begin 2011. He started 32 games and hit .304 during the 2010 campaign.

“Weston played well at the end of last season and had a good fall which has carried into the winter. He will be counted upon as a leader in the middle of our infield.” Eric King, a sophomore who played every day as a freshman, will also figure into the equation at second base and also potentially on the left side of the infield as well.

“Eric was our most consistent player last season,” said Schaly. “He has really worked hard to improve his strength and flexibility during the off-season and has begun the process of learning to play the shortstop position and will be an important piece to this group.”

Also on the left side of the infield are two players who drew major duty a year ago, sophomore Ryan Dixon and junior Bobby Hillier. Dixon appeared in 31 games in his freshman campaign and hit .299 with four doubles. He saw action at both shortstop and third base a year ago, and also has the ability to catch if needed. Hillier also saw action at both third base and shortstop while hitting .329 with 15 runs batted in and 11 runs scored a year ago.

“We have confidence in the defensive skills of this group, but the offensive side of the game could separate guys and help to determine who is penciled into the lineup day in and day out,” said Schaly.
The Tomcats also return two catchers behind the plate who also saw time last spring. Junior Brock Porter and sophomore Dan Gainey return to call the signals behind the plate and help to manage the veteran pitching staff. Porter started 39 games a year ago while batting .357 and was second on the team in runs batted in with 33 and garnered PAC player of the week honors.

The Tomcats have high hopes of returning to the conference tournament once again in 2011. With an outstanding mix of depth and veteran experience, the pieces look to be in place to make a run back.

“We have two goals every year that don’t change, and that’s to win the PAC and to represent our conference in the NCAA tournament,” said Coach Schaly. “We have the talent to compete for both of these honors, but we must pitch effectively and play better defense than we did a year ago to do this. We have some question marks heading into this season, and we hope to get answers to some of them in Florida and have a better picture of who is going to play every day coming home.”

Coach Schaly and his squad kick off the 2011 season on March 5 at Terry Park in Ft. Myers, Florida, where they’ll take on the United States Coast Guard Academy. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Expectations are high in Crestview Hills as Thomas More College head baseball coach Jeff Hetzer returns 18 letterwinners, including five position starters and nine pitchers with 10 innings pitched from a team that finished 33-16 last season and won the program’s first-ever Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament title.

Offensively, the Saints return six of their top eight hitters from last season as senior outfielder Max Robbins, senior catcher Nick Ryan, sophomore shortstop David Kennett, junior first baseman Andrew Thole, sophomore outfielder Brandon Nutini and senior third baseman Sam Schmeltzer all return.

Last season, Robbins led the team with a .418 batting average as he had 74 hits, including 18 doubles and had 46 runs batted-in. Ryan hit .375 with 45 hits, including three doubles with 48 RBI. Kennett had a .370 batting average last season with 64 hits, including 10 double and one triple to go with 32 RBI. Thole batted .316 in 46 games as he had 48 hits, including four doubles and six homeruns and had 34 RBI. Nutini started 43 games in center field last season and batted .306 with 41 hits, including seven doubles, five triples and three homeruns and 32 RBI. Schmeltzer batted .294 with 47 hits including six doubles, one triple and six homeruns with 43 RBI.

On the mound the Saints return all three pitchers that ended the season as starters during the conference three-game series. The starters are junior Paul Uhl, sophomore Grant Lewis and junior Aaron Carmack. Uhl was 10-1 last season with a 2.21 earned run average in 81.1 innings and had a team-high 64 strikeouts and had a complete game no-hitter against Penn State-Behrend. Lewis was 7-3 last season as he pitched 64.0 innings and had a 3.94 ERA with 33 strikeouts. A year ago, Carmack had a 6.80 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched and recorded 17 strikeouts.

The Saints open the 2011 campaign when they head south for six games at the Central Florida Invitational in Winter Haven, Florida from March 87-11. Thomas More then will return to Kentucky for its season opener on March 15 when it plays host to Hanover College at Thomas More Field.

Washington & Jefferson (32-12, 16-2 PAC)

The Washington & Jefferson College baseball team enters its 2011 campaign looking to make a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament despite losing 13 key members from last year’s powerful unit.

W&J returns to the diamond on March 12 versus Allegheny after posting an impressive 32-12 overall record last season, including a 16-2 mark in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. It captured its second-straight, regular-season PAC title with the school-record 16 wins in conference. Eighth-year Head Coach Jeff Mountain has established a tradition of winning at W&J as the Presidents have claimed five of the last six PAC regular-season titles.

That success has resulted in back-to-back NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament bids, the first two in school history. The 2009 Presidents won the PAC Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Last season, W&J lost out to Thomas More for the PAC title, but secured the PAC’s first NCAA at-large bid since 1984. The Presidents earned the No. 4 seed in the seven-team Mideast Regional hosted at Marietta College in Ohio. They dropped their opening game 9-7 in 10 innings to Adrian College (Mich.) and their second to regional runner-up Marietta 11-1.

“That’s one thing we’re the most proud of is getting an NCAA Tournament at-large bid,” Mountain said, “Now, having gone two years in a row, it’s more of an expectation to reach that level.”

That expectation will hinge on a shifted focus by this year’s W&J squad to pitching and defense. Mountain said the Presidents “out-slugged” teams on the way to its NCAA Regionals last season, but the departures of offensive juggernauts leave holes for this year’s crop of returnees and newcomers to fill.

One key departure was outfielder/pitcher Jim Pasquine. A two-time PAC Player of the Year, Pasquine batted .456 last season, with 14 doubles, eight home runs and 58 runs batted in. He finished his career with 13 school records, including career batting average (.432).

Also departed are regulars Mike Kennedy, Frank Quirin, Dave Dimperio, Mark Thomchick, Neil Pascarella, Tyler Kaido and Eric Chimenti. Those players leave a lineup that led the PAC last season in team batting average (.358), slugging percentage (.553) on-base percentage (.442), and runs scored (440).

But the Presidents return catalysts at the top of last year’s lineup in senior shortstop Joe Bogdewiecz and senior outfielder Andy Trettel. Bogdewiecz, a Third-Team All-Region honoree last season, started all 44 games, hit .371 and scored a school-record 70 runs batting in the leadoff spot. Trettel earned a Second Team All-PAC honor last season after he hit .382, scored 61 runs and drove in 48 runs. He also garnered national attention while recording the second-longest consecutive game on-base streak in NCAA DIII history after reaching safely in 55 consecutive games from April 5, 2009 until April 20, 2010.

Junior second baseman Aaron Klinec has played 86 games over the past two seasons and brings a steady defensive presence to the infield.

Seniors Marc Lubline and Zach McMonagle will play key roles this season. Lubline inherits the starting catching duties after hitting .292 in 15 games as the backup in 2010. McMonagle will be in the mix at third base.

Mountain noted several freshmen who are competing to step into important roles this season, including OF Josh Staniscia, C/OF Ronny Peirish and IF/P Brian O’Neill.

“You want to be solid up the middle, and luckily we return players at the middle positions and we’re replacing guys at the corner positions,” Mountain said, “We’re going to have to sort out who is going where and we will play lots of combinations early. We could have five or six freshmen on the field at the same time.”

The Presidents will look to Staniscia, junior Brian Szabo and sophomore Scott Brady to fill voids in the outfield, while junior Ryan Verlihay will compete for a corner infield spot. Szabo had eight RBI in 29 games a year ago, while Brady is a defensive standout in the outfield who batted .357 in 26 games.

Mountain admitted that last year’s pitching staff did not live up to their own expectations, but this season’s staff is rounding into shape much earlier than last year. Staff ace, junior Dave Trushel (6-4, 4.18 ERA), and senior Pat Kennedy (7-0, 4.72 ERA) front the rotation. Trushel owns a 14-4 career record and 77 strikeouts, while Kennedy is a CoSIDA Academic All-American with a 14-2 career mark. The Presidents will also look to senior Jordan Zivoder, who appeared in 16 games last season, to fill the remaining rotation slot. Zivoder was the winning pitcher in the 2009 PAC Championship Game versus Thiel.

Another player contending for starts will be sophomore Christian Wheeler. Wheeler, a transfer from Division I Duquesne, pitched four innings, allowing one run on three hits against 2010 College World Series Champion South Carolina in the Dukes’ 10-3 loss to the Gamecocks early last season. Wheeler finished the season with 16 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings, and has worked hard during the offseason through arm injuries to get ready for his first season at W&J. Senior Ian Gabos also returns after posting a 3.50 ERA in 10 appearances last season for W&J.

“Good defense starts with pitching,” added Mountain. “We were right there last season, with a 5-0 lead in the ninth inning [against Thomas More in PAC Championship Game], we have to close out those games this year. To win at the NCAA Tournament level, you start with good pitching and need solid depth in the staff.”

Joining Mountain in the dugout this season is a familiar face in former catcher Mark Thomchick. Now an assistant coach, Thomchick returns to his alma mater after helping the Presidents win 122 games during his career. He ranks among the all-time leaders at W&J in numerous career statistical categories, including home runs (21, 2nd), walks (51, 6th) and runs batted in (91, 7th). During his final two years, the Indiana, Pa., native smacked 18 homers and knocked in 81 runs.

“Coach Thomchick is doing well, it’s not easy for him having played with our returners and now being on the other side,” said Mountain. “Coach Thomchick helped to build the winning tradition we’ve established here and now he wants to help us take that next step we’ve been searching for.”

Even with the large turnover in the starting lineup, Mountain is confident prior experience with a similar exodus can serve useful for this year’s team.

“We struggled a bit in 2008 (23-17-1) after we graduated a number of outstanding seniors and I learned something after that,” added Mountain, who enters this season with a 215-126-1 record. “I’ve changed what we do in the fall and raised expectations for young guys. We realize we’re relying on new faces to immediately step in, the more they develop, the better we’ll be. We lost a lot of power, so we might have to be more aggressive on the base paths.”

Not only might the exiting players affect the gaudy offensive numbers of a year ago, but new regulations on aluminum bats enacted by the NCAA could. The bats were approved after the NCAA stopped measuring bat performance on a BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) method and adopted a BBCOR (Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution) method. The bats now work to minimize the “trampoline effect” created when a ball is hit by a hollow aluminum bat, resulting in slower and shorter distances on batted balls. So far, Mountain says the effect on runs scored has been significant. The amount of runs hasn’t changed drastically, but the manner in which they’re scored has. Either way, the Presidents appear prepared to focus on pitching and defense this season to maintain its conference supremacy and to return to the national tournament.

“We like that teams may be overlooking us because we lost so many veterans,” concluded Mountain. “Our goals are to win the league title and return for another shot at the national tournament. Programs get better by playing against the best and seeing how they measure up.”

After season-opening games against Allegheny and La Roche (Mar. 15) at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park, the Presidents head to the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational in Florida (Winter Haven and Auburndale). Washington & Jefferson will play six teams from six different states, including a Mar. 21 game against 10th-ranked St. Thomas (Minn.). A week after returning from Florida, the Presidents host eighth-ranked Marietta at 6:00 pm on March 31. Presidents’ Athletic Conference play begins April 2 at Saint Vincent.

For the second consecutive year, the 2010 Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets narrowly missed out on participating in playoff baseball, as a tie-breaker handed Westminster the fourth and final seed in the PAC tournament. The Jackets finished 2010 with a record of 15-22 and 6-12 in the PAC. This season brings significant change to the Jacket line-up, as several key positions will need to be filled.

At the conclusion of 2010, the Jackets said goodbye to several everyday starters, most notably two-time All-American Wes White, Jr. and Bryan Leones. White, the Jackets’ second baseman, was named first team All-PAC after leading the Jackets in 10 offensive categories, including batting average, runs scored, hits and home runs. Leones, who won the team’s designated hitter position after the start of the season, was one of three Jackets to hit over .400, ending the year with a .402 average and a .443 on-base percentage.

Offensively, the Jackets will continue to play sixth-year head baseball coach Mike Humiston’s style of small ball, getting runners on base and moving them into scoring position by whatever means necessary. The Jackets finished the 2010 season third in the PAC with a .345 batting average, just .002 percent behind the 2010 PAC champions from Thomas More. Waynesburg swiped 51 stolen bases, while finishing second in the PAC with 25 sacrifice bunts and a conference-low seven double-play groundouts. The Jackets also finished tops in the conference with 17 triples.

Waynesburg should still be in the hunt for a PAC playoff spot thanks to six returning starters, including senior Rob Cool Jr. Cool was the team’s primary centerfielder and was one of five Jacket starters to hit over .350 this past spring, ending the season with a .352 average. Cool, who enters his third season at Waynesburg, will look to build on a junior year that saw him record 43 hits, 20 of which were for extra bases: 15 doubles, two triples and three home runs.

The Jackets will once again rely on junior Corey Goeggelman and senior Anthony Defilippo to fill out the left side of their infield. Goeggelman, the Jackets’ third baseman, had the highest batting average for a returning player as he hit .367 with 10 doubles, a team-high 51 total hits and 32 runs batted in. He could also be making the move from third base to second for the upcoming year. Defilippo led the team with 108 assists from the shortstop position, while also being a force at the plate. He hit .324 with two doubles, one triple and one home run. For his efforts, Defilippo was named second-team All-PAC.

Junior catcher Brendan Scioscia will look to return to form behind the plate, as injuries cut short his sophomore season. Fellow junior Nick Berdine will look to establish himself as an everyday right fielder as he showed significant pop with his bat in limited playing time, hitting seven doubles, two triples and two home runs.

Waynesburg will again call on its pitching staff to help get over the proverbial playoff hump. There’s no lack of experience in the staff as the Jackets return three pitchers who started at least four games on the mound last season. The man in charge of further developing the pitching staff will be fourth year coach Perry Cunningham, who will go into 2011 with an emphasis on finding a closer to shut down the opposition in late innings.

The Jackets starting rotation returns a trio of familiar faces from a year ago, including Jesse Gonzalez, Tim Knight and Anthony Longo. Gonzalez is back after a junior season that saw him pitch a team-high 45 innings. During that span he accumulated a 2-3 record, threw one complete game, allowed 33 earned runs on 60 hits and struck out 19 opposing hitters. Knight, also a senior, went 2-3 over nine appearances, which included four starts. He worked 30.2 innings and racked up 17 strikeouts.

Sophomore Anthony Longo joins Gonzalez and Knight at the top of the rotation, as he threw 39.1 innings in six starts on the mound. Longo earned PAC pitcher of the Week honors after firing a six-hit, complete game win over PAC rival Thiel in his first collegiate start. He ended his first season 3-2, allowed 31 earned runs on 48 hits and struck out 12.

The Yellow Jackets will open 2011 at home on March 1, when they host Pitt-Greensburg.

Westminster College Titans (14-27, 6-12 PAC)
The best way to describe the Westminster College baseball team last year was young and fast. That didn't always equate to wins, but winning could be more certain now that the Titans have an added year of experience for the 2011 season. And the team certainly isn't getting any slower.

Westminster compiled a 14-27 record and a fourth-place record of 6-12 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). By finishing in the top four in the conference, the Titans qualified for the PAC tournament for the third time in four years. Despite the Titans' early exit in the tournament by losing two games, Westminster will benefit from that as it enters the 2011 season.

"That'll play a big part," said ninth-year head coach Carmen Nocera. "By making the playoffs when we weren't experienced, that will only enhance our chances to make the top four again this year."

The Titans return 21 of 25 lettermen from last year's team, including six out of nine starting position players (including the designated hitter), and three out of four pitchers with at least five starts. With only five seniors on the 2011 team, 16 of the 21 returning lettermen are either sophomores or juniors.

"All of those freshmen and sophomores who got experience last year will only make us stronger for this year," Nocera said. "With all of our returning starters, returning pitchers and team speed, that will make us a serious playoff contender."

The team speed was evident last year. The Titans ranked 51st in the nation with 2.07 stolen bases per game by out-stealing their opponents 85-52. Westminster had two of the Top 50 base-stealers in country in junior shortstop Steve Perrotta and junior second baseman Bud Main. Perrotta swapped a school single-season record 29 bags and ranked 23rd in the nation with 0.71 per game, while Main thieved 21 bases and ranked 45th with 0.62 per game.

So, are those numbers a product of speed or a coach's strategy? Well, it's both.

"I like being aggressive, but Steve and Bud are extremely fast," Nocera said. "I always say that, unlike batting, speed doesn't slump."

Perrotta and Main were no slouches either at the plate. Perrotta, a two-year starter who was named second-team all-PAC, batted .314 (38-121) and led the team with 12 doubles and 28 RBI. Main batted .340 (36-106) as a first-year starter.

In addition to the middle infielders, both corner infielders are back for the Titans in junior third baseman Ethan Yeager and junior first baseman Tim Wiand. The former high school teammates batted .298 (28-94) and .365 (35-96), respectively. Sophomore first baseman Chris Ross also made 11 starts last year.

Sophomore outfielder Tyler Robinson, who batted .286 (32-112) in his first year as a starter, may be the only returning starter, but there were a significant amount of returning players who started at least 10 games in the outfield last year.

Senior Rick DeBlasio (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) has 25 career starts including 13 in 2010. Sophomore Kyle Allen started 12 games in the outfield and seven as a pitcher. Sophomore Justin King made 13 starts last year.

Sophomore designated hitter Ty Miller is also returning after he batted .362 (25-69) in 20 starts last year.

Junior catcher Charles Hedland, who made 12 starts in 2010, will likely take over the full-time duties behind the plate after the graduation of team MVP and second-team all-PAC selection Dan Argiro.

The pitching staff includes three hurlers with at least five starts last year. Including Allen, junior Justin Prejsnar and senior Tim Lynn are returning with 11 and seven starts, respectively. Prejsnar posted a 4.92 ERA and a 4-3 record while also accounting for three of the team's six complete games for the season. Sophomore Liam Halferty made a team-high 17 appearances (16 in relief).