Mercyhurst, Millersville Top PSAC Baseball Preseason Polls
PSAC Baseball East Division Preseason Notes
PSAC Baseball West Division Preseason Notes
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- Mercyhurst and Millersville topped the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Baseball Preseason Poll for their respective divisions, as selected by the league’s coaches, the conference announced Tuesday morning.
With the addition of Shepherd to the sport, the Eastern Division will boast nine teams while the Western Division will stay the same with eight.
Conference play shall be conducted with each Western Division team playing four games against each opponent in their respective Division for a total of 28 games. The Eastern Division teams will play three games against each opponent in their respective division for a total of 24 games.
EAST
Millersville claimed four first-place votes after claiming the Eastern Division crown in 2019. The Marauders paced the PSAC in runs (402), hits (506) and RBI (356). Coach Jon Shehan enters his 13th season at the helm and will look to replace a pair of starting pitchers. Senior Drew Miller started 13 games in 2019 and is set to spearhead the rotation.
East Stroudsburg earned a quartet of first-place votes and was slated second in the poll. Coach John Kochmansky’s squad accumulated 31 wins last season and will return nine position players and 13 pitchers. The Warriors will boast the pitching duo of Cam Voss and Chase Nowak. The duo combined to go 10-4 in 2019.
West Chester received a first-place vote and was tabbed third. Coach Jad Prachniak’s team posted a 31-16 record and return a pair of all-conference players. Justin Horn paced the Golden Rams in at-bats (176) and runs (46) while sporting a .324 batting average. Pitcher David Mervis will look to build off a successful campaign that saw him go 5-1. Mervis finished second on the team with 63 strikeouts.
Bloomsburg was tabbed fourth and will seek to defend its PSAC title. The Huskies won the PSAC crown for the first time in 54 years. Coach Mike Collins is 10 wins shy of becoming the winningest coach in program history. Bloomsburg will lean on the arm of senior Chad Cooperman. Cooperman finished in the top 10 among PSAC starters in four major statistical categories.
Shepherd was voted fifth in its inaugural season in the PSAC. The Rams have accumulated at least 30 wins in six consecutive seasons and have made NCAA DII Regional appearances in three of the last four seasons. Shepherd junior Jared Carr returns after pacing the team with a .428 batting average. Senior pitcher Mitchell Wilson will lead the pitching staff after posting an 8-2 mark in 2019.
Shippensburg grabbed sixth while head coach Matt Jones is two wins shy of 350 for his career. The Raiders return the 2019 East Freshman of the Year, Tony Vavaroutsos. He paced the team in RBI (38) and extra-base hits (20).
Lock Haven, Kutztown and Mansfield rounded out the poll, respectively.
WEST
Mercyhurst garnered four first-place votes after making a deep run in the 2019 NCAA DII Baseball World Series. The two-time defending Atlantic Region Champions will return six players from their starting lineup last season. The Lakers head coach, Joe Spano, is one win shy of 650 for his career.
Seton Hill swiped three first-place votes and was picked second. The Griffins will be under the direction of Marc Marizzaldi for his 17th season. He has amassed 562 career wins. Seton Hill returns five starters in its rotation and the anchor to its infield in Tommy Pellis. Pellis paced the team in runs (45), home runs (11) while finishing second in stolen bases (17).
Cal U claimed a first-place vote and was tabbed third. The Vulcans set school records in wins (37) and league wins (19) in 2019. Cal U returns starting pitchers Nick Riggle and Bradyn Kail, who posted a combined 16-3 record last season. Sophomore Patrick Brogan claimed the West Division Freshman of the Year accolade while leading the team in hits (31). Coach Mike Conte’s squad finished in the top 10 in DII in stolen bases with 128.
Gannon was picked fourth and looks to build off its most successful season in school history. The Golden Knights produced a school-record 33 wins and won the programs first outright PSAC West regular season title.
Pitt-Johnstown was voted fifth while Slippery Rock claimed sixth.
IUP and Clarion rounded out the poll, respectively.
Millersville and Shepherd will be the first teams in action on Friday, Jan. 31. Millersville will battle Arkansas Tech at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros. Shepherd will travel to UNC Pembroke for a three-game set.
The Eastern Division will begin PSAC play on Friday, March 13 while the Western Division will begin league play on Friday, March 20. The PSAC Baseball Championship will be held May 6-9 on the campus of Slippery Rock.
EAST (# of first-place votes)
1) Millersville (4)
2) East Stroudsburg (4)
3) West Chester (1)
4) Bloomsburg
5) Shepherd
6) Shippensburg
7) Lock Haven
8) Kutztown
9) Mansfield
WEST
1) Mercyhurst (4)
2) Seton Hill (3)
3) Cal U (1)
4) Gannon
5) Pitt-Johnstown
6) Slippery Rock
7) IUP
8) Clarion