Baseball Opens Up 2013 On The Road This Friday
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College baseball team opens up its 2013 campaign this Friday, February 22nd as they travel to the Ty Cobb Classic host by Hampden-Sydney College to take on Rutgers-Camden. The Greyhounds hope to improve off their 28-16 overall and 14-4 Landmark Conference record from a year ago.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College baseball team opens up its 2013 campaign this Friday, February 22nd as they travel to the Ty Cobb Classic host by Hampden-Sydney College to take on Rutgers-Camden. The Greyhounds hope to improve off their 28-16 overall and 14-4 Landmark Conference record from a year ago.
Moravian finished last season a game short of the Landmark Championship after falling to Drew University. This season, seventh year head coach Paul Engelhardt has the Greyhounds in prime position for a run at the Landmark title. Moravian is picked to second in the Landmark Preseason Poll after returning 19 letterwinners that include five starters.
Junior outfielder Joey Connell, who was an ABCA/Rawlings Mid-Atlantic Region First Team Gold Glover last season, will lead this year's squad along with junior middle infielder Daniel Seitzinger, who was on the Landmark All-Conference Second Team.
Connell played all 44 games last spring while batting .327 (52-of-159) and fielding 1.000. Connell added 39 runs scored, 18 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, 13 doubles and two triples while Seitzinger batted .366 (56-of-153) to go with his 30 runs scored, 28 RBIs, 15 stolen bases and seven doubles. Sophomore pitcher Chris Lansberry went 8-1 with a 2.94 ERA to go with his 26 strikeouts in 49 innings which earned him Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year and a spot on the All-Conference Second Team.
Sophomore outfielder Matt Hanson hit .350 (41-of-117) last spring while putting up 27 runs, 16 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and eight doubles while junior outfielder Harrison Fonteix hit .344 (22-of-64) at the plate to go with his 21 runs scored, 13 RBIs, seven stolen bases and four doubles. Junior catcher Matthew Gutkes will take over the catching duties this year after playing in 26 games last spring to go with his .316 (18-of-57) batting average, 20 RBIs, 11 runs scored, two home runs and two doubles.
Sophomore shortstop Colin Case had a .357 (10-of-28) batting average, nine runs, three RBIs, two stolen bases and two doubles while classmate outfielder Justin Pilchman hit .344 (11-of-32) from the plate to go with his nine runs, five RBIs, three doubles and a triple. Sophomore third baseman Ryan Luke, junior infielder Kyle Spence and sophomore first baseman Joey DiSarno will add depth and experience to this young roster for the Greyhounds.
Helping out Lansberry on the pitching staff will be junior Thomas Mariano (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton), who went 5-2 with two complete game shutouts. Mariano had 40 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched to go with his 3.58 ERA. Classmate Robert Solano went 2-1 with a 4.19 ERA to go with his 25 strikeouts in 34.1 innings.
Junior pitcher Chris Soltys had a 3.42 ERA in 17 appearances to go with his 24 strikeouts in 26.1 innings, and one save while classmate Ben Hammel had a 3.14 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. Junior Jason Jamula and senior Matthew Cordes add depth and experience to the bullpen for the 2013 campaign.
Coach Engelhardt has brought in 16 newcomers for the 2013 season after losing seven key players to graduation last spring.
The Greyhounds open the season on Friday, February 22nd as they take on Rutgers-Camden in the Ty Cobb Classic at Hampden-Sydney College. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
