DII Report: PSAC DII baseball 2023 preview
Pennsylvania has produced some strong teams the past few seasons. What's in store for 2023?
I hope you have been enjoying the DII baseball fall reports and season previews. With the season already creeping so very close, today, we turn our attention to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
PSAC baseball, at least it feels, doesn’t get the love it deserves. The league seems to have someone in Cary, N.C. on a regular basis, with West Chester winning two titles and Millersville claiming a national runners-up campaign in the last decade alone.
The conference itself is a monster, but it should have six highly competitive teams on the national landscape. The thing with the PSAC is, while you can pretty much pencil in its stalwarts — West Chester, Millersville and Mercyhurst — as tournament contenders already, there are teams that break through each year — like Slippery Rock — that find some staying power and make this conference one of the most difficult to project.
PSAC 2023 final DII baseball standings
West Chester
Head coach: Mike LaRosa
Returning player to watch: Luke Cantwell, OF. Cantwell slashed .305/.381/.542 with 12 home runs last year showing a nice blend of hitting tools.
Pitcher to watch: Joe Sperone, RHP. – Sperone sits 86-89 mph with his fastball and commands a good curveball with what LaRosa described as a plus-plus changeup. He’s what you need in the rotation and a bulldog on the mound; the bigger the moment, the better he is.
Newcomer to watch: David Ferguson, RHP. He has the pitcher’s frame scouts drool over, listed at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds. The Pitt transfers sits 88-91 and mixes in a curveball and changeup.
Under-the-radar player to watch: Joe Kaleck, UTIL. One of West Chester’s captains, the speedster (28 stolen bases last year) is a true breakout candidate.
What Coach LaRosa said: This year we have a solid core of returning players from last year’s squad that finished in the final four in Cary. With the addition of some key transfers that we believe will have an immediate impact, we are deeper than we have been the previous two years. The PSAC will be very tough once again though, which will test our new guys early. However, the upperclassmen that have played in many big games here throughout their careers should help pull us through.
Millersville
Head coach: Jon Shehan
Returning players to watch: Thomas Caufield, SS, and Bren Taylor, OF. Caufield it the reigning Atlantic Region player of the year and Taylor had an All-American campaign.
Pitcher to watch: Alex Mykut, RHP. Coming off a Covid-shortened season and then an injury plagued 2021, Shehan felt he was undoubtedly the best pitcher in the PSAC posting a 1.25 ERA with 31 hits allowed and 60 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings when he pitched. Now fully healthy his fastball sits in the 90s, and his hammer curveball is the strikeout pitch. Also added a changeup to the mix that has been extremely effective against lefties in practice.
Newcomer to watch: Dale Houser, CF. Houser will be the starting centerfield. He was on campus last season but a shoulder injury in fall ball knocked him out for the season. Hit .379 and scored 50 runs in 35 games at Potomac State in 2021.
Under-the-radar player to watch: Sam Morris, OF/RP. Morris will be Millersville’s closer and play right field. He also has starting pitching experience, defeating East Stroudsburg in 2022 as a freshman. Keep an eye on Jimmy Losh. The leadoff hitter and outstanding defensive second baseman is described as the team’s engine.
What Coach Shehan said: We have a lot of returnees, but it’s a different team, especially with the pitchers. We have a completely different outlook on the mound. Last year, we had to piece it together. We are in a whole different light with depth on the staff. It’s exciting. We want to give guys a chance to win jobs early in the year and spread out the innings, so we don’t lose anyone in the shuffle.
Gannon
Head coach: DJ Cannon
Returning player to watch: Ian Hess, 1B. A disciplined hitter (struck out 21 times and walked 20) who does everything well (.307. 9 doubles, 11 home runs).
Pitcher to watch: Kieran Versaw-Barnes, RHP. The righty pitched at George Mason and Gannon hopes for big things.
Newcomer to watch: Dylan Crowley, LHP. Versaw-Barnes isn’t the only newcomer from DI George Mason. Crowley also pitched there last year and should make a quick impact for the Knights.
Mercyhurst
Head coach: Joe Spano
Returning player to watch: Chris Juchno, OF. We know Juchno is an athlete as he is alsoa. quarterback on the football team. He was third on the team in home runs as a true freshman and if he cuts down on strikeouts (34.2 K%) he should be a stud.
Pitcher to watch: Jarrett Heilman, LHP. Heilman is a southpaw with control over five pitches which is almost unfair at this level. He hit lower 90s with the fastball with some arm side run, getting to action in on righties.
Newcomer to watch: Vincent Stutz, P/OF. The transfer from Niagara County Community College will predominantly end up hitting but can pitch. He had a monster slash line last year (.417/.517/.646) and nearly walked as much as struck out (24 K/20 BB).
Under-the-radar player to watch: Ryan Perretti, OF. The transfer from Radford got limited playing time due to a crowded outfield. He had an OPS of 1.139 in 30 ABs a season ago and could be someone who makes a big impact with an increased role
What Coach Spano said: We are excited about the young core that returns for us this season. We have plenty of depth when it comes to our sophomores which is something most teams don’t have. It provides us an opportunity to build while also remaining very competitive; a fun place to be.
East Stroudsburg
Head coach: John Kochmansky
Returning player to watch: Jack Rothenhausler, 1B/3B. The PSAC East freshman of the year, added stability to the middle of the lineup. With great bat-to-ball skills, he set freshman single-season records in seven offensive categories.
Pitchers to watch: Chase Nowak, RHP, and Brent Francisco RHP. Nowak, a 6-foot-3 power pitcher throws four pitches for strikes. With Francisco, both strike out more than one batter per inning. Their experience in both the regular season and post season will be beneficial moving into 2023.
Newcomer to watch: Mike Kelly, OF. The transfer from Kutztown had a Second-Team All Region campaign last year and brings an element of speed and defense to the roster. He’s expected to bat leadoff. Also watch Nick McAuliffe, RHP, from New Orleans who is a power arm for both the ‘pen and rotation.
Under-the-radar player to watch: Jeremy Piatkiewicz, SS. Piatkiewicz is described as a slick fielding switch-hitter and arguably the top fielding SS in the PSAC. Hitting .333 last year, he developed into a consistent offensive threat as the year progressed.
What Coach Kochmansky said: We return three front line starters and added a fourth in McAuliffe, complimented by a solid bull pen. We return four starters, plus transfer starter Mike Kelly on offense. The offensive will feature tremendous speed. (140 SB's in 2022). I look for the pitching and defense to carry us early, until the new offensive players get some at-bats under their belt.
Seton Hill
Head coach: Marc Marizzaldi
Returning player to watch: Jack Oberdorf, 3B. Oberdorf has improved each year and is an elite defender and elite hitter, who led the Griffins in average and homers last year.
Pitcher to watch: Kevin Vaupel, LHP. Another Griffin who seems to continuously improve, Vaupel posted career highs in starts and strikeouts, even earning his first complete game shutout. He works 87-90, with an improved breaking ball and changeup.
Newcomer to watch: Logan Vietmeier, UTIL. The grad transfer from Marietta (OH) will immediately enter the everyday lineup able to play catcher, first base or DH.
Under-the-radar player to watch: Brandon Bergert, RHP. Bergert sits 88-92, with a curveball and slider. He worked all the way up the staff last year to start Game 1 in Regional, so he can handle pressure.
What Coach Marizzaldi said: We have an experienced team that's been through a lot the past few years. A player's passing, the pandemic, a DII baseball championship, and last year a 6th-place regular season finish that left us out of the PSAC tournament but ended up three outs away from hosting a Super Regional. I expect to defend at a high level, hit enough to be competitive, and rely on a deep and talented pitching staff to keep us in every game. This is a fun team to be around, one that is very connected and motivated to get back to Cary.
Slippery Rock
Head coach: Jeff Messer
Returning player to watch: Alex Robenolt, OF. One of three Rock players to start all 51 games in 2022, Robenolt served as the cleanup hitter in addition to corner outfield duties. He responded with a career-year, batting .363 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI while slugging .654 and compiling a .412 on-base percentage. He concluded the season tied for the team lead in both total hits (66) and extra-base hits (29).
Pitcher to watch: Devin Dunn, LHP. Dunn anchored The Rock's starting rotation in his first season with the program a year ago. Also keep tabs on Luke Trueman, a big strikeout pitcher (10.1 per nine last year) who also hit .293 with nine homers.
Newcomer to watch: Robby Barrientos, C. Barrientos played at DI Old Dominion University where he appeared in 29 games over two seasons. He is one of three catchers on the roster who will compete to replace 2022 All-American Connor Hamilton.
Under-the-radar player to watch: Jon Kozarian, SS. Kozarian battled through injuries for the majority of last season and still managed to start 50 games, play solid defense at shortstop and hit four home runs with 38 RBI, 10 doubles, and three triples.
What Coach Messer said: Looking forward to the upcoming season with a veteran squad returning from a solid 33-18. Finished second in very competitive PSAC West and Atlantic Regional qualifier. Always look at qualifying for PSAC Championship, Regionals, and beyond.
THE DII NATION PODCAST
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