Despite having just three seniors and three juniors on the squad, the Moravian College baseball team posted a 14-20 overall record and a 7-7 slate in the Commonwealth Conference. The Greyhounds also put an assault on the record books this season with several records falling.

With the return to aluminum bats this season, the Greyhounds were able to pick up the offense but head coach Ed Little’s squad still suffered seven losses by two runs or less. Little has a career mark of 255-244-2 after the season. Little’s 250yh career win came on April 2nd in a game at Lackawanna County Stadium against the University of Scranton.

The Greyhounds set the school record for homeruns in a season this year with 21 round-trippers, which was six more than the old school record of 15 set in 1988. Other record to fall this season were the career hit record set by senior outfielder/second baseman Jarrett Hughes (Bangor/Bangor Area HS) and the single season homerun record set by freshman first baseman Bob Frey (Hellertown/Saucon Valley HS).

Hughes, who completed his Moravian career with 134 hits to break Mike Folcher’s record of 123, hit .329 with 24 hits in 73 at-bats despite missing the first 12 games of the season with an injury. Hughes added 17 RBIs, 14 runs and four doubles this spring.

Frey connected on seven of the Greyhounds 21 homeruns to break the record set by Ed Barnett in 1985 and tied by Jud Frank in 1993. Frank holds the career mark at 13 homeruns. Frey hit .238 for the season with 25 hits, 20 RBIs and three doubles in addition to his seven homers.

Junior outfielder/pitcher Joe Pochron (Allentown/Salisbury HS) led the Greyhounds at the plate this season and he was selected to the Commonwealth Conference All-Star Second Team after being on the first team in 1999. Pochron, who has 91 hits in his career and 80 the last two seasons, had a .364 batting average with a team high 39 hits in a team leading 107 at-bats. Pochron also led the Greyhounds with nine doubles, three triples, 33 RBIs and 66 total bases. Pochron finished the season three RBIs and four total bases short of the school records. Pochron did tie one school record by allowing 34 walks on the mound. Pochron, who had a 0-6 record, was the tough luck loser for the ‘Hounds with three of his six losses by one run. He had a 5.05 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 41 innings.

Sophomore third baseman Bill Quinn (Lebanon, CT/Lyman Memorial HS) hit .328 for Moravian this spring with 22 hits, eight doubles, two homeruns, 10 runs and nine RBIs. Quinn was honored on the MAC Academic Honor Roll this season. Classmate Michael Abbate (South Plainfield, NJ/Bishop Ahr HS) led the Greyhounds with 30 runs, 24 walks and 12 stolen bases this spring. Abbate hit .304 with 30 hits, 15 RBIs, six doubles and a homerun.

Junior shortstop Mike Gill (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon HS) led Moravian defensively with 84 assists and he added 23 hits, 22 runs, 20 walks and 11 RBIs this spring. Gill, who had not had an extra-base hit in his first two seasons with the Greyhounds, had three doubles and a homerun this year. Gill, a member of the MAC Academic Honor Roll, also contributed 20 walks and ten stolen bases.

Freshman Jeff Meila (Bethlehem/Bethlehem Catholic HS), who saw time in the outfield, at third base and as a catcher this season, hit .274 in his first season with 26 hits, 13 runs, 13 RBIs, four doubles and three homeruns. Fellow freshman and infielder Paul Block (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS) had 11 hits in limited action at second base while freshman Luke Bricker (Kutztown/Kutztown HS) also played at second and he added seven hits.

Sophomore outfielder Curtis Hoff (Kintersville/Palisades HS) had 18 hits, 11 runs, nine RBIs and two homeruns for the Greyhounds this season while junior catcher Dustin Levy (Vineland, NJ/Vineland HS) added 13 hits, seven runs, six RBIs, two doubles and a triple. Levy threw out six base runners this spring while Hoff pitched 12 2/3 innings with a 7.11 ERA.

Freshman Charlie Bowden (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial HS) contributed six hits in limited action including an inside-the-park homerun in coach Little’s 250th win.

On the mound, seniors Matt Seitzinger (Scranton/Scranton Prep) and David Jelleme (Pequannock, NJ/Pequannock HS), paced the Greyhounds. Seitzinger was 4-3 with a 2.82 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 51 innings. He also led Moravian with five complete games and he had the team’s only shutout. Jelleme was 3-2 on the year with a 3.63 ERA in 34 2/3 innings. Jelleme had 18 strikeouts on the year before a broken leg sidelined him for the last week and a half of the season.

Sophomore Randy Woolley (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional HS) was 3-3 this spring with a 4.96 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. Freshman Ryan Boyle (Bethlehem/Liberty HS) had a 1-1 record in 14 2/3 innings while fellow freshman Jerry Coveney (Norristown/LaSalle College HS) was 1-3 in 15 2/3 innings. Sophomore Eric Lee (Lambertville/Hopewell Valley HS) was 2-0 in 11 2/3 innings with a complete game victory for coach Little’s 250th win.

Sophomore pitcher Brian Corvino (Pen Argyl/Pen Argyl HS), who was named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll, pitched three innings for Greyhounds.

With the expected return of 20 players next season, the Greyhounds and coach Little expect to challenge for the Commonwealth Conference Championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament that goes with it.