Sports News: Spring 2004

Tuesday, March 2, 2004

GREYHOUNDS RANKED 5TH IN COMMONWEALTH PRESEASON POLL

ANNVILLE, PA --- The Moravian College baseball team has been selected to finish fifth in the Commonwealth Conference in a preseason poll of the conference’s coaches.

The Greyhounds, who return 16 letterwinners and eight starters, received 31 points in the poll. Messiah College was selected as the top team in the preseason, garnering six first-place votes and 61 points. Elizabethtown College was ranked second followed by Juniata College, which had one first-place vote, Albright College, Moravian, Widener University, Lebanon Valley College and Susquehanna University, which received the final first place vote.

The Greyhounds only returning starter in the infield is senior second baseman Matthew Turtell (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst HS), who has 26 hits, 19 runs, 15 RBIs, 15 walks and a homer. In the outfield, Moravian will have all three starters returning. Senior Greg Peters (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS) will be in centerfield when he isn’t on the mound while junior Chris Clancy (Kendall Park, NJ/Bishop Ahr HS) will start in right field when he isn’t pitching and senior Ethan Ordog (Roebling, NJ/Holy Cross HS) will be in left field. Peters contributed 20 hits, 18 runs, 15 RBIs, three doubles, a triple and two home runs last spring and on the mound, Peters was 1-4 with one save, a 5.76 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 25 innings. Clancy had 18 hits, 16 runs, eight RBIs, a triple and a homer while Ordog contributed 16 hits, 16 runs, 14 RBIs and three doubles. On the mound, Clancy had a 4-5 record, a 4.10 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings of work.

The Greyhounds are slated to have two other starting pitchers back in the rotation this spring led by junior Stephen Tomaszewski (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS). Tomaszewski was a Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team honoree last year after posting a 5-1 record, a 4.59 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 51 innings of action. Senior Brett Porter (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park HS) also returns to the mound after a 1-1 record, a 7.68 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings last spring.

Moravian, under the direction of head coach Ed Little, will open the 2004 season on Thursday, March 4th in a non-conference game at Muhlenberg College at 3:00 p.m. The Greyhounds will begin their 2004 Commonwealth Conference season on Saturday, March 6th with a doubleheader against Juniata College at the University of Tampa.


2004 Commonwealth Conference Baseball Preseason Poll

Rank School (first place votes) Points
1. Messiah College (6) 61 pts
2. Elizabethtown College 54 pts
3. Juniata College (1) 44 pts
4. Albright College 42 pts
5. Moravian College 31 pts
6. Widener University 23 pts
7. Lebanon Valley College 17 pts
8. Susquehanna University (1) 16 pts