Thursday, April 30, 2009

MORAVIAN BASEBALL SQUAD TO TRAVEL TO SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY FOR
2009 LANDMARK CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College baseball team is making its first postseason appearance since 2004 as the second seeded Greyhounds travel to Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove for the 2009 Landmark Conference Championship Tournament May 2st through 3rd.

The tournament begins on Friday, May 1st with the top seed and host Crusaders taking on fourth seed The Catholic University of America at 9:00 p.m.  The Greyhounds and third seeded United States Merchant Marine Academy are slated to take the field at 12:30 p.m. while the losers of the first two games will play at 4:00 p.m. Friday.  The winners of Friday’s first two games will open Saturday’s action at 9:00 a.m.  For more information on the tournament, visit http://www.susqu.edu/sports/baseball-tournament.htm.

The Greyhounds, under the direction of third-year head coach Paul Engelhardt, who as a career mark of 53-59, have posted a 20-18 overall record this spring, becoming the first team in the 70-year history of Moravian’s baseball program to win 20 games in a season, and a 12-6 mark in Landmark Conference action. 

Moravian's bats have been on fire this season with the team hitting .335 through 38 games with 436 hits including 97 doubles, 16 triples and 24 home runs.  The Greyhounds have also out-scored their opponents, 333-277 this season.

Freshman shortstop Dave Zubia (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) leads Moravian with a .417 average to go with 35 hits, 25 runs scored, six doubles, 18 RBIs and seven stolen bases while freshman first baseman Kevin O'Keefe (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton HS) has a .430 average with 49 hits, a school record 55 RBIs, 25 runs, 11 doubles, three triples and six homers.  Senior outfielder Joseph Durso (Middletown, NJ/Christian Brother Academy) is hitting .397 with a school record 56 hits, 47 runs, 52 RBIs, a school record 22 doubles, which is also first in the nation, two triples, four home runs and a team high 24 walks while sophomore outfielder/shortstop Jason Huber (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) has 51 hits, a .362 average, a school record 49 runs scored, 12 doubles, three triples, 28 RBIs, 22 walks and 11 stolen bases this season.  Durso has broken the school career doubles record, now with 51, and the career RBI mark, now with 124, and he is second in school history with 170 hits, one shy of tying the school mark. 

Senior infielder Kevin Gambrino (Brick, NJ/Monsignor Donovan HS) has a .325 average with 40 hits, 32 runs, 21 RBIs, nine doubles and a homer, and he is two hits shy of becoming the 15th player in school history to reach 100 career hits while outfielder Eric Shea (Madison, NJ/Morristown Beard HS) has contributed 36 hits to reach 108 for his career, 40 runs, six doubles, a triple, a homer, 18 walks, 18 RBIs, 11 hit by pitch and a team high 21 stolen bases to set the school record with 42 in his career.  Junior outfielder Brad Bodine (Mt. Bethel, PA/Bangor HS) has collected 28 hits with a .318 average, 13 runs, two doubles, a triple, three home runs and 18 RBIs while freshman designated hitter/catcher Joe Bartolacci (Easton, PA/Notre Dame HS) has contributed 27 hits, a .365 average, 13 runs, five doubles, two triples, two home runs and 26 RBIs.

Sophomore infielder Jake Schweitzer (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has 19 hits, 15 runs, four doubles, a homer and 13 RBIs while freshman catcher Austin Rock (Arlington, VA/Flour Bluff HS) has contributed 15 hits, nine for extra bases with three doubles and a team high six homers, to go with 14 runs and 20 RBIs.  Freshman third baseman Gregg Steinman (Miami, FL/Palmer Trinity School) has 19 hits with six runs. a double and four RBIs while freshman catcher Blake Shortall (Kintnersville, PA/Freedom HS) has added 17 hits, 15 runs, three doubles and seven RBIs.

Sophomore infielder Jon Baltz (Easton, PA/Easton HS) has 12 hits, eight runs, six RBIs, a .387 average, two doubles and a triple.  Sophomore outfielder Kirk Pastre (San Marino, CA/San Marino HS) has contributed six hits, eight runs, four doubles and two RBIs while senior catcher Michael LaVerghetta (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) has six hits, three runs, a double and four RBIs.

Sophomore first baseman Jacob Millen (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) has added four hits, three runs, two doubles and seven RBIs while junior infielder Mike Zubia (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has seven hits, six runs, two doubles, a triple and five RBIs.  Senior outfielder Thomas Czarnecki (Columbia, NJ/North Warren HS) has five hits with four runs, a double, two triples and four RBIs while freshman outfielder Matt Kensecki (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) has a hit, two runs and an RBI. 

On the mound, freshman Brendan Close (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS), this week's Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season, is 6-2 with a 2.86 ERA, a school record 71 strikeouts including a school record tying 13 in a victory over Johnson & Wales University on March 1st, and 11 walks in 56 2/3 innings.  Freshman Thomas Fenyak (Centreville, VA/Westfield HS) has a 6-2 mark with  a 3.95 ERA, 50 strikeouts and 16 walks in 47 innings while junior Philip Spence (Lafayette, NJ/Newton HS) is 4-3 with 28 strikeouts and 13 walks in 38 innings.

Junior Ryan Cummings (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East HS) has a 3-3 mark with two saves, 41 strikeouts and 16 walks in 40 innings while junior Joe Melchionna (Marlboro, NJ/St. John Vianney HS) has a save, an 0-3 mark, 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 21 innings.  O'Keefe has tossed 10 2/3 innings with 12 strikeouts, seven walks and an 0-1 mark while junior Andrew DeLio (Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany HS) has eight strikeouts and five walks in 13 2/3 innings.  DeLio also has a hit, a run and two RBIs at the plate.

Senior Thomas Murray (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic HS) has tossed 12 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts, 11 walks and a save while junior Brandon Palmisano (Mountainhome, PA/Pius X HS) has 14 strikeouts, six walks, a 1-0 record and a save in 18 1/3 innings of action.  Junior Andrew DelRossi (Medford, NJ/Bishop Eustace HS) has tossed four innings with two walks and four strikeouts while junior Zack Andes (Moscow, PA/North Pocono HS) has an 0-2 record, four strikeouts and three walks in 9 2/3 innings.  Junior Dustin Pflug (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson HS) has three strikeouts and three walks in three innings.