PSAC Championship recap

EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University baseball program will celebrate its 2013 PSAC championship on Saturday, October 19, as the Warriors will receive their rings at halftime of the football game against Bloomsburg and continue the celebration with a social at the ESU Innovation Center following the game.

The Warriors won their fifth PSAC championship, and first since 1971, last May under sixth-year head coach John Kochmansky. The graduated seniors, and the current Warriors who were members of last year's team, will pick up their hardware at halftime of the football game, which kicks off at 1 p.m.

The baseball program will also recognize the first four members of its "Bat Club" – pitcher/shortstop Joel Bennett (1989-91), outfielder J.D. Stern (1996-99), second baseman Jacob DeBoer (2004-07) and pitcher Jeremy Gigliotti (2007-11) – at a reception in the Innovation Center from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Dress is casual and there is no cost to attend. ESU baseball alumni and others are welcome to RSVP by contacting head coach John Kochmansky at jkochmansky@esu.edu by October 9.


Information on the Bat Club honorees is below:

Joel Bennett – 2009 ESU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee … ESU's first-ever MLB Draft pick, selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 21st round in 1991 … reached major leagues with Baltimore and Philadelphia … 1991 ECAC Division II Player of the Year … two-time All-North Atlantic Region and All-PSAC East first team selection … set school records for strikeouts in a season (100, 1991) and career (215) … also played shortstop.

J.D. Stern – All-North Atlantic Region outfielder in 1998 … three-time All-PSAC East selection, twice on the first team … highest batting average by a four-year player in school history (.381) … graduated with records for career hits (204), runs (131) and doubles (42) … compiled .442 batting average, second-highest in school history, in 1998.

Jacob DeBoer – All-Region and All-Gold Glove team second baseman as a senior in 2007 … three-time All-PSAC East selection, twice on the first team … set school records for career hits (224), stolen bases (66) and total bases (297).

Jeremy Gigliotti – ESU's highest-ever MLB Draft pick, selected by the San Diego Padres in the 19th round in 2011 … consensus All-American and Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year … led Division II in fewest hits per nine innings (4.57) and ranked third in ERA (1.04) … set school records for career strikeouts (238) and starts (39) … led ESU to third-place finish in Atlantic Region in 2011.