2017 ESU Baseball Quick Facts (PDF)

Related:
PSAC East preseason poll
NCBWA DII preseason Atlantic Region info
Crookham NCBWA DII preseason A-A 1st team

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University, which won a school-record 38 games and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the third time in six seasons last spring, enters the 2017 baseball season with a core group of key returners who will look to continue the program's sustained success.

ESU brings back five offensive starters from a club that ranked in the top three in the PSAC nearly every offensive category last year, including a DII-leading .445 on-base percentage.

On the mound, five players who threw at least 10 innings last season return, while the Warriors add a large group of freshman and transfer arms who should give ESU one of its deepest staffs under 10th-year head coach John Kochmansky.

The Warriors have four preseason All-Region selections, including a first team preseason All-America in redshirt senior SS Conner Crookham. Redshirt senior 2B Jay Young and redshirt senior 1B Dylan Tamecki, who missed most of last season due to injury, were also named to the Atlantic Region preseason first team, with senior LHP/OF Ian Allen the second team utility choice.

While the Warriors return a wealth of talent, they must also replace 14 departed letterwinners, led by two MLB Draft picks - RHP Matt Festa (7th round, Seattle), an All-America selection and the PSAC East Co-Pitcher of the Year, and OF Robert Bennie (24th round, Oakland), also named All-America, the PSAC East Athlete of the Year and the Atlantic Region Player of the Year by two organizations.

ESU had eight All-PSAC East selections in 2016, with seven contributing to an offense that led the PSAC in runs per game (8.6), led the PSAC and DII in on-base percentage (.445), ranked second in the PSAC and fifth in DII in batting average (.347) and second in the conference and 10th in DII in slugging percentage (.524). The Warriors also led the PSAC and were second in DII in walks (288) and third in the PSAC and 10th in DII in stolen bases (118).

Four of the all-conference picks return in Crookham at shortstop, Young at second base, Allen at utility (P/OF) and junior Steven Zimmerman, Jr. at catcher. Gone are Festa on the mound, Bennie in the outfield, Drew Hercik at third base and Christian Rishel at DH, who has junior eligibility but will miss the season due to injury.

ESU is picked third in the PSAC East preseason poll and fifth in the NCBWA Atlantic Region preseason poll entering the campaign. The Warriors have established themselves as one of the top teams in the region's toughest division, making the PSAC Tournament in five of the last seven years (2013 PSAC champion, 2015 runner-up), advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2011, 2013 and 2016, and winning 240 games with four 30-win seasons in the last eight years.

The season opens February 18-19 in Holly Springs, N.C., followed by a trip to Dinwiddie, Va. (Feb. 24-26) and then a weekend at Chowan, N.C. (March 4-5).

After a couple of non-conference doubleheaders, the PSAC East schedule opens March 24-25 vs. West Chester, followed by weekends against Bloomsburg, Kutztown, Millersville, Shippensburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield. The PSAC East has produced the Atlantic Region champion in eight of the last 11 years, with ESU, Millersville, West Chester, Shippensburg and Kutztown all making multiple NCAA trips in that time.

"We should continue to be productive offensively, and I'm encouraged by our pitching depth as we enter the season," said Kochmasky, who set ESU's school record for wins (261) during the NCAA Tournament last spring. "Our front-line offensive players are competitive with anybody in the region. We will continue to be athletic, physical and aggressive, and our velocity will remain a strength on the mound."


INFIELD

The Warriors claimed three of the four first team NCBWA preseason Atlantic Region infield spots in Crookham at shortstop, Young at second base and Tamecki at first base.

Crookham is expected to contribute at both shortstop and third base along with spending time on the mound this spring. He hit .357/.448/.669 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) last spring with 15 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 54 RBI, 46 runs and five stolen bases in 48 starts, earning second team ABCA and NCBWA All-Region honors.

He has a career line of .384/.457/.700 with 40 extra-base hits (16 home runs), 77 RBI and 72 runs in 74 games. He hit .438/.477/.763 in 24 games in an injury-shortened season in 2015.

Young, the returning NCBWA and D2CCA All-Region first team selection at second base, hit .394/.446/.447 in 2016. He had nine doubles, 43 RBI and 41 runs while going 8-for-8 on stolen bases. He enters his senior year with a .375 career batting average, .435 on-base percentage, 148 hits, 92 RBI and 95 runs in 122 games. He hit .396 as a redshirt sophomore in 2015 and has 67 hits in each of the last two seasons.

Tamecki returns after missing all but eight games last year. In 2015, his first season at ESU, he was first team All-PSAC East and second team ABCA All-Region, hitting .407/.462/.622 with 16 doubles, seven home runs, 54 RBI and 45 runs in 50 games.

Freshman Joey Paolini is slotted as the fourth starting infielder, expected to open the season at shortstop with Crookham moving 50 feet to his right to third base. Paolini was All-South Jersey as a senior at Holy Cross, a two-time All-Burlington County selection and helped his team to a state championship.

Senior Billy Sablinski (.328/.371/.362), who played in 28 games and made 14 starts last year along with contributing some late-season innings on the mound, will be a key player at both shortstop and third base.

Junior 3B Laine Renaud (Hamilton, Ontario), freshman 2B Shawn Dulin (Smyrna, Del.), redshirt freshman 1B/OF Tom Nuneviller and redshirt sophomore 1B PJ Van Orman will provide depth around the diamond.

ESU replaces two starters in the infield in 3B Drew Hercik, a four-year starter who was named first team All-PSAC East and first team D2CCA All-Region, and 1B Matt Walewski, a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter.

Hercik (.367/.517/.605 as a senior) set school records for career runs (163), walks (105) and games played (203), ranks second at ESU in RBI (127) and total bases (303), tied for third in extra-base hits (63) and tied for fourth in hits (204).

Walewski (.331/.430/.464) had a .342 career batting average, collected 145 hits and ranks ninth at ESU in RBI (104).

OUTFIELD

Bennie's departure to the MLB Draft following a record-setting 2016 season is significant, but the Warriors return two starters in Allen and redshirt senior Casey Saverio while adding depth to an already strong group.

Allen, a two-time All-PSAC East selection and three-year starter, was named first team All-PSAC East utility and second team NCBWA All-Region last spring. He was previously named second team All-PSAC East as an outfielder as a sophomore in 2015.

He hit .308/.436/.449 in 2016, posting 10 doubles, six triples, two homers, 32 RBI, 53 runs and a 36-for-40 mark on stolen bases. He has already set ESU single-season (36) and career (67) records for stolen bases, and led the PSAC and ranked sixth in DII in steals last spring.

He reached base 109 times as a junior on 61 hits, 43 walks (3rd in PSAC) and five HBP. In his three years as an offensive starter, he has a line of .311/.428/.469 with 137 hits (22 doubles, 9 triples, 10 HR), 87 RBI, 116 runs, 86 walks, 11 HBP and his school-record 67 stolen bases in 141 games.

Saverio, entering his third year as a starter, hit .313/.441/.455 with eight doubles, one triple, five home runs, 41 RBI, 42 runs and was 16-for-16 on stolen bases in 2016 between left field and center field. He hit .321/.450/.451 in 2015, and has a career ledger of .317/.445/.453 with 19 doubles, three triples, seven homers, 60 RBI, 92 runs, 71 walks, nine HBP and 32 stolen bases (on 35 attempts) in 103 games for the Warriors.

With Allen in right and Saverio in center, freshman Carson Freeman is expected to take over the starting role in left field. Freeman was the Colonial League Player of the Year at Bangor HS as a senior, also earning POY mention from the Morning Call and Express-Times. He will contribute both in the outfield and on the mound.

Nuneviller and two newcomers, junior Charles Edwards (Niagara CC) and freshman Evan Steele (Williamsport), will also contribute in the outfield.

Bennie, in his only season at ESU last spring, hit .397/.461/.643 with 33 extra-base hits (10 HR), 54 RBI, 67 runs and 23 stolen bases. He led the PSAC in total bases (144) and runs and set ESU single-season records for hits (89), runs and total bases. He was named Atlantic Region Player of the Year by the ABCA and NCBWA, and was ABCA 2nd team All-America and D2CCA 3rd team All-America.

Rishel, ESU's primary DH last year who is expected to miss this season due to injury, had a breakout sophomore campaign in 2016 - .372/.435/.581 with 11 doubles, one triple, nine homers, 55 RBI and 49 runs in 54 starts.

CATCHER

Zimmerman, entering his third year at ESU, caught 52 of ESU's 56 games last spring but should be bolstered by more catching depth in 2017.

Zimmerman was named All-PSAC East second team and was ESU's Co-Coaches Award recipient, along with Rishel. Offensively, he hit .314/.453/.551 with six doubles, two triples, nine homers, 41 RBI, 48 runs and seven stolen bases while reaching base 91 times - 49 hits, 31 walks and 11 HBP.

Defensively, he threw out 16-of-39 base stealers (41%) and caught a pitching staff that ranked third in the PSAC and 14th in DII in strikeouts per nine innings (8.8).

The Warriors have four catchers on the roster in Zimmerman, redshirt sophomore Mike Sulcoski, redshirt sophomore transfer Dylan Evert and sophomore Cameron Kichline.

Evert, a transfer from DI UMBC, is expected to contribute both behind the plate and as a designated hitter.

Sulcoski missed the 2016 season due to injury after playing in 24 games and making 14 starts as a freshman in 2015, splitting time behind the plate with Zimmerman. He hit .133 with a .231 on-base percentage and .200 slugging percentage.

Kichline played in 14 games and made two starts at catcher last year, hitting 6-for-18 with a triple, RBI and five runs.

PITCHING

Festa set five single-season school records as ESU's ace last year, earning All-America honors and becoming the highest MLB Draft pick in school history. He had an 11-2 record, 2.35 ERA, 105 strikeouts and 21 walks across 88.0 innings (13 starts), including nine complete games and two shutouts. He set school marks for single-season wins, strikeouts, innings, games started and complete games, and also set the career record for wins (23) while ranking t-2nd in strikeouts (215), 2nd in winning percentage (.767) and 1st in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.1) in school history.

With Festa's departure, senior Tyler Eckman and Allen are the top two returners and lead a staff that could go as many as 17 deep.

Eckman made 12 starts last year, posting a 5-5 record and 3.24 ERA in 66.2 innings (51 strikeouts, 14 walks) after making his mark as a reliever as a sophomore in 2015 (1st team All-PSAC East, school record 9 saves). He allowed three or fewer earned runs in 10 of his 12 starts and was twice a hard luck loser in divisional play, getting just one run of support in well-pitched games vs. Millersville and Lock Haven.

Allen, a left-hander, saw the bulk of his work on the mound as a sophomore in 2015, going 5-2 with a 4.20 ERA in 49.1 innings (56 strikeouts, 10 walks) over nine starts. He had an injury-interrupted pitching record last year, making four early-season starts before returning to the mound for the PSAC Tournament. He posted a 2-0 record and 5.47 ERA in 26.1 innings (32 strikeouts, 4 walks) across five starts.

In 18 career starts, Allen owns a 9-2 mark with 101 strikeouts and 23 walks in 90.0 innings.

Crookham, who has made six career relief appearances (three saves), should be in line for his first starting action on the mound. He has yet to allow an earned run in 5.1 innings, recording eight strikeouts, three walks and five hits allowed. He saved ESU's 3-0 shutout vs. Seton Hill in the NCAA Tournament last spring.

Freshman Connor Johnson (Sayreville War Memorial, N.J.) is expected to open the season in the rotation as well.

Redshirt senior Ben Stine, a former transfer from DI VCU, made three early-season starts last year before a season-ending injury and will work his way into the weekend mix.

Senior Ben Bortz (4-1, 5.84 ERA, 24.2 IP, 27 strikeouts, 21 walks in 19 games) leads the rest of the returners on the mound. He has appeared in 41 career games, all but two in relief, and has a 7-2 record and 5.18 ERA in 64.1 innings for the Warriors.

Other returners include junior Joe Cominsky (1-1, 6.43 ERA, 21.0 IP, 18 strikeouts, 14 walks in 9 games), sophomore Eric Petroski, who pitched in two games early in the season, redshirt junior left-hander Mike Pepio, who sat out after transferring from Brookdale CC, and redshirt freshman Chris Crookham.

Pepio is expected to fill a significant role, and the Warriors are also looking for key mound contributions several newcomers - junior Nick DiEva, freshman left-hander Tyler Stafursky (Scranton Prep), Freeman and Steele.

Also in the mix for mid-week innings are three freshmen - Stephen Centorani, Nate Fiala and left-hander Zachary Marzano, who could also contribute offensively.

Along with Festa, a pair of big right-handers - Brandon Holup and Cody Klinger - are key arms who the Warriors must replace.

Holup was 6-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 59.1 innings (48 strikeouts, 19 walks) in 13 games (9 starts) last spring, including a three-hitter over 8.0 shutout innings in a 3-0 win vs. Seton Hill in the NCAA Tournament.

An All-Region selection as a sophomore in 2014, Holup posted a 15-8 career record with a 3.68 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 171.0 innings of work. He appeared in 47 games, including 29 starts.

Klinger had a strong final year with the Warriors, going 6-3 with a 4.18 ERA in 51.2 innings (50 strikeouts, 20 walks) in 13 games (7 starts). He went 3-1 in five starts vs. the PSAC East, including complete game victories against Mansfield and West Chester.