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PSAC Tournament: LIVE STATS

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University, the 2013 PSAC baseball tournament champion, returns to the postseason for the fourth time in six seasons as the Warriors face Mercyhurst in their first-round game on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa.

The Warriors, under eighth-year head coach John Kochmansky, went 4-0 to win the 2013 title at Point Stadium in Johnstown.

ESU (28-17) has just one remaining starter off that team, and the 2015 Warriors have only one senior as they secured their conference tournament berth with a 3-1 series win against Bloomsburg last weekend.

Three All-PSAC East selections - junior first baseman Dylan Tamecki and sophomore relief pitcher Tyler Eckman on the first team, and sophomore outfielder Ian Allen on the second team - lead the Warriors into the tournament.

Tamecki is hitting .395 with a .444 on-base percentage and .612 slugging percentage, penciled into the cleanup spot in 40 of the Warriors' 45 games. He has 15 doubles, six home runs and ranks eighth in the PSAC with 48 RBI.

Allen has stood out for the Warriors both at the plate and on the mound, where he leads ESU's starting pitchers with a 4.20 ERA in nine starts. Allen has posted a 5-2 record, including a no-hitter at Virginia State on March 8, and has 56 strikeouts and just 16 walks allowed in 49.1 innings.

Offensively, Allen has been one of ESU's top performers, hitting .353 with a .467 on-base percentage, six doubles, two triples, six home runs, 38 RBI and 44 runs, and ranks second in the PSAC with 23 stolen bases on 25 attempts.

Eckman has closed nine of ESU's 28 wins, leading the PSAC and breaking an ESU single-season record for saves (seven) that was established by Rich Wescoe in 1974. He has a 2.97 ERA in 18 games, including his first career start in Saturday's win over Bloomsburg, and has thrown 30.1 innings on the season.

ESU's offense ranks fourth in the PSAC in batting average (.334), and second in the PSAC and 11th in Division II in on-base percentage (.425), entering the PSAC Tournament. The Warriors are averaging 7.18 runs per game, second-best in school history, and rank second in the PSAC in stolen bases (1.69 per game).

On the mound, the Warriors are fifth in the PSAC in ERA (5.12) and second in the PSAC and sixth in DII in strikeouts per nine innings (9.5).

On Wednesday, ESU will face a Mercyhurst staff that leads DII in strikeouts per nine innings (10.5) and paces the PSAC in ERA (3.08), led by PSAC West Pitcher of the Year Jon Klein.

Mercyhurst (32-6), tied for ninth in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper DII poll and ranked 11th in DII by the NCBWA, won the PSAC West regular season title by splitting last weekend's series vs. Seton Hill.

ESU is 0-2 against Mercyhurst in PSAC Tournament games, falling in the first round in 2011 and second round in 2010. The Lakers also dealt the Warriors their only two losses in the 2011 NCAA DII Atlantic Regional, where ESU placed third in the region.

The Warriors enter their seventh PSAC Tournament (fourth since 2010) with an all-time tournament record of 10-8. ESU has won five PSAC championships in program history (1957, 1963, 1969, 1971, 2013), the last two under a tournament format. The Warriors were runner-up in 1985.

The Lakers won the 2011 PSAC Tournament and are in the conference playoffs for the seventh consecutive season since joining the league.

Redshirt sophomore 3B Jay Young has led the Warriors from the leadoff spot this season, hitting a team-best .415 with a .467 on-base percentage, 61 hits, 11 walks, 11 stolen bases, 38 RBI and 35 runs. His .415 average ranks seventh in the PSAC. Young has given the Warriors roster flexibility as well, starting 27 games at third, five in left field and four at second base.

Redshirt sophomore CF Casey Saverio, a transfer from Division I Monmouth, settled in to the No. 2 spot in the order and hit .326 with a .460 on-base percentage, drawing 30 walks and five HBP to go with 44 hits. He is 15-for-18 on stolen bases, has scored 44 runs and drive in 18. Saverio hit for the cycle against Mansfield on April 12.

Allen and redshirt sophomore SS Conner Crookham, a transfer from DI Old Dominion, split time in the No. 3 spot in front of Tamecki. Crookham has been limited to 19 games due to injury but is hitting .439 (25-for-57) with a .492 on-base percentage and .702 slugging percentage, collecting four doubles, one triple and three home runs in limited action. He returned to the lineup last week after a three-week absence and closed ESU's PSAC Tournament-clinching 5-3 win vs. Bloomsburg with by striking out the side on the mound.

Tamecki holds down the cleanup spot and was particularly effective in the 28-game PSAC East schedule. He hit .382 (34-for-89) with six doubles, six home runs, 30 RBI, 20 runs, a .441 on-base percentage and .652 slugging percentage against divisional opponents.

Allen and redshirt junior OF/1B Matt Walewski have hit fifth in the order. Walewski is a .376 hitter (38-for-101) with a .454 on-base percentage and .475 slugging percentage, posting 20 RBI and 24 runs in 33 games after missing several early-season games due to injury.

ESU has 14 players who have started at least 10 games and has seen steady rotations at catcher, second base, shortstop, left field, right field and DH when Allen is on the mound.

Redshirt junior SS/3B Drew Hercik has been pressed into duty at shortstop after serving as the everyday third baseman the last two years, including on the Warriors' 2013 PSAC championship team. He is hitting .291 with 10 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 27 RBI and 33 runs and has made 23 starts at short, 18 at third base and four at second base.

Junior Nick Rabasco (.275/.439/.314, 8 RBI, 16 runs) and freshman Aden Tully (.258/.361/.306, 13 RBI, 9 runs) have split time at second base. Rabasco was first team All-PSAC East at the extra infield spot as a sophomore last season.

In the outfield, freshman Christian Rishel is hitting .298 with seven doubles, one home run, 14 RBI and 17 runs in 24 starts between left and right. Sophomore Ben Bortz (.250, 7-for-28) has made 12 starts and freshman Chase James (.368, 14-for-38) has made eight starts and played in 32 games, primarily as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement.

Junior Brett Bonn is hitting .294 with a .479 on-base percentage in 23 games (11 starts) as a designated hitter and pinch-hitter.

Behind the plate, freshmen Steven Zimmerman, Jr. and Mike Sulcoski have shared most of the catching duties. Zimmerman is hitting .279 with a .403 on-base percentage in 34 games (27 starts) and has thrown out seven of 21 opposing base stealers. Sulcoski is batting .140 (6-for-43) in 21 games, including 13 starts. Junior Ryan Richards (.286, 6-for-21) has played in 13 games and made six starts.

On the mound, the Warriors have been anchored by redshirt junior Matt Festa, Allen and junior Brandon Holup, a first team All-PSAC East selection last season.

Festa has started the first game in six of ESU's seven PSAC East series, going 6-4 with a 5.05 ERA in 12 games (10 starts), including two complete games. He has thrown 57.0 innings, recording 59 strikeouts and 17 walks, and limiting opponents to a .281 batting average.

Allen, a left-hander, has completed four of his nine starts, including the no-hitter at Virginia State. His 56 strikeouts in 49.1 innings (10.2 K/9) rank sixth in the PSAC this season, and his 4.20 ERA leads ESU's starters.

Holup is 2-3 with a 5.09 ERA in 10 games, including eight starts. He has 44 strikeouts and 12 walks in 35.1 innings pitched.

Senior Andrew Furber (3-2, 6.10 ERA) has thrown 31.0 innings in 13 games, including five starts, and is ESU's only senior.

Redshirt junior Cody Klinger (1-3, 5.91 ERA, 21.1 innings) has pitched in nine games and made five starts. Freshman Joe Cominsky (2-2, 4.32 ERA) has tossed 16.2 innings and Bortz (0-0, 7.16 ERA) has thrown 16.1 innings.

Other relievers or spot starters include freshman Derrick Jackson (2-0, 3.97 ERA, 11.1 IP), junior John Armbrust (2-0, 4.09 ERA, 12 games, 11.0 IP), junior Joe DiGiovanni (1-0, 1 save, 8.36 ERA, 11 games, 14.0 IP) and redshirt sophomore left-hander Marty Martens (0-0, 9.49 ERA, 12.1 innings).

Eckman has anchored the bullpen and made his first career start vs. Bloomsburg on Saturday, throwing 5.0 innings and allowing two runs. He has 30 strikeouts and 12 walks in 30.1 innings over 18 games.

Wednesday's winner advances to play the winner of West Chester (PSAC East #2) vs. Slippery Rock (PSAC West #3) on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The loser will play on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. against the West Chester-Slippery Rock loser.

In the other half of the bracket, Seton Hill (PSAC West #2) faces Shippensburg (PSAC East #3), and Millersville (PSAC East #1) takes on California (PSAC West #4).

The champion of the double-elimination tournament will be crowned on Saturday and earns the PSAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Wednesday - 1st round match-ups
9:30 a.m. - West Chester (E2) (26-11) vs Slippery Rock (W2) (29-16)
12:30 p.m. - Mercyhurst (W1) (32-6) vs ESU (E4) (28-17)
3:30 p.m. - Seton Hill (W2) (39-9) vs Shippensburg (E3) (25-23)
6:30 p.m. - Millersville (E1) (38-9) vs California (W4) (24-20)