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NCAA DII Atlantic Regional information page (hosted by Millersville) 

Related:
Thursday recap (L 6-3 vs. Mercyhurst)
Friday recap (W 19-2 vs. Chowan)
Saturday recap (W 3-0 vs. Seton Hill)

Updated School Record Book (season/career) (PDF)

WEST LAWN - East Stroudsburg University's record-setting 2016 baseball season ended Sunday afternoon at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional as the Warriors fell 3-1 to Shepherd at Owls Field.

ESU (38-18) set a school record for wins and finished with a 2-2 record in the regional. The Warriors, the No. 6 seed, were one of four teams to advance to Sunday's action, posting a 19-2 win vs. Chowan on Friday and 3-0 win vs. Seton Hill on Saturday after a 6-3 loss to No. 3 seed Mercyhurst in their opener on Thursday night.

Shepherd (39-14), the No. 4 seed, advances to play Mercyhurst on Sunday night. The winner will play No. 1 Millersville for the regional championship on Monday.

ESU competed in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in six seasons (2011, 2013, 2016) and the fourth time in school history, also qualifying in 1985.

Four ESU pitchers held Shepherd to four hits, but the Rams managed eight walks and also reached on two errors. Shepherd scored in the third, fifth and sixth innings.

ESU had six hits off Shepherd starter John Bentley (7-3), who threw 8.0 innings and allowed one run with four strikeouts and one walk. Jamie Driver pitched the ninth for his third save of the season and second of the regional.

Redshirt junior SS Conner Crookham was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI for ESU. Junior OF Ian Allen, redshirt senior 3B Drew Hercik and redshirt junior OF Casey Saverio also had hits for the Warriors.

Sophomore Joe Cominsky started and threw 3.0 innings (1 run, 2 hits, 1 strikeout, 2 walks) for ESU, followed by junior Billy Sablinski (2.1 IP, 2 runs, 1 earned, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, 4 walks), junior Ben Bortz (0.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, 1 walk) and redshirt senior Cody Klinger (3.0 IP, 0 hits, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk), who threw 6.0 innings in ESU's 19-2 win vs. Chowan on Friday.

Shepherd took a 1-0 lead in the third on two singles, a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch before ESU leveled it at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth, getting a two-out single by Hercik followed by a double by Crookham.

The Rams went back in front in the top of the fifth with an unearned run, and added another on a single, walk and two-out double in the sixth.

The Warriors had baserunners in the sixth, seventh and eighth but were unable to cut into the deficit.

Leadoff hitter Jacob Carney was 2-for-4 with a double, walk, RBI and run to lead Shepherd. Shortstop Tre Porter, the Mountain East Conference Player of the Year, was 0-for-3 with two walks.


GAME NOTES

* Crookham was named to the All-Tournament team, batting .357/.412/.714 in 4 games
(5-for-14, 3 doubles, triple, walk, HBP, sacrifice fly, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 6 RBI, 3 runs)
(1.0 inning save - 2 strikeouts, 1 walk - in 3-0 win vs. Seton Hill on Saturday)

* ESU had its fourth 30-win season in school history, all in the last eight seasons:
38-18 - 2016
34-18 - 2013
32-22 - 2009
31-19 - 2015

* Head coach John Kochmansky (261-182-1 in 9 seasons) set the school record for wins on Saturday.

* ESU set multiple offensive school records:
.347 batting average
.445 on-base percentage
.524 slugging percentage
480 runs
8.57 runs per game
55 home runs
288 walks (PSAC record)

* The Warriors 2016 season ranks 2nd in several offensive categories:
116 doubles
0.98 home runs per game
118 stolen bases
2.11 stolen bases per game

* ESU set two pitching school records:
407 strikeouts
418.1 innings pitched

* ESU entered the regional ranked 4th in DII in batting average (.354), 1st in on-base percentage (.453), 12th in slugging percentage (.532) and 13th in runs per game (8.7)

* ESU players set 12 season and 6 career school records in 2016.

Season offensive records
* Robert Bennie - 89 hits
* Robert Bennie - 21 doubles (t-1st)
* Robert Bennie - 144 total bases
* Robert Bennie - 67 runs
* Ian Allen - 36 stolen bases
* Drew Hercik - 51 walks

Season pitching records
* Matt Festa - 11 wins
* Matt Festa - 105 strikeouts
* Matt Festa - 88.0 innings
* Matt Festa - 13 games started
* Matt Festa - 9 complete games

Career offensive records
* Drew Hercik - 163 runs
* Drew Hercik - 105 walks
* Drew Hercik - 203 games played (started all 203 career games)
* Ian Allen - 67 stolen bases

Career pitching records
* Matt Festa - 23 wins
* Matt Festa - 4.1 strikeout-to-walk ratio

ESU career ranks - Drew Hercik
* t-4th in hits (204)
* 5th in doubles (43)
* t-3rd in extra-base hits (63)
* 2nd in total bases (303)
* 1st in runs (163)
* 2nd in RBI (127)
* 1st in walks (105)
* 1st in games played (203)
* 4th in assists (385)

ESU career ranks - Matt Walewski
* 8th in batting average (.342) among 4-year players
* 21st in hits (145)
* 9th in RBI (104)
* 4th in putouts (624)

ESU career ranks - Ian Allen (junior)
* 1st in stolen bases (67)
* 7th in walks (86)

ESU career ranks - Conner Crookham (junior)
* t-4th in home runs (16)

ESU career ranks - Steven Zimmerman, Jr. (sophomore)
* t-7th in putouts (554)

ESU career pitching ranks - Matt Festa
* 1st in wins (23)
* 2nd in winning percentage (.767 - 23-7)
* t-2nd in strikeouts (215)
* 5th in strikeouts per 9 innings (9.1)
* 5th in lowest ERA since 1985 (3.52)
* 6th in innings (212.0)
* 7th in games started (33)
* t-10th in complete games (13)
* 1st in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.1)
* 5th in batting average against since 1991 (.254)

ESU career pitching ranks - Brandon Holup
* t-10th in wins (15)
* 8th in winning percentage (.652 - 15-8)
* 6th in lowest ERA since 1985 (3.68)
* t-8th in games pitched (47)
* t-4th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.4)

ESU season ranks - Robert Bennie (PSAC East Athlete of the Year)
* 1st in hits (89)
* t-1st in doubles (21)
* t-3rd in home runs (10)
* 3rd in extra-base hits (33)
* 1st in total bases (144)
* t-5th in stolen bases (23)
* 1st in runs (67)
* t-6th in RBI (54)

ESU season ranks - Drew Hercik (All-PSAC East 1st team 3B)
* 6th in on-base percentage (.517)
* t-4th in doubles (19)
* t-7th in extra-base hits (27)
* 9th in total bases (107)
* 1st in walks (51)
* 2nd in runs (61)

ESU season ranks - Conner Crookham (All-PSAC East 1st team SS)
* 8th in slugging percentage (.669)
* t-10th in doubles (15)
* t-3rd in home runs (10)
* t-7th in extra-base hits (27)
* t-6th in RBI (54)

ESU season ranks - Christian Rishel (All-PSAC East 1st team DH)
* 4th in hits (71)
* t-7th in home runs (9)
* 7th in total bases (111)
* t-10th in HBP (9)
* 5th in RBI (55)

ESU season ranks - Ian Allen (All-PSAC East 1st team utility)
* t-4th in triples (6)
* 1st in stolen bases (36)
* 2nd in walks (43)
* t-9th in runs (53)

ESU season ranks - Jay Young (All-PSAC East 1st team 2B)
* t-10th in hits (67)

ESU season ranks - Steven Zimmerman, Jr. (All-PSAC East 2nd team C)
* t-7th in home runs (9)
* 9th in walks (31)
* t-3rd in HBP (11)
* 2nd in putouts (328)

ESU season ranks - Matt Walewski (1B)
* t-10th in walks (30)
* t-10th in RBI (51)
* 1st in putouts (391)

ESU season ranks - Casey Saverio (OF)
* t-4th in walks (38)

ESU season pitching ranks - Matt Festa (PSAC East Co-Pitcher of the Year)
* 1st in wins (11)
* 2nd in winning percentage (.846 - 11-2)
* 10th in lowest ERA since 1985 (2.35)
* 1st in strikeouts (105)
* t-3rd in strikeouts per 9 innings (10.7)
* 5th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.0)
* 1st in innings (88.0)
* 1st in games started (13)
* 1st in complete games (9)
* t-4th in shutouts (2)
* 10th in hits per 9 innings (7.4)
* 5th in batting average against since 1991 (.218)