EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University baseball team returns to the diamond on Friday as the Warriors officially open the 2024 season against Felician at 10 a.m. from Nixon Field in Wilson, North Carolina.
It's a quick turnaround for ESU as the Warriors battle Barton (10 a.m.) and the Golden Falcons (2 p.m.) on Saturday before closing out the weekend against the Bulldogs on Sunday at 2 p.m.
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All ESU home games are broadcast on the PSAC Sports Digital Network and live stats are available at esuwarriors.com.
Infield: The Warriors welcome back three of four starters on the infield from a season ago led by the middle tandem of senior shortstop Jeremy Piatkiewicz and redshirt junior second baseman Matt Ervolina. Playing in 129 games (124 starts) and counting, Piatkiewicz enters his fourth season as the starter and has the sixth most assists all-time in program history with 347. Ervolina made an immediate impact in 2023 after transferring from Mercer County Community College as the Breinigsville native started in all 50 games while setting the single season record for stolen bases with 37.
Starting a majority of games at first base a season ago, Jack Rothenhausler will shift to the hot corner once again as the junior is expected to provide the pop in the Warriors' lineup. The 2022 PSAC Freshman of the Year is a career .345 hitter in 99 games (94 starts) with 12 home runs.
Sophomore Parker Frey is expected to move to first base after playing 42 games a season ago mainly in the outfield. Making 26 starts, the Bethlehem native hit .317 (38-for-120) with a .406 on-base percentage and .492 slugging percentage.
Providing depth for the Warriors in the infield are Tanner Vicendese (SS/2B), Christian Maccarrone, Jack Mathis, Colin Houck (1B/DH) and Walker Zampella (3B/SS), who can serve as a right-handed bat in the outfield as well.
The Warriors return a pair of experienced catchers behind the plate including four-year starter Tim Haverstick, who enters the season with 130 starts and was an All-PSAC East Second Team selection in 2022. Connor Reilly is back for his second year with ESU as the sophomore played in 29 games, while making nine starts a season ago. Freshman Reece D'Amico, a two-time First Team All-Conference selection at Liberty High School, will see some time behind the dish.
Freshman infielders Joey Crecca and Owen Ness figure to take a redshirt season due to the depth of the Warriors infield.
Outfield: Despite Frey's transition back to the infield, the Warriors are deep in the outfield positions with five players expected to have an impact. Redshirt seniors Ben Piripavel (left) and Mike Kelly (right), who earned All-PSAC East honors in the past, will man the corner outfield positions alsong side redshirt junior and All-PSAC East First Team selection Cameron Hubbard, while sophomore Shanley Wall will patrol centerfield. Redshirt freshman Chaise Albus will see an increase in opportunities for the Warriors.
Despite the depth in the outfield, freshmen Troy Davis and Jalen Soberal could see some playing time for the Warriors.
Pitching Staff: Despite a pair of All-PSAC East pitchers exiting the staff, the Warriors are reloaded with a young crop of arms led by seniors Brent Francisco and Nick McAuliffe. Francisco, an All-PSAC East and All-Atlantic Region (D2CCA & ABCA/Rawlings) First Team selection in 2022, returns to the bump with 44 appearances and 38 career starts. He owns a career 18-9 record and 3.59 ERA to go along with 242 strikeouts, the second most in program history and only 61 away from surpassing former teammate Chase Nowak (302). An All-PSAC East First Team selection a season ago as a relief pitcher, McAuliffe will transition back to a starting role as the Phillipsburg native posted a 5-2 record, 2.51 ERA, three saves and 68 strikeouts in 57.1 innings.
Ryan Dewees and Jaden Newton continue to make strides headed into their sophomore seasons as the duo is expected to play a key role on the mound this season for the Warriors. ESU also returns a handful of veteran hurlers including senior Jack Nielsen, redshirt senior Vincent Cenname, redshirt sophomore Quinn Warmkessel and Ben Junker.
Coach Kochmansky is also excited about several incoming arms including a talented freshman class that comprises of Jake Albert, Jack Bacolo, Peyton Brannock, Johansel Brito, Carson Renner and Gavin Sopko as well as transfers Caden Parker, who is expected to serve as the closer, J.J. Hood, Justin Johnson and Greg Wiley.
Freshmen pitchers Ryan Iberer and Antonio Albanese will take a redshirt season.
The Coach: John Kochmansky, who led ESU to the 2013 PSAC championship, enters his 17th season as the Warriors' head baseball coach in 2024. Kochmansky holds a career record of 446-292-5, qualified for the PSAC Tournament in nine of the last 16 years (2010-11, 13, 15-17, 19, 22, 23) and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament five times, including back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history in 2022-23.
Schedule: ESU opens the 2024 campaign down south as the Warriors play four games in three days against Felician (2/10, 2/11) and Barton (2/10, 2/12) before returning to North Carolina the following weekend for a three-game series versus Chowan (2/17, 2/18). As the calendar flips to March, the Warriors begin the home slate with three-games against Saint Anselm (3/2, 3/3), followed by a midweek single nine-inning contest versus Staten Island (3/6). ESU starts PSAC action with home and road doubleheaders against Lock Haven (3/8, 3/9) and Shepherd (3/16, 3/17) before returning to non-conference play with games at Pace (3/19) as well as vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (3/22, 3/23) and Queens (3/26)
Following the bye week in the league, the Warriors return to PSAC games with twin bills against Mansfield (3/29, 3/30) and Shippensburg (4/5, 4/6), until welcoming the Setters to Creekview Park on April 9. ESU battles defending PSAC champion Millersville on April 12 and 13, heads to Queens on April 16 and squares off against Bloomsburg (4/19, 4/20) in a doubleheader.
ESU concludes the regular season with conference twin bills versus West Chester (4/26, 4/27) and Kutztown (5/2, 5/3). The Warriors and Golden Bears will play a doubleheader at Coca-Cola Park on Thursday, May 2.
The PSAC Championships are scheduled for May 8 through May 12 at Jack Critchfield Park on the campus of Slippery Rock.
Postseason play continues with the Atlantic Regional (May 16-18) and Atlantic Super Regional (May 24-25) as well as the NCAA Division II Championships (June 1-8) in Cary, N.C.
Coca-Cola Park Series: ESU and Kutztown are set to play a doubleheader at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown on Thursday, May 2. The first game of the doubleheader will start at 10:35 a.m., followed by the second game at 1:05 p.m. Kutztown will be the home team. Further details regarding the twin bill, including ticketing, streaming options, and additional information, will be released in the near future.
NCBWA Atlantic Region Preseason Poll: ESU was tabbed third in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Region Preseason Poll as the Warriors garnered one first-place vote and totaled 94 points. Defending Atlantic Region champion Millersville was selected as the preseason favorite with nine first-place votes, followed by Seton Hill in second with a pair of first-place votes. ESU (No. 3), West Chester (No. 4), Mercyhurst (No. 5), Charleston (No. 6), Frostburg State (No. 7), Concord (No. 8), Shippensburg (No. 9) and West Virginia State (No. 10) rounded out the top-10.
NCBWA Division II Preseason Top 25: ESU opens the 2024 campaign receiving votes in the NCBWA Preseason Top 25, as the Warriors garnered a total of 38 points and are the first team listed outside of the Top 25.
McAuliffe, Rothenhausler Tabbed NCBWA Preseason All-Atlantic Region: On January 23, first baseman Jack Rothenhausler was named to the NCBWA Preseason All-Atlantic Region First Team while senior Nick McAuliffe was Honorable Mention as a relief pitcher.
PSAC Preseason Polls: For the second straight year, ESU was picked to finish third in the annual Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Preseason Coaches Poll. Millersville was selected as the favorite to win the PSAC East, garnering seven first-place votes while West Chester and ESU were second and third respectively with a first-place vote. Shippensburg (No. 4), Kutztown (No. 5), Bloomsburg (No. 6), Shepherd (No. 7), Mansfield (No. 8) and Lock Haven (No. 9) rounded out the poll.
EAST (# of first place votes)
1. Millersville (7)
2. West Chester (1)
3. East Stroudsburg (1)
4. Shippensburg
5. Kutztown
6. Bloomsburg
7. Shepherd
8. Mansfield
9. Lock Haven
WEST (# of first place votes)
1. Seton Hill (7)
2. Mercyhurst (1)
3. IUP
4. California
5. Gannon
6. Slippery Rock
7. Pitt-Johnstown
8. Clarion
