EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — With one final series against Kutztown left before heading into the postseason, ESU looks to solidify its spot atop the PSAC East standings, with the division title still in play.

SCOUTING EAST STROUDSBURG

• With a 17-7 in-conference record, the Warriors are one game back of West Chester for the top seed. The Golden Rams do own the tiebreaker, but play the current three-seed Millersville this weekend.
• Before falling in the series finale to Shepherd, the Warriors won 14 consecutive games. They’ve won every series in conference play but two, splitting four games against Millersville and coming away with one win versus West Chester.
• ESU has six players batting above .300, with Walker Zampella, Parker Frey, and Troy Davis leading the way. Zampella leads the way with a .362 average and 1.028 OPS. He and Frey are one of two players to start in every game this season, primarily playing at second base while being able to move around the infield.
• Frey has been right up there as a team-leader in hitting, batting .359, and posting a 1.003 OPS. He’s rarely been unable to put the ball in play, as he’s struck out 13 times in 131 at-bats, the second fewest on the team.
• Troy Davis has solidified his spot at the top of the lineup with his hitting and speed, as he’s batting .352 and leads the Warriors in stolen bases. He’s stolen 22 bases on 26 attempts, while also slugging .509 with 10 extra-base hits.
• Cole Serfass comes into the series third on the team in hits, consistently getting on base with his bat out of the clean-up spot. His 33 RBI lead the team, while his .348 batting average ranks fourth.
• Only West Chester has a better OBP than the Warriors, as ESU is second in the conference with a .438 OBP.
• The Warriors have been playing the best defense in the PSAC all season, leading the conference in fielding percentage with .981. They’ve only committed 26 errors all season, eight fewer than second-place Bloomsburg.
• ESU’s bullpen has been peaking at the right time, as in the Warriors’ four wins last week, they combined for 13.1 IP while only giving up two earned runs. Relievers like Cole Dymek, Caden Leonard, Cade Davis, and Johansel Brito are shutting down opposing lineups when ESU pulls their starter, but it's been the arms outside of those three that have made ESU a tough team to score against.
• The Warriors have started to turn to underclassmen like Evan Kovalcik, Kyle Phillips, and Joe Zito, getting solid returns this late in the season. Through 10.0 IP, Kovalcik has only given up one earned run, while Dymek and Leonard have also been lights out with 1.64 and 3.54 ERAs in greater sample sizes.
• Ryan Dewees looks to close out his final PSAC East series on a high note, as the senior starting pitcher enters the weekend as the conference leader in strikeouts. With 72 Ks, he also boasts the fifth-best ERA of 2.88.
• He and Evan Hughes have identical records of 6-2, as Hughes has been ESU’s best starter in terms of batting average against. Limiting batters to hitting only .236, he’s produced a 3.61 ERA in 47.1 IP.
• Ethan Woods will get the start in game two, coming in with a 4-3 record and 4.06 ERA. He’s shown the ability to stymie lineups throughout the year, with two scoreless starts to his resume.
• Peyton Brannock has settled into his role as the fourth starter for ESU, having improved as the season progressed to eat innings and preserve the bullpen at the end of a series. ESU has won three of his last four starts, with Brannock earning a win in two of those.
• ESU is one of five teams in the PSAC to have a team ERA below 5.00, coming in at fourth with 4.32. They’ve given up the second fewest total runs with 174, and lead the conference in strikeouts with 345.

SCOUTING KUTZTOWN

• Kutztown heads into this matchup on a cold streak, losing its last seven games, as well as its last four series. Their last win took place on April 17, beating Bloomsburg 2-1. They are coming off a four-game sweep from Millersville, who outscored the Golden Bears 41-5.
• Kutztown is eager to wake the bats up, as they currently hold the spot for the second-lowest batting average in the conference, hitting .259 as a team. 
• On the defensive side, the Golden Bears are 13th in the conference with an ERA of 7.45, yet they are tied with Seton Hill for the most saves, recording 15 so far this season. Their fielding has been their strength, only recording 46 errors, tied for fourth in the PSAC.
• Jared Ferguson has been carrying the load for Kutztown at the plate, boasting an impressive .396 batting average. He leads the team with a .955 OPS and has a .495 slugging percentage. Ferguson has driven in 26 runners this season, tied for first on the Golden Bears.
• Bo Barthol and Nick Varda have been very reliable for the Golden Bears, starting all 41 games and recording stats that are eerily similar to one another. Barthol has a batting average of .301 with 37 hits, a .866 OPS, and a slugging percentage of .439. Varda is hitting .299 with 35 hits, an OPS of .866, and a .436 slugging percentage. The two lead the team in home runs, with two each. Barthol also leads Kutztown with 38 runs scored, while Varda is tied with Ferguson for the most RBI with 26.
• The other key Kutztown hitter is Cam Burr, currently standing at a .300 batting average. He is right behind the other three previously listed batters in hits and runs, contributing 27 hits and 19 runs scored of his own. 
• Kannon Zdimal is the ace for the Golden Bears, appearing in 10 starts so far this year. He leads the way with an ERA of 7.43 and a 1.75 WHIP. Zdimal is sixth in the PSAC in strikeouts, posting 55 this season.
• Kooper Zdimal has made nine starts for Kutztown, holding a record of 4-2. Zdimal currently has an 8.45 ERA and a WHIP of 1.92.
• The Golden Bears have received some clutch pitching late in games from Jeremy Fallon, who is fourth in the conference with eight saves in 12 appearances. 
• Kutztown, which has been a very good fielding team so far this season, has three players with a perfect fielding percentage. Joel Bonner, Dalton Furst, and Zack Wertman are three of the 10 players in the conference tallying a 1.000 fielding percentage.

SERIES HISTORY

• Kutztown is one of ESU’s oldest rivals, with its series going all the way back to 1928. The Warriors have a slight edge over the Golden Bears with a 122-114-2 record. 
• HC John Kochmansky went 1-13 in his first 14 games against Kutztown, but ever since 2011, it’s been all ESU. The Warriors are 37-18 during this stretch, good for a .673 winning percentage. Additionally, they’ve won nine series over those 14 seasons, splitting three as well.
• ESU has won the last five games against Kutztown, having swept last season’s series and winning the finale in 2024. Since 2022, they’re 12-2 versus the Golden Bears.