Astros select Rummel

The Houston Astros selected Kutztown pitcher Phil Rummel with the 932nd pick in the 2008 entry draft.

Baseball team looks to make noise at Regionals

What: NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional Baseball Playoffs
When: Thursday, May 15, 2008 – Sunday, May 18, 2008
Where: Point Stadium on the campus of Pitt-Johnstown University

Team Info
The KU baseball team will head into this week’s North Atlantic Regional playoffs looking to continue its Cinderella run to the Division II World Series. The Golden Bears enter the tournament with an automatic bid after shocking the entire region by winning the PSAC Championship earlier this month. The Golden Bears enter Regionals with a 30-24 record and have won 12 of their last 14 games against PSAC foes.

Kutztown will be the six seed in the tournament and its opening playoff game will be against top-seeded West Chester on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Golden Rams went 41-14 this season and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper has them ranked 24^th in the nation.

Six teams will contend for the Regional crown in the double elimination tournament. The other first round games will match second-seeded West Virginia State with fifth-seeded Shippensburg and third-seeded Concord with fourth-seeded Pitt-Johnstown. Three teams come from the PSAC, while the other three are from the WVIAC.

The Golden Bears were a combined 7-3 against the other five playoff teams in 2008. They were 0-1 against Concord, 5-2 against West Chester, and 2-0 against Shippensburg. KU did not play West Virginia St. or Pitt-Johnstown in the regular season.

Last season, KU won the North Atlantic Region Championship, which qualified them for the Division II World Series, where they were eliminated in just two games.

The Golden Bears started their improbable run to the Regional playoffs back in April when they completed the regular season by taking three of four games from West Chester. The wins improved their PSAC East record to 11-9, which earned them the division’s second seed in the six team conference playoffs. KU opened the tournament with a 4-3 win over Indiana (Pa.) and a 9-2 shellacking of Millersville, before falling for the first time against WCU 1-0. The Golden Bears responded by defeating Millersville again 8-7 before meeting West Chester for the PSAC title. KU needed to win back-to-back games against the Golden Rams to take the title and they did just that. The Golden Bears won game one 6-2 before escaping in the deciding game by a score of 8-7.

Probable Starting Lineup
1. LF – Chad Lightcap (.387-6-40)
Is the team’s best hitter by a longshot and is tops on the team in batting average, RBIs, runs (47), slugging (.620), and on-base percentage (.488).

2. 2B – Mike Kacelowicz (.315-1-20)
Spent much of the season as the leadoff hitter, but has done well in the two spot.

3. 3B – Mike Dugan (.286-1-19)
Frey could end up in this spot, but Dugan has the hot bat and will likely get the nod if he continues hitting.

4. DH – James Quigley (.330-1-17)
Quigley missed a big part of the early season, but has been stellar since his return.

5. CA – Matt Kulbacki (.286-7-32)
Will split time at catcher with Scott Kacelowicz, but his bat will be relied upon for power. He leads the team with seven homers.

6. RF – Corey Buletza (.278-1-23)
Captain versatility can play all three outfield spots and has started at least one game batting in every spot in the order except ninth.

7. CF – Garrison Rausch (.193-0-13)
Rausch struggled with the bat all season long, but has been hot over the last few games and could hit anywhere from fifth through eighth.

8. 1B – Jared Frey (.250-0-20)
Frey will be at the top of the order if he starts hitting again. He was well over .300 earlier this year, before a huge late-season dropoff.

9. SS – Mark Renda (.250-0-16)
Brett Wigder is likely to share time here, but Renda seems to be getting more playing time as of late. He leads the team with 17 steals.

Bench
CA – Scott Kacelowicz (.309-0-9) – Will see time at catcher
OF – Jeff Kistle (.220-1-11) – Will get a few spot starts and pinch hit opportunities
IF – Brett Wigder (.281-0-19) – Will see time at shortstop.
1B – Andy May (.311-1-9) – Will be limited to pinch hitting unless Frey struggles badly.
OF – Nole Saylor (.281-1-7) – Could see a start in centerfield.
OF – Bryan Riggins (.222-0-9) – Unlikely to see much time, but did get a rare start in PSACs.

Probable Pitching Rotation
1. LHP Darin Gorski (8-3 2.08)
The staff ace leads KU in wins, innings pitched (73.2), and strikeouts (78) and is best among the starters in ERA and opponent batting average (.208).

2. RHP Phil Rummel (6-5 3.39)
Has been better and better as the season has gone on and is not much of a dropoff, if any, from Gorski.

3. RHP Derek Reis (4-2 2.63)
A more than formidable third option, Reis is third best on the team in ERA in 51.1 innings of work.

4. LHP Garrison Rausch (1-3 6.17)
2008 was a struggle, but the senior has come up big in important games this season and could see a start.

5. RHP Jason Herr (0-2 3.72)
Herr started the decisive final game against West Chester and did a nice job. He could be rewarded with another spot start if necessary.

6. RHP Mike Bucklin (2-0 5.40)
He got a spot start in PSACs and could be used if Coach Blum is in a bind.

Bullpen
RHP Trent Mertz (1-0 1.80) - Leads the team in ERA and has 16 strikeouts in 20 innings of relief.
RHP Justin Jachowicz (1-3 3.33) – One of Coach Blum’s go to guys in the pen.
LHP Ryan Cassidy (2-2 4.24) – A top lefty option out of the bullpen.
RHP Mike Moran (1-1 4.86) – Has recorded more strikeouts than innings pitched so far this season
RHP Anthony Fegely (1-1 2.89) – Only worked 9.1 innings in 2008.
RHP Steve Craig (2-1 7.04) – Started earlier this season, but has struggled in limited action since then.
LHP Jordan Smith (1-1 5.02) – Unlikely to see much work

Outlook
As mentioned in last week’s PSAC preview, the Golden Bears aren’t the team that everyone feared in 2007, but teams are definitely going to take them more seriously now they’ve dominated West Chester and came out as champions of the always competitive PSAC. Last years team was loaded with veteran talent, but in 2008 its young talent, which can sometimes be even scarier for opponents.

The run to a Regional title will be the team’s toughest challenge of the season, but the Golden Bears’ deep pitching staff will keep them competitive against anyone. The young offense has been red hot, but the two week layoff from PSACs could be troubling for their momentum. It will be interesting to see if they continue to swing the bats well.

The Golden Bears have had success against the top teams in the PSAC, a strong pitching conference, but the WVIAC is more of a hitting-first conference. They say pitching wins championships, so that could give KU somewhat of an edge. The Golden Bears are another strong sleeper pick in Regionals as long as the offense continues to put runs on the board.

Playoffs on line as baseball faces WCU

What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ West Chester Golden Rams
When: Friday, April 25, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: Serpico Stadium on the campus of West Chester University
~and~
What: West Chester Golden Rams @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When: Saturday, April 26, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: North Campus Field on the campus of Kutztown University
Radio: KUR Sports at 12:50 p.m. (Jason Ogle)

Game Info
The KU baseball team has just four games left to find a way back to the PSAC Playoffs. The Golden Bears (8-8) currently are tied for the third and final playoff spot in the Eastern division, but it won’t be easy to hold on with division-leading West Chester (10-6) in the other dugout this weekend. Millersville (10-6) is currently tied with WCU in first place, while Mansfield (8-8) is tied with KU for the third spot. Bloomsburg (6-10) and East Stroudsburg (6-10) can still qualify for the playoffs. What is interesting about this weekend is that the Golden Bears could come out, at best, the PSAC East champion or, at worst, in last place. As unlikely as it is, all six teams could also end up with identical 10-10 records. Imagine that.

The teams will meet for two games on Friday afternoon in West Chester before returning to Kutztown for each team’s final regular season action of the year.

Meanwhile, Bloomsburg will be up against Mansfield and ESU will meet Millersville. There are several different scenarios where KU can get into the playoffs, but the most important part of them includes the Golden Bears winning at least two of the weekend’s four games. Wins in three of the games would clinch them a spot.

The Golden Bears enter the game at 22-20 overall this season and are fresh off a 4-2 win against Shippensburg on Tuesday. Their most recent divisional action was last weekend when they took three-of-four from East Stroudsburg. On Friday at ESU, KU dropped game one 1-2 before bouncing back to an 11-6 win in game two. On Saturday at North Campus Field, the Golden Bears won both games by scores of 2-0 and 10-3.

The Golden Rams are ranked 14^th in Division II and are 37-9 overall in 2008. They are coming off a 12-2 in over University of the Sciences on Thursday. There most recent PSAC East action was four-game set with Bloomsburg last weekend in which they split the four games. On Friday, the Golden Rams fell 8-3 in game one before taking game two 10-3. On Saturday, they won game one 3-2 before falling 10-7 in game two.

Last season, the teams met five times, including once during the NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regionals. KU took three of the four regular season matchups, including 8-4 and 3-2 wins at home and a 4-5 loss and 9-3 win on the road. In the playoffs, KU easily handled the Golden Rams 9-1 to win the North Atlantic Regional Tournament.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Corey Buletza – LF/RF
2. Mike Kacelowicz – 2B
3. Chad Lightcap – LF
4. James Quigley – DH/3B
5. Jared Frey – 1B
6. Matt Kulbacki/Scott Kacelowicz – CA
7. Mike Dugan – 3B/DH
8. Garrison Rausch – CF
9. Mark Renda/Jeff Kistle/Brett Wigder – UT
SPs: Phil Rummel, Darin Gorski, Garrison Rausch, Derek Reis

West Chester:
1. Nick Spisak – SS
2. Frank Nunan – CF
3. Matt Cotellese – RF
4. Kyle Bechter – 2B
5. Blair Dameron – 1B
6. Drew Pare – DH
7. Connor Thorp – LF
8. Brandon Wolfe – CA
9. Jake Griesemer – 3B
SPs: Chris Powl, Jason Bowman, David Slusser, Bret Moyer

KU Scouting Report
The Golden Bears are led offensively by Chad Lightcap (.398-5-27). He leads the team in batting average, homers, RBIs, runs scored (32), slugging percentage (.626), and on base percentage (.493). Jared Frey (.305-0-15) has progressed nicely in his second season and will man first base and bat in the top half of the order. Scott Kacelowicz (.310-0-8) and Matt Kulbacki (.308-5-23) have been a formidable catching combination and each will start one game. Mike Dugan (.290-1-14), Brett Wigder (.296-0-18), James Quigley (.299-0-7), and Corey Buletza (.287-1-16) have hit well in extensive action as freshmen. Leadoff man Mike Kacelowicz (.307-1-16) has lifted his average back above .300 and is tops on the team with 15 doubles and 21 walks. Jeff Kistle (.223-0-10), Mark Renda (.252-0-15), Nole Saylor (.259-0-5), and Andy May (.317-1-6) are four other freshman who will see a few at-bats during the weekend. Garrison Rausch (.174-0-7) will man center and bat in the lower part of the order.

Darin Gorski (7-2 2.30), Phil Rummel (4-4 2.98), Derick Reis (2-2 2.82), and Garrison Rausch (1-3 6.03) are likely to be the weekend’s four starters. Justin Jachowicz (0-3 3.24), Ryan Cassidy (1-2 5.17), and Steve Craig (2-1 4.09) are other candidates to make a spot start if needed.

Outlook
It is do-or-die time for the Golden Bears. West Chester is one of the nation’s best teams, but fortunately for KU, they haven’t been on top of their game over the past few weeks. They are certainly beatable and since these two teams have built quite a rivalry, there is no reason to believe that anything can happen this weekend. It’s probably a long shot, but if KU can sweep, it’s possible that WCU could even fall out of the top three in the division.

With all that said, West Chester is still a veteran team with a lot of talent. KU will need to take it one game at a time and at least win half of the four games. The Golden Bears have the pitching to steal a few low scoring games, but if the Golden Rams have a big offensive weekend, it could mean trouble. The young KU offense will need to perform and the veteran pitchers need to step up and continue their dominance. If that happens, the Golden Bears could certainly be playoff bound.

Baseball moves back into playoff race

Recap:
Friday, April 18 @ East Stroudsburg:
Game 1: L 1-2
The Golden Bears had as many errors as hits in game one, which allowed the Warriors to escape with a 2-1 victory. KU had just three hits—one a piece from Mike Kacelowicz, Matt Kulbacki, and Garrison Rausch. The three errors were costly as they spoiled a stellar outing by Phil Rummel, who tossed a complete game, allowing two unearned runs on six hits while striking out seven.
Game 2: W 11-6
The Kacelowicz brothers were a perfect 6-of-6 at the plate, which helped lead KU to a bounce back win in game two by a score of 11-6. Mike Kacelowicz, hitting out of the two-hole for the first time this season, was 4-of-4 with two runs and two RBIs. His brother Scott was 2-of-2 at the plate and had three RBIs. Matt Kulbacki was 3-for-3 and Brett Wigder was 2-of-4. Garrison Rausch was the winning pitcher, allowing three runs on four hits in five innings.
Saturday, April 19 vs. East Stroudsburg:
Game 1: W 2-0
Darin Gorski continued his sensational 2008 season with a complete game, three-hit shutout in a 2-0 win in game one on Saturday. The KU offense managed just four hits, but a fourth inning two-run double by Jared Frey was all the support Gorski would need. Corey Buletza, Mike Kacelowicz, and Chad Lightcap had KU’s other three hits.
Game 2: W 10-3
Derek Reis got spanked in the top of the first inning, allowing three quick ESU runs, but the KU offense responded with three runs of it’s own in the bottom of the frame. Reis would then cruise through the rest of the day as his offense exploded to nine hits en route to a 10-3 KU win. Reis was the winning pitcher, allowing just the three first inning runs on four hits in five innings of work. Lightcap and Mike Kacelowicz led the offense with two hits a piece. Lightcap, leading off for the first time this season, had two RBIs and three runs scored.

What we liked:
Following the loss in game one of the four-game set, the Golden Bears had their backs up against the wall. The situation was basically win the next three games, or forget about the playoffs. Not only did the Golden Bears win all three games, but they dominated all three of them in some way. Darin Gorski dominated one of the wins, while the young offense finally exploded in the other two affairs. This was a great sign, as both the pitching staff and offense will need to be on top of their game when they play for their playoff lives this weekend against West Chester.

Offensively, Mike Kacelowicz erased any memories of his mid-season slump, tearing the cover off the ball over the four game set. He was 8-of-12 (.667) at the plate, scored four runs, and drove in three. Matt Kulbacki caught two games and finally got a chance to DH another (it’s about time the way he’s hitting the ball). He was 4-of-8 (.500) at the plate and scored twice. Scott Kacelowicz had a big game on Saturday and was 2-for-4 (.500) with three RBIs and two runs scored on the weekend. Chad Lightcap was well below his average at 3-for-11 (.273), but scored four times. Jared Frey was only 3-of-13 (.231) at the plate, but drove in a team-high six runs and also scored twice.

I don’t have to say much more about how good Gorski looked on Saturday, but the other three starters were not far behind. Phil Rummel did not allow an earned run in his start on Friday and Derek Reis retired 11 straight after a disastrous first inning on Saturday. Garrison Rausch, who has struggled in 2008, improved his ERA and got a win on Friday when he allowed three runs in five innings.

What we didn’t like:
There were a lot of positives this weekend, so there isn’t much to say here. The Golden Bears really could’ve used that win in game on Friday, but the three errors were very costly. If KU misses the playoffs by a game, we could look back at that one and wonder what if. The offense was much better this weekend, but there were a notable few exceptions. After returning from injury a few weeks ago, James Quigley got off to a great start. However, he has struggled as of late in the cleanup spot and was just 1-of-5 (.200) with one RBI this weekend. Corey Buletza saw some work in the leadoff position (a place I could certainly see him getting a lot of time at down the road), but was just 2-of-10 (.200) at the plate this past weekend. Others who struggled at the dish included Garrison Rausch 1-of-5 (.200), Mike Dugan 1-of-7 (.143), and Jeff Kistle 1-of-10 (.100).

Impact:
The three wins improved KU’s divisional record to 8-8, which puts them in a tie with Mansfield for the final playoff spot in the PSAC East. West Chester and Millersville both sit at 10-6 atop the division, but both can be dethroned this weekend. KU will be at West Chester, ranked 14^th in division II, for a doubleheader on Friday and will then host a doubleheader against those same Golden Rams on Saturday at North Campus Field. Mansfield will play four with Bloomsburg (6-10) and ESU (6-10) will be at Millersville.

Both of those matchups will impact KU’s attempt to hang on for playoff spot, but the Golden Bears can help themselves. They will need to beat West Chester at least twice to stay ahead of Mansfield or ESU. If the Golden Bears take three-of-four from the Golden Rams, they would end up tied with the Golden Rams and would hold the tiebreaker. Previously this season, KU split with Bloomsburg and Mansfield, lost three of four to Millersville, and, of course, most recently took three of four from ESU.

Playoff berth on line for baseball team

What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ East Stroudsburg Warriors
When: Friday, April 18, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: Mitterling Field on the campus of East Stroudsburg University
~and~
What: East Stroudsburg Warriors @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When: Saturday, April 19, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: North Campus Field on the campus of Kutztown University
Radio: Golden Bear Network at 12:50 p.m. (Mike Clay)

Game Info
The KU baseball team will head into this weekend’s set of home-and-home doubleheaders with the East Stroudsburg Warriors looking to jump back into the PSAC playoff race.

The Golden Bears currently sit at 16-17 overall this season and are 5-7 in the PSAC East. They trail West Chester (8-4), Mansfield (7-5), and Millersville (7-5) for one of the three playoff spots. ESU (5-7) and Bloomsburg (4-8) round out the division and are competing with the Golden Bears in an attempt to overthrow one of the top three teams.

KU’s latest divisional action was this past weekend when they scored a grand total of five runs in four games en route to dropping three of four against Millersville. On Friday night, the Golden Bears were downed on the road by scores of 5-1 and 6-0. On Saturday at North Campus Field, they managed to take game one 3-2 before dropping game two 3-1.

KU played a few non-conference foes during the week with the results still unavailable. The Golden Bears will complete a pair of doubleheaders at Lincoln on Wednesday before heading to Adelphi for one game on Thursday.

The Warriors are 16-21 overall this season and, as mentioned, are tied with KU for fourth in the East at 5-7. Their most recent action was a doubleheader split with Bloomsburg over the weekend. At home on Friday, they fell 9-7 before winning 8-0. Then on Saturday they won 15-4 and lost 10-6.

The two teams have already met once this season—an early season meeting in Newport News, Virginia on Feb. 24. The Golden Bears dominated that affair, winning it 10-1.

Last year, the teams met a total of six times, including once during the PSAC playoffs. The Golden Bears won all five regular season meetings, including a 7-2 early season victory played in Newport News, a home doubleheader sweep by scores of 15-6 and 6-3, and finally a road doubleheader sweep by scores of 8-4 and 5-2. The Warriors, however, were able to get their revenge in the playoffs with a 9-5 win.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Mike Kacelowicz – SS
2. Jared Frey – 1B
3. Chad Lightcap – LF
4. James Quigley – DH/3B
5. Corey Buletza – LF/RF
6. Matt Kulbacki/Scott Kacelowicz – CA
7. Garrison Rausch – CF
8/9. Mark Renda/Mike Dugan/Jeff Kistle/Brett Wigder – UT
SPs: Phil Rummel, Darin Gorski, Garrison Rausch, Derek Reis

East Stroudsburg:
1. Chad Schlegel – 2B
2. Brendan O’Malley – 3B
3. Mike Bortz – CF
4. Chris Zsenak – 1B
5. Kyle Sheaffer – LF
6. Kevin Thompson – RF
7. Blake Knecht – DH
8. Brendan O’Connor – CA
9. Edwin Padua – SS
SPs: Dave Boyer, Jeremy Gigliotti, Bill Hezel, Christian Saveri, Steve Prazenka

Scouting Report
The Golden Bears are led offensively by Chad Lightcap (.419-5-23). He leads the team in batting average, homers, RBIs, runs scored (28), slugging percentage (.657), and on base percentage (.519). Jared Frey (.333-0-9) has progressed nicely in his second season and is second on the team in batting average. Scott Kacelowicz (.333-0-4) and Matt Kulbacki (.301-5-19) have been a formidable catching combination and both are hitting over .300. Brett Wigder (.304-0-14), James Quigley (.300-0-4), and Corey Buletza (.299-1-16) have hit well in extensive action as freshmen. Mike Kacelowicz (.288-1-12) has been mired in a slump, but remains the teams leadoff hitter and is tops on the team with 12 doubles and 17 walks. Mike Dugan (.276-1-9), Jeff Kistle (.257-0-10), Mark Renda (.245-0-14), Nole Saylor (.231-0-3), and Andy May (.192-0-3) are five other freshman who will see a decent amount of at-bats during the weekend. Garrison Rausch (.160-0-6), who has been starting to heat up at the plate, will man center and bat in the middle of the order. Buletza and Renda have a team high 14 steals.

Darin Gorski (6-2 2.61), Phil Rummel (4-3 3.40), and Derick Reis (1-2 2.43) are likely to be three of the weekend’s four starters. The fourth spot was Garrison Rausch’s (0-3 6.12) earlier this season, but his struggles may have lost him that spot. Against Millersville this past weekend, Justin Jachowicz (0-3 4.05) made his second start of the season. Ryan Cassidy (1-1 4.09) and Steve Craig (2-1 5.00) are likely candidates if Rausch or Jachowicz don’t get the call.

Chris Zsenak (.382-1-17) and Blake Knecht (.350-1-5) are good for more than having confusing last names, as they are one-two on the Warriors in hitting. Mike Bortz (.337-7-25) is tops on the team in homers and is tied with Kyle Sheaffer (.309-1-25) for the team lead in RBIs. Bortz and Zsenak each have scored a team-best 23 runs, while Sheaffer leads his squad with 11 steals.

Dave Boyer (5-3 4.60), Jeremy Gigliotti (2-4 7.11), Bill Hezel (2-6 7.56), Christian Saveri (3-2 4.70), and Steve Prazenka (2-1 3.89) are the likely candidates for the four starts. Saveri is the only one who hasn’t started at least six games this season, but he did get a start against Bloomsburg this past weekend.

Outlook
The Golden Bears will obviously be looking to win all four games this weekend, but the team’s offensive struggles make that seem like wishful thinking. Fortunately for them, they do have the pitching to pull it off. The offense just needs to show up.

The Golden Bears could end up eliminated from the playoffs if they lose the series and that would a huge disappointment, as they certainly have the pitching they would need to make a run in PSACs. Basically, KU needs to take at least three games this weekend. After this four-game stretch, all that is left is four games with West Chester, the PSAC East leader and the 10^th ranked team in the nation. If KU is on the outside looking in after this weekend, they will be in serious trouble.

Bats remain quiet against Marauders

Recap:
Friday, April 11 @ Millersville:
Game 1: L 1-5
Phil Rummel allowed just one earned run, but five KU errors allowed the Marauders to muster up five runs en route to the 5-1 win. Rummel threw the entire six innings for the Golden Bears and allowed just four hits, while striking out six. KU managed just three hits with Jeff Kistle accounting for two of them and Chap Lightcap recording the other.
Game 2: L 0-6
The offense was even worse in game two as it managed just two hits in a 6-0 loss. James Quigley and Garrison Rausch each had a single in the second inning. Justin Jachowicz started for KU and took the loss. He allowed just one run on three hits in four innings of work. Mike Bucklin got rocked for five runs on six hits in 1.2 innings of relief.

Saturday, April 12 vs. Millersville:
Game 1: W 3-2
Seven different Golden Bears recorded at least one hit as KU won game one on Saturday 3-2. Jeff Kistle was the only Golden Bears with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Matt Kulbacki was 1-of-2 and had the other two RBIs. Darin Gorksi continued his stellar play on the hill, allowing just two runs, one earned, on five hits in a complete game effort. He struck out 10 Marauders.
Game 2: L 1-3
KU managed eight more hits in game two, but could get just one run across and fell 3-1. Scott Kacelowicz was 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in the only KU run. Garrison Rausch showed he is beginning to heat up by scoring the team’s lone run in a 2-for-3 effort at the dish. Derek Reis took the loss for KU, allowing three runs on 12 hits in just over six innings of work.

What we liked:
Although it only resulted in wins in one of the four games, the starting pitching was stellar as usual. Darin Gorski continues to dominate and is now 6-2 with a 2.61 ERA this season. Derick Reis had a rough outing, but is still 1-2 with a 2.43 ERA in 2008. Phil Rummel had a nice outing if you ignore the five KU errors and is 4-3 with a 3.40 ERA this season. If the Golden Bears have a chance to come back and make the playoffs, it’s going to be the continued efforts of the pitching staff. Garrison Rausch has struggled on the hill and at the plate this season, but that wasn’t the case against Millersville. He wasn’t called on to pitch, but he was 3-of-6 (.500) at the plate and scored a run. Jeff Kistle was one of the top hitters as well, going 4-for-8 (.500) at the plate while driving in a run.

What we didn’t like:
The young offense has not been able to produce against the PSAC East pitching and it is costing them in the standings. Against Millersville, seven regulars (at least six total at-bats over the four games) batted .200 or worse. Mike Kacelowicz was 1-for-11 (.091), Chad Lightcap was 2-for-12 (.167), Jared Frey was 1-for-13 (.077), James Quigley was 2-for-10 (.200), Corey Buletza was 1-for-10 (.100), Mark Renda was 1-for-7 (.143), and Mike Dugan was 0-for-6 (.000). KU scored just five runs on 21 hits in the four games.

Impact:
The Golden Bears needed a split with the Marauders just to remain tied with them for the third and final playoff spot in the East. Instead, they fall to 5-7 and are tied with East Stroudsburg for fourth. West Chester leads the way at 8-4 and Mansfield and Millersville are both 7-5. KU has yet to play the nationally-ranked Golden Rams of West Chester, but still has a four game set with them after this weekend’s four spot with ESU. The Golden Bears will need continued strong efforts from the pitching staff and will need a few more runs a game from the offense if they hope to return to the playoffs. A weekend sweep against ESU would be huge. Stay tuned.

Baseball rebounds for split with Mounties

Recap:
Saturday, April 5 @ Mansfield:
Game 1: L 0-1
Phil Rummel threw a jem, but allowed one run, which was enough for the Mounties to take a 1-0 win. Rummel threw the entire six innings for KU, surrendering one earned run on seven hits. Chad Lightcap led the offense with a 2-for-3 day at the plate. Mike Kacelowicz and Jared Frey each had a hit—the only other hits for KU in the game.

Game 2: L 0-7
Garrison Rausch’s struggles continued in game two as he allowed five earned runs on six hits in four innings of work. Lightcap chipped in with another 2-of-3 performance, while Frey, James Quigley, Jeff Kistle, and Scott Kacelowicz accounted for the other four KU hits.
Sunday, April 6 vs. Mansfield:
Game 1: W 3-1
Chad Lightcap continued his dismantling of the Mansfield pitching staff as he, once again, was 2-for-3 at the plate. This time around he was a bit more productive, smashing a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning. KU had just four hits as a team, with Mike Kacelowicz and Corey Buletza each contributing one a piece. Darin Gorski was the winning pitcher, allowing one run on three hits in a complete game effort.

Game 2: 5-2

Derek Reis had another outstanding performance, allowing just one unearned run on three hits in 5.1 innings of work. Mike Kacelowicz, Buletza, and Lightcap each had two hits en route to the 5-2 win. Frey, Quigley, Kistle, Mark Renda, and Scott Kacelowicz each had one hit.

What we liked:
Chad Lightcap was phenomenal at the plate as he accounted for almost all of KU’s offensive production. He was a ridiculous 8-of-13 at the plate in the four-game series, scored twice, and had three RBIs. With the exception of Rausch’s start on Saturday, the pitching was stellar once again. Gorski, Rummel, and Reis have each provided back-to-back stellar outings and will need to keep that up to keep KU in the running for a PSAC East playoff spot.

What we didn’t like:
Rausch has had his problems both at the plate and on the mound this season. Manager Chris Blum was hoping to rely on Rausch to provide offense from the cleanup spot and to contribute as one of the team’s top three starting pitchers. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Pitching is going to continue to be what wins games for KU down the stretch and Rausch is going to need to get on the right track. Overall, the offense was dismal to say the least. The Golden Bears were shutout for 19 straight innings before Lightcap finally came through with Sunday’s game-winning homer. The offense put a five-spot on the board in the final game of the series, but is that a fluke or a sign of things to come?

Impact:
The two shutouts on Saturday certainly were worrisome, as it seemed KU couldn’t even compete with the second best team in the PSAC East. But, then the Golden Bears bounced back with a sweep of their own on Sunday, which shows us how good their pitching can be. At 4-4 in the East and having split with Mansfield, KU is looking like the favorite to take at least the final spot in the division. Although I think a lack of run production will be the downfall at the end of this season, the young offense should only improve with experience and as the weather gets warmer.

Baseball team looks to knock off Mounties

What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ Mansfield Mountaineers
When: Saturday, April 5, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: Shaute Field on the campus of Mansfield University
~and~
What: Mansfield Mountaineers @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When: Sunday, April 6, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: North Campus Field on the campus of Kutztown University

Game Info
The Golden Bears are set for a pair of doubleheaders with the Mansfield Mountaineers this weekend. The teams will head to Mansfield for two games on Saturday before returning to Kutztown for another doubleheader on Sunday. Sunday’s games were originally scheduled for Friday, but were postponed due to the possibility of inclement weather.

KU enters the weekend after splitting four games with Bloomsburg this past weekend. The Golden Bears stand at 2-2 in the PSAC East and are 12-12 overall this season.

The Mounties enter the game at 19-8 overall this season, which represents the second best record in the East. They are 3-1 in the division after taking three out of four from East Stroudsburg this past weekend.

Last season, KU won all four games between the teams. The Golden Bears won 5-4 and 2-0 at home before taking 9-8 and 5-2 wins on the road.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Mike Kacelowicz – SS
2. Mark Renda – 3B/2B
3. Chad Lightcap – LF
4. James Quigley – DH/3B
5. Jared Frey – 1B
6. Matt Kulbacki/Scott Kacelowicz – CA
7. Corey Buletza – LF/RF
8. Garrison Rausch – CF
9. Mike Dugan/Jeff Kistle/Brett Wigder – UT
SPs: Phil Rummel, Darin Gorski, Garrison Rausch, Derek Reis

Mansfield:
1. Matt Young – 2B
2. Ryan Giblin – SS
3. Abram Yeakel – 1B
4. Justin Garcia – DH
5. Chris Miller – CF
6. Ryan Riley – LF
7. Nate Grove – RF
8. Drew Bair – 3B
9. Tony Battisti/Justin Baer – CA
SPs: Justin Garcia, Shane Ryan, Irvin Sleighter, Eric Rosenberger

Scouting Report
The Golden Bears do have the pitching to match up with the Mounties, but the starters are going to have to be on top of their games if KU hopes to win a few of the games.

Darin Gorski [Pictured] (4-2 3.11), Phil Rummel (4-1 4.15), Garrison Rausch (0-2 5.40), and Derek Reis (0-1 2.49) were the starters against Bloomsburg last weekend and are likely to get the nod again this weekend.

James Quigley (.440-0-4) has been outstanding since his return from early-season injury problems, and leads the team with a .440 average. Chad Lightcap (.416-4-19) is not far behind in the hitting department and leads the offense with 19 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Matt Kulbacki (.328-5-17) is tops in the homerun department, while Mike Kacelowicz (.292-1-10), Corey Buletza (.270-1-13), and Mark Renda (.263-0-13) have been running all over opposing catches, each tallying 11 steals. Jared Frey (.404-0-7) has been streaking since the start of divisional play, while freshmen Mike Dugan (.339-1-9) and Brett Wigder (.308-0-14) round out the Golden Bears hitting over the .300 mark.

The Mansfield pitching rotation is led by Justin Garcia (3-1 2.25), who leads the team’s starters in ERA. Shane Ryan (2-0 2.45), Irvin Sleighter (2-1 2.67), and Eric Rosenberger (3-2 3.45) are likely to get the other starts. In nine appearances, Tyler Noel (4-0 2.18), who heads up the bullpen, leads the team in wins, ERA, and strikeouts (20).

The Mounties top hitter is Abram Yeakel (.515-3-32), who leads the team in RBIs, batting average, doubles (10), and steals (8). Justin Garcia (.311-4-27) leads the team in homeruns and is second in RBIs. Ryan Giblin (.443-0-22), Nate Grove (.362-0-7), and Chris Miller (.343-3-21) are each hitting above .340 and could cause problems for the KU pitching staff.

Outlook
The Golden Bears will have their hands full with Mansfield—one of the top teams in the PSAC East. The Mounties enjoy some excellent depth in their pitching staff and have eight regulars hitting over .500. As a team, Mansfield is hitting a whopping .347.

It won’t be easy, but KU does have the talent to at least split with the Mounties. Mansfield is the obvious favorite, but manager Chris Blum and company won’t go down without a fight. Quigley and Lightcap are a dangerous duo in the middle of a respectable lineup that most certainly can put up a bunch of runs at any given time. The MU lineup is stellar, but can be dealt with. I’d expect KU to win at least one of the four games, but I have no doubt they can win three. This series should tell us a lot about the Golden Bears chances to compete for this year’s PSAC crown.

Baseball splits with Bloom

Recap:
Saturday, March 29 vs. Bloomsburg:
Game 1: W 5-1
Darin Gorski (4-2) tossed a complete game, allowing one run on four hits en route to a 5-1 KU victory. DH James Quigley [Pictured], 1B Jared Frey, and CA Matt Kulbacki each had two hits, while SS Mike Kacelowicz has one. Quigley and LF Chad Lightcap each scored twice, while Frey knocked in a team-high two runs.

Game 2: L 0-1
The Golden Bears out-hit the Huskies 5-3, but failed to score a run and fell by a score of 1-0. Lightcap, Quigley, OF Mike Dugan, CA Scott Kacelowicz, and IF Mark Renda provided the five KU hits. Derek Reis took the loss for the Golden Bears despite allowing just one run on three hits in 5.2 innings of work.

Sunday, March 30 @ Bloomsburg:
Game 1: L 5-3
Two errors by KU allowed the Huskies to score four unearned runs in the sixth inning, propelling them to a 5-3 win. Garrison Rausch took the loss for KU, allowing five runs, one earned, one six hits in 5.1 innings. The Golden Bears managed just six hits, including a team-high two from Frey, who also scored a run. Scott Kacelowicz drove in two of KU’s three runs.

Game 2: W 10-4
The KU offense finally got rolling in Sunday’s second game, as they exploded to a 10-4 victory. Phil Rummel was on the hill for KU and allowed four runs, one earned, on nine hits in six innings of work. The Golden Bears’ offense was led by three-hit days from Quigley and Dugan. Contributing two hits a piece was Frey, Kulbacki, Rausch, and RF Corey Buletza, who also homered. Buletza drove in a team-high two runs, while Lightcap, Quigley, and Kulbacki each scored twice.

What we liked:
James Quigley was outstanding despite entering the weekend with 10 career at bats at KU. He was 7-of-15 (.467) at the plate and scored four runs. Jared Frey was 6-of-12 (.500), scored three times, and drove in three runs. Mike Dugan was 5 of-10 (.500), scored a pair of runs, and drove in two more. The catcher tandem of Scott Kacelowicz and Matt Kulbacki was also stellar, as they combined for six hits in nine at bats, as well as, four runs and two RBIs.

The pitching was much better than a 2-2 record might indicate. Each starter allowed just one earned run and all four of them (Gorski, Reis, Rausch, Rummel) lasted into the sixth inning.

What we didn’t like:
At times the offense looked extremely dull, and as you can tell from the boxscore and game recaps, it was extremely inconsistent. The Golden Bears scored four runs over two innings in game one on Saturday before getting shutout in game two. On Sunday, they broke through for three runs in the fourth inning, but that was their only run production. Then, in game two, they finally showed some consistent production, scoring at least one run in four different innings.

No complaints can be made about the stellar pitching, but there were a few players who struggled at the plate—not surprising for such a young squad. Mike Kacelowicz was just 2-of-14 (.143) at the plate and scored just once in the four games, which is unacceptable for a leadoff man. Mark Renda spends a lot of time in the two hole and was just 1-of-8 (.125) in the hitting department. The team’s best hitter Chad Lightcap bats from the three spot in the order and, although he did score four runs, he struggled to a 3-of-14 (.214) weekend at the plate. Garrison Rausch and Corey Buletza broke out in the final game of the weekend, but each managed just two hits a piece overall. Fellow freshmen Jeff Kistle and Brett Wigder combined for a 0-for-10 weekend.

Impact:
As mentioned in my preview for this series, KU needed to take at least three games from Bloomsburg. They failed to do that, but at least came away with wins in two of the four. The competition for a PSAC playoff berth will only get tougher from here, so manager Chris Blum is going to have to hope that his young team will continue to improve as the year goes on. There is no reason to believe that won’t be the case, as this is an extremely young team with loads of talent—not to mention a pitching staff that can keep them close in every game. I still think KU will sneak into the playoffs, but it’s going to be close. They will need to starting beating the team’s that are worse than them, unlike what happened this past weekend.

Baseball team set for 4 with Bloom

What: Bloomsburg Huskies @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When: Saturday, March 29, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: North Campus Field on the campus of Kutztown University
~and~
What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ Bloomsburg Huskies
When: Sunday, March 30, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)*
Where: Danny Litwhiler Field on the campus of Bloomsburg University
*Originally scheduled for Friday, but was postponed due to potential inclement weather

Game Info
The Golden Bears baseball team will kick off PSAC East action this weekend when they play four games against the Bloomsburg Huskies. The teams will play two in Kutztown on Saturday before heading to Bloomsburg on Sunday afternoon for another doubleheader.

In what has appeared to be a rebuilding season for the defending North Atlantic Region Champion Golden Bears, they enter the game at 10-10 overall and will likely need to claw their way to a PSAC playoff berth this season. They enter the game on the three-game win streak and are fresh off a 13-0 thrashing of Lebanon Valley on Thursday. Last year, KU went 49-7 overall, including 19-1 against the PSAC East, and was ranked first in the nation at one point.

The Huskies enter the game at 5-17, the worst record in the PSAC to this point. They are coming off back-to-back losses to Shippensburg and have dropped 14 of their last 17. Bloomsburg was 19-26 overall in 2007 and 9-11 in PSAC East action.

KU swept last season’s four meetings between the teams. The Golden Bears won 3-2 and 7-6 at home before taking a pair of 5-3 games on the road.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Mike Kacelowicz – SS
2. Mark Renda – 3B/2B
3. Chad Lightcap – DH/LF
4. Garrison Rausch – CF
5. Matt Kulbacki – CA
6. Corey Buletza - OF
7. Michael Dugan – 3B/1B
8. Jeff Kistle – RF
9. Brett Wigder – 2B
*6-9 will fluctuate from game to game

Bloomsburg:
1. Preston Hitchcock – 2B
2. Chris Tressler – RF
3. Tony Donofry – 3B
4. Kevin Ward – 1B/DH
5. Rich Letts – CA
6. Carlos Medina – LF
7. Matt Allen – SS
8. Tyler Ganser – 1B/DH or Billy Phillips OF/1B
9. Anthony Forman – CF

Scouting Report
KU manager Chris Blum has featured several different lineups this season and there is no reason to believe that will change as the season goes on. Not one player from last season currently plays the same position in the field and the pitching staff has a completely new look.

The top of the lineup has stayed fairly consistent with Mike Kacelowicz (.316-1-10) leading off every game in 2008. Mark Renda (.284-0-11) is likely to follow with Chad Lightcap (.459-4-18), Garrison Rausch (.140-0-5) and Matt Kulbacki (.291-5-15) filling out the meat of the order.

The second half of the lineup is likely to be different in each of the four games with Corey Buletza (.270-0-10), Michael Dugan (.308-1-7), Jeff Kistle (.208-0-7) [Pictured Above], Brett Wigder (.333-0-12), and Jared Frey (.371-0-4) likely to see a bulk of the action.

Darin Gorski (3-2 3.52), Philip Rummel (3-1 4.81), Rausch (0-1 6.26), and Steve Craig (2-1 5.00) are the only KU pitchers with more than one start under their belt this season and are good bets to get the starting nods this weekend.

The BU offense includes just two regulars hitting over .300 and a combined four homers. Chris Tressler (.314-0-6) leads the team in batting average, with Tony Donofry (.312-1-11) not far behind. Kevin Ward (.280-1-18) is the top RBI guy on the roster, while Carlos Medina (.270-0-12) and Donofry are not far behind. Leadoff man Preston Hitchcock (.253-0-9) hasn’t hit the lights out, but has a team high 16 walks and is 5-of-8 on the base paths.

Similar to KU, the Huskies sport just four pitchers who have made multiple starts this season. Mike Griggs (1-3 4.50), Chris Tressler (2-3 5.46), Chace Phillips (1-3 7.76), and Paul Culbertson (1-1 9.39) are the favorites to start this weekend.

Outlook
The Golden Bears don’t have the dominant team of a year ago, but they are still quite better than the Huskies. With that said, KU will need to come out and take care of business this weekend if they hope to get off on the right foot towards a PSAC playoff berth. BU will be hungry to knock off last season’s regional champion, but KU’s new look team should be up for the challenge. Anything less than wins in three of the four contests would be a disappointment.

Baseball team wins first of 2008

The KU baseball team knocked off Lock Haven yesterday by a score of 10-2, improving their 2008 record to 1-4. The game was held during the opening day of the Builder Invitational in Hampton, Va.

LHU jumped ahead 2-0 in the second inning, but it wasn't long before KU took a commanding lead en route to a 10-2 victory.

Up 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Matt Kulbacki hit a grand slam to seal the deal.

Phil Rummel was on the hill for KU and allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, on 3 hits in six innings of work. Justin Jachowicz, Ryan Cassidy, and Trent Mertz each tossed one inning a piece to close the deal, striking out a combined 5 batters.

KU's next action is Friday at noon against Apprentice School, the host of the Builder Invitational.