Ladies set to compete for PSAC title

What: PSAC Softball Playoffs
When: Thursday, May 1, 2008 – Saturday, May 3, 2008
Where: Lawrence Field on the campus of Lock Haven University

Tournament Info
The KU softball team will head into the 2008 PSAC Playoffs as a favorite to bring home the conference title. The Golden Bears finished the regular season with a 44-10 overall record and won the PSAC East crown with an impressive 21-3 mark. KU will be the top seed in the East and one of six teams competing in the double elimination tournament.

The Golden Bears opening game will be at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. They will face the winner of the tournament’s first game, a 10 a.m. contest between California (Pa.) (2^nd –West) and East Stroudsburg (3^rd – East). Their second game will be on Friday at either noon or 2:30 p.m. depending upon what happens on Thursday.

The other teams competing for the title include Bloomsburg (2^nd – East), Indiana (Pa.) (3^rd – West), and Lock Haven (1^st – West). BU and IUP will face off at noon on Thursday with the winner taking on LHU at 4:30.

The Golden Bears were a combined 7-5 against the five opposing playoff teams. This included 0-2 vs. Lock Haven, 2-2 vs. Bloomsburg, 3-1 vs. ESU, and 2-0 against IUP. They did not play California in 2008.

Of the six playoff teams, three are ranked nationally. Lock Haven is second, Bloomsburg is eighth, and KU is 16^th.

Last season, KU was one strike away from winning the PSAC title before the eventual Division II Lock Haven Lady Eagles came back and stole the championship. After defeating ESU 6-1 in their first game of the tournament, the Golden Bears knocked off LHU 3-0 to position themselves one win away from the title. In their next game, KU led 5-2 with Lock Haven down to their last strike, but the Lady Eagles rallied and eventually won in 15 innings. The LHU win forced a grudge match for the PSAC title, which the Lady Eagles won 5-2.

The Golden Bears then participated in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, which, like the PSACs, were held at North Campus Field. KU was without an ill Katlin Arbogast for a majority of the tournament and it showed on the scoreboard. The Golden Bears lost 2-0 to Edinboro in their first game before pummeling NC Central 21-0 in their second game. They were eliminated the next day when ESU beat them 11-10.

Probable Starting Lineup
1. 2B – Kim Morrison (.290-3-16)
The junior leadoff hitter toned down on the power this season, instead embracing her new role as a table setter for the meat of the order. She slumped at points during the regular season, but has hit well as of late, bringing her average back up to .290. Her .344 on-base percentage is not where it should be for a leadoff hitter, but she has shown improvement in her first season batting high in the order. She has stolen 7 bases in 8 attempts.

2. LF – Maria Schiavo (.320-0-17)
Schiavo is one of the nation’s best in the sacrifice hit category and has been an exceptional two-hitter since her arrival at KU one season ago. Her .320 batting average is fourth best on the team, but she is relied on primarily for her ability to lay down good bunts. Her average of 0.39 sacrifice hits per game ranks her 11^th in division II.

3. 1B – Steph Denlinger (.362-15-53)
Denlinger is one of the most feared hitters in division II softball and likely will receive multiple free passes in the playoffs. The junior lefty leads the team with 15 homers and is second with 53 RBIs. She is 19^th in DII in homers per game, 17^th in walks per game, and 32^nd in slugging percentage. When she gets a chance to hit, there is a good chance it will be a homer. However, don’t be surprised if she is intentionally walked on several occasions. Fortunately for her, she has excellent protection in Fitzgerald, which forces opponents to pitch to her.

4. CA/SS – Ashley Fitzgerald (.456-14-54)
The junior cleanup hitter will be the primary catcher, but could see some work at shortstop. Her .456 batting average is tops in the PSAC and 24^th best in DII. She is also 8^th in DII in doubles per game (0.43), and 10^th in slugging percentage (.863). Her team-leading 1.385 OPS is off the charts and really shows how dominant of a hitter she is. Teams will look to walk Denlinger, but it won’t be any easier with Fitzgerald at the plate.

5. 3B – Krista Cameron (.341-5-35)
Cameron might be one to watch in this tournament. The team’s six hitter had five hits in the PSAC tournament last year, homered twice, and had at least one run scored and one RBI in each of the team’s four games. Her home run total has taken quite a dip this season, but she has had yet another solid season as the team’s third baseman and five hitter.

6. DP/CA – Caitlin Hague (.272-1-12)
Hague, one of two seniors on the roster, will likely bat sixth, but has been in rotation with Tedjeske and Reifsnyder all season long. She will be the primary designated player and could catch a game or two. Her .272 batting average is just eighth among the team’s starting nine, but she is a solid hitter with invaluable playoff experience.

7. SS – Krista Tedjeske (.258-2-21)
The freshman shortstop has done a respectable job in 47 starts in her rookie season. Her .258 average is lowest among the starting nine, but she’s done a nice job providing runs with 21 RBIs, which ties her for fourth best on the team, and two homers. She will be looking to improve on making contact as she leads the team with 31 strikeouts.

8. RF – Maggie Reifsnyder (.278-4-10)
Reifsnyder has missed KU’s last five games due to an injury she suffered against Lock Haven last Tuesday, but is expected to be at 100 percent come Thursday. The freshman is hitting a respectable .278 and has four homers, which is fifth highest on the team despite not playing full time until midway through the season.

9. CF – Kathy Gregg (.312-6-21)
Gregg, one of two seniors on the roster, is one of the team’s best hitters, but is slotted in the nine hole in order to get on base for the top of the order. Her six homers are third best on the team and is one of five Golden Bears above the .300 batting average mark. Her 21 RBIs tie her for fourth on the team and she has a team-high nine steals in nine attempts. Her 29 strikeouts (second worst on the team) are a bit troublesome.

Key Reserves
OF Angela Domenici (.222-0-3)
While Reifsnyder was out, Domenici filled in the right field spot. The freshman is the top reserve in the outfield, but has just 27 at-bats this season.

DP Tami Wambold (.160-0-2)
Wambold could be used as the designated player, but if anything, is more likely to see a pinch hit appearance or two. She doesn’t provide much in the contact department, but when she does get a hold of a pitch, there’s a good chance it’ll go a long way.

PR Emily Fazekas (.154-0-1)
Fazekas is the team’s top pinch runner and is likely to have opportunities to score big runs for KU in this tournament.

PR Alex Najpauer (.182-0-4)
Najpauer is another player coach Judy Lawes will go to if she needs a pinch runner.

Probable Pitching Rotation
1. Kait Arbogast (22-6 1.47)
Arbogast is one of the top pitchers in the PSAC and has already rewritten most of the KU pitching record book as a sophomore. She is 14^th in DII in strikeouts per seven innings (9.4), 24^th in wins (22), 22^nd in saves (3), and 24^th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.58). She is the team’s ace and will likely pitch a majority of the team’s innings in the playoffs.

2. Monica Glomb (10-4 2.02)
A freshman, Glomb has started 14 games for KU this season. She pitched well most of the season, but was lit up by Lock Haven last Tuesday, which could cause concerns if she is called on against tough teams in the playoffs. Regardless of that bad outing, she has shown she is an effective pitcher and should be okay if she gets the nod.

3. Mary Hoch (9-0 1.61)
Hoch is another freshman who has done an outstanding job in the pitching department this season. She has yet to lose in 20 appearances (10 starts), but also got banged around a bit by LHU. Hoch will likely see some work in the tournament and it will be interesting to see how she holds up against the conference’s top teams.

Outlook
The Golden Bears will be one of the favorites in the tournament and they have arguably the best offense of the six teams. Unfortunately for them, Lock Haven seems to have their number and they will need to find a way to overcome the Lady Eagles if they have any plans of competing at the national level. Lock Haven won the national championship in 2006 and was the runner-up in 2007. If KU can get some momentum and knock them off, there is no telling how far they can go.

One thing to remember about this tournament is that it is really just a tune up for the Regional Tournament. Five teams from the PSAC will likely be invited to the tournament, which is likely to be hosted by Kutztown. Technically, it doesn’t matter how KU fares in PSACs, since they will need to win the regional tournament to get to Nationals. With that said, the PSACs are an excellent opportunity for them to get the monkey of their back and prove to themselves that they can beat Lock Haven.

If Katlin Arbogast is on her game and the offense is as good as advertised, KU will be a contender for the PSAC title right down to the finish.

Cinderella baseball team aims for PSAC title

What: PSAC Baseball Playoffs
When: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 – Saturday, May 3, 2008
Where: Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, PA

Team Info
The KU baseball team will head into this week’s PSAC playoffs looking to turn its improbable last season run into a division championship. The Golden Bears enter the postseason at 25-23 overall and qualified for the playoffs with an 11-9 record against PSAC East opponents, which was good enough for the second seed. KU entered the final weekend of the regular season with grim playoff hopes, but managed to stun the PSAC with wins in three of four games against nationally-ranked West Chester.

The Golden Bears opening playoff game will be against Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Thursday. IUP went 36-17 this season, including 13-7 in the PSAC West. The teams have not met since 1997.

The Golden Bears will play twice on Thursday. If they beat IUP, they play at 6 p.m. and if they lose, they will go at it at 3 p.m. The tournament is double elimination.

The two other first round playoff games are Millersville (1^st – East) vs. Slippery Rock (3^rd – West) and Shippensburg (1^st – West) vs. West Chester (3^rd – East).

The Golden Bears were 1-3 against Millersville this season, 2-0 vs. Shippensburg, 3-1 against West Chester, and did not play Slippery Rock.

Last season, KU defeated Shippensburg in the first round of the PSAC playoffs before falling in back-to-back games to East Stroudsburg and California (Pa.), which eliminated them from the tournament. The Golden Bears did, however, go on to win the North Atlantic Region Championship. The regional championship qualified them for the Division II World Series, but they were eliminated in just two games.

Probable Starting Lineup
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

Probable Pitching Rotation
1. Darin Gorski
2. Phil Rummel
3. Derek Reis
4. Garrison Rausch

KU Scouting Report
The Golden Bears are led offensively by Chad Lightcap (.383-5-34). He leads the team in batting average, RBIs, runs scored (39), slugging percentage (.596), and on base percentage (.480). Jared Frey (.282-0-17) has progressed nicely in his second season and will man first base and bat in the top half of the order. Scott Kacelowicz (.298-0-9) and Matt Kulbacki (.299-7-29) have been a formidable catching combination and each will see time behind the plate. Kulbacki leads the team in homers and is second in RBIs and slugging percentage (.523). James Quigley (.329-0-12) will cleanup and is second on the team in hitting despite missing nearly half of the team’s games due to injury. Corey Buletza (.301-1-21) is the favorite to lead off and is second on the team with 15 stolen bases. Mike Kacelowicz (.302-1-17) has lifted his average back above .300 and is tops on the team with 17 doubles and 22 walks. He will bat second and play second base. Garrison Rausch (.188-0-8) will man center and bat in the lower part of the order. Mike Dugan (.291-1-17) and Brett Wigder (.289-0-18) have hit well in extensive action as freshmen and will see time in the infield. Jeff Kistle (.230-0-10), Mark Renda (.250-0-16), Nole Saylor (.286-1-7), and Andy May (.311-1-9) are four other freshman who will see a few at-bats and spot starts during the tournament. Renda leads KU with 17 steals this season.

The team’s strength is its pitching and the anchor of that staff in 2008 has been the lefty Darin Gorski (8-2 2.19). Gorski has been one of the PSAC’s best pitchers this season and joins with Phil Rummel (4-5 3.42) to form one of the league’s best pitching duos. Derick Reis (3-2 2.89) has been outstanding this season and could see a start in the tournament. Garrison Rausch (1-3 6.57) has started seven games in 2008, but has struggled in a majority of those outings. Trent Mertz (1-0 2.08) will be counted on as a relief pitcher as he leads the team in ERA in 17.1 innings of work out of the bullpen this year. Justin Jachowicz (0-3 3.44), Ryan Cassidy (1-2 5.19), Mike Bucklin (2-0 3.60), Steve Craig (2-1 7.04), Jason Herr (0-2 3.60), Jordan Smith (1-1 5.02), Anthony Fegely (1-1 2.89), and Mike Moran (1-1 4.86) round out the pitching staff and several of them could see a few innings out of the pen.

Outlook
The Golden Bears aren’t the team that everyone feared in 2007, but teams are likely to take them more seriously now they knocked off a top team like West Chester three times in four tries. It will not be easy against the PSAC’s top teams, but KU has the pitching to make a run. If Gorski, Rummel, and Reis pitch how they have all season and the young offense can extend their recent hot streak into the playoffs, there is no telling how far this team can advance.

As mentioned earlier, KU is a combined 6-4 against the four playoff teams they’ve faced earlier this season. The team has proven it can show up for big games and the Golden Bears also have the advantage of a few veterans who played at the national level a season ago. That experience, along with an excellent coaching staff led by Chris Blum, could give KU an advantage against the less playoff experienced teams in the tournament.

On the other hand, we have to remember that KU’s starting lineup will be almost half made up of freshmen. Of the players likely to see significant action in the upcoming week, only Mike Kacelowicz and Chad Lightcap were everyday players a season ago. The young crop of players is full of talent, but experience can mean a lot come playoff time.

In all likelihood, the success of KU will likely hinge on the aforementioned offense. The pitching isn’t much of a question mark, so that should keep the opposing offenses at bay. However, many of the Golden Bears’ losses this year were by scores of 2-0, 3-1, 4-0, etc. The offense has been much better as of late and if it can provide enough run support for the pitching staff, KU could be a sleeper pick in the PSAC.

Playoff fields set

The PSAC playoff fields are set for both baseball and softball. Both KU teams qualified for the postseason, with the softball team winning the PSAC East, while the baseball team needed some late season heroics to manage a playoff bid. Both playoff tournaments begin later this week.

Softball Playoff Teams
East 1. Kutztown 21-3
East 2. Bloomsburg 19-5
East 3. East Stroudsburg 11-13
West 1. Lock Haven 19-1
West 2. California (Pa.) 12-8
West 3. Indiana (Pa.) 12-8

Softball Playoff Schedule
May 1-3 @ Lock Haven University
Thursday, May 1:
Gm 1 - 10 am: E Stroudsburg 9 vs California 0
Gm 2 - Noon: Bloomsburg 3 vs IUP 1
Gm 3 - 2:30 pm: Kutztown 3 (0-0) vs ESU (1-0) 0
Gm 4 - 4:30 pm: Lock Haven (0-0) 3 vs Bloomsburg (1-0) 0
Friday, May 2:
Gm 5 - 10 am: California (0-1) 0 vs IUP (0-1) 1
Gm 6 - Noon: Bloomsburg (1-1) 1 vs ESU (1-1) 0
Gm7 - 2:30 pm: Kutztown (1-0) 0 vs Lock Haven (1-0) 5
Gm 8 - 4:30 pm: IUP (1-1) 0 vs Bloomsburg (2-1) 6
Saturday, May 3:
Gm 9 - 11 am: Bloomsburg (3-1) 2 vs Kutztown (1-1) 0
Gm 10 - 1 pm: Lock Haven (2-0) 3 vs Bloomsburg (4-1) 0
*Lock Haven wins PSAC Championship*


Baseball Playoff Teams
East 1. Millersville 12-8
East 2. Kutztown 11-9
East 3. West Chester 11-9
West 1. Shippensburg 14-6
West 2. Indiana (Pa.) 13-7
West 3. Slippery Rock 12-8

Baseball Playoff Schedule
Apr. 30-May 3 @ Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, PA
Wednesday, April 30
Game 1 - 4 p.m.
Millersville 5 vs Slippery Rock 3
Game 2 - 7 p.m.
Shippensburg 0 vs West Chester 7

Thursday, May 1
Game 3 - 9 a.m.
Kutztown 4 vs IUP 3
Game 4 - noon
West Chester (1-0) 5 vs Slippery Rock (0-1) 2
Game 5 - 3 p.m.
Shippensburg 8 (0-1) vs IUP (0-1) 3
Game 6 - 6 p.m.
Kutztown (1-0) 9 vs Millersville (1-0) 2

Friday, May 2
Game 7 - noon
West Chester (2-0) 1 vs Kutztown (2-0) 0
Game 8 - 3:30 p.m.
Shippensburg (1-1) 8 vs Millersville (1-1) 13
Game 9 - 7 p.m.
Kutztown (2-1) 8 vs Millersville (2-1) 7

Saturday, May 3
Game 10 - 1 p.m.
West Chester (3-0) 2 vs Kutztown (3-1) 6
Game 11 - 4:30 p.m.
West Chester (3-1) 7 vs Kutztown (4-1) 8
*Kutztown wins PSAC Championship*

Bears more Golden than the Rams

The baseball team swept #14 West Chester by scores of 8-2 and 8-3 on Saturday, clinching them a spot in the PSAC playoffs. KU will be an unlikely playoff team after taking 3-of-4 from division-leading WCU this weekend. The Golden Rams will be the three seed after Mansfield fell to Bloomsburg 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.

PSAC East Standings
1. Millersville 12-8* (0)
2. Kutztown 11-9* (0)
3. West Chester 11-9 (0)
4. Mansfield 10-9 (1)
5. Bloomsburg 7-12 (1)
6. East Stroudsburg 8-12 (0)

*Clinched Playoff Berth
(#) Games left

In softball news, KU beat West Chester 4-2 and 6-0 to clinch the regular season PSAC East title. The Golden Bears will be a number one seed in next weekend's PSAC Playoffs. They finish the regular season 21-3 in the PSAC East and 44-10 overall.

Friday Update

Softball swept Shippensburg (W 7-0, W 9-0)
Baseball split with West Chester (L 0-2, W 13-3)

Softball clinches at least a share of the PSAC East title with the sweep.

Mansfield's baseball team swept Bloomsburg, which puts them one game ahead of KU. The Golden Bears (9-9) can clinch playoff spot with a home sweep of West Chester tomorrow.

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.

Ladies eye PSAC East crown

What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ Shippensburg Red Raiders
When: Friday, April 25, 2008 @ 2:30 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: Robb Field on the campus of Shippensburg University
~and~
What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ West Chester Golden Rams
When: Saturday, April 26, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: West Chester Softball Field on the campus of West Chester University

Game Info
The KU softball team will head into this weekend’s road trip looking to seal up the PSAC East division title. The Golden Bears have already clinched a playoff spot and lead second-place Bloomsburg by two games with just two doubleheaders left to play. KU will head to Shippensburg for two games on Friday afternoon, before heading back east to West Chester for another doubleheader on Saturday.

KU (17-3) needs to win at least two of those games to clinch at least a share of the PSAC East regular season division title. Bloomsburg (15-5) has also clinched a spot in the postseason and will be looking to dethrone KU atop the division. With two of the three playoff spots in the east accounted for, the race will be on for the final spot. Conveniently, KU will be playing two of the major contenders for that spot. West Chester (10-10) currently holds the third seed, but they are being followed closely by Shippensburg (9-11) and East Stroudsburg (9-13). Mansfield (6-14) and Millersville (6-16) have been eliminated.

The Golden Bears are 40-10 overall this season and are ranked 19^th in Division II. They are coming off Tuesday’s home doubleheader with Lock Haven in which they fell by scores of 2-1 and 16-0. KU’s latest division action was a doubleheader sweep of East Stroudsburg on Saturday by scores of 10-1 and 6-2.

Shippensburg enters this weekend’s games after dropping two straight at West Chester on Tuesday by scores of 7-6 and 2-1. The Lady Raiders are 26-22 overall this season, but have dropped four straight games and 11 of their last 16. These teams met at North Campus Field back on April 7 with KU taking both games of the doubleheader by scores of 6-5 and 2-0.

West Chester, as mentioned, knocked off Shippensburg on Saturday to overtake them in the race for the final playoff spot in the PSAC East. The Golden Rams are 31-16 overall this season and have won seven of their last 10. On April 11, KU swept the Golden Rams at North Campus Field by scores of 4-0 and 4-2.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Kim Morrison – 2B
2. Maria Schiavo – LF
3. Steph Denlinger – 1B
4. Ashley Fitzgerald – CA/SS
5. Krista Cameron – 3B
6. Caitlin Hague – CA/DH
7. Krista Tedjeske – SS
8. Maggie Reifsnyder – RF
9. Kathy Gregg – CF
SPs: Kait Arbogast & Monica Glomb/Mary Hoch

Shippensburg:
1. Liz Good – RF
2. Sarah Stengle – LF/DH
3. Hope Cornell – SS
4. Lori Knopf – DH/1B
5. Lisamarie Ramagli – 1B/CA
6. Moira Johnson – 3B
7. Amanda Bardo – 2B
8. Jillian Mullan/Chelsea Carson – OF
9. Rachel Wedell – CA/3B
SPs: Lori Knopf & Danielle Shields

West Chester:
1. Tara Colantuono – CF
2. Stefani Kerbacher – RF
3. Jamie McComb – DH
4. Megan Harbaugh – 1B
5. Erin MacNamee – LF
6. Meghan Halberstadt – 3B
7. Alisha DiMarzio – CA
8. Kelsey Rapp/Jackie DiPaola – 2B
9. Kristin McCoy – SS
SPs: Ashley Saussaman & Shannon Padula

Scouting Report
The Golden Bears will look to the pitching trifecta of Kait Arbogast (18-6 1.66), Monica Glomb (10-4 2.02), and Mary Hoch (9-0 1.66) to keep them in games, while counting on the high-octane offense to power them to victories. Steph Denlinger (.366-12-46), Ashley Fitzgerald (.448-14-49), and Krista Cameron (.327-5-32) can all hit the ball out of the park at any given moment and they will need to provide that power this weekend. Kim Morrison (.259-3-16) struggled at the plate earlier this season, but has been better as of late and will continue to lead off. Maria Schiavo (.299-0-14) has seen her batting average dip as of late, but is an excellent sacrifice bunter and another threat to set the table with a big hit at any time. Krista Tedjeske (.237-2-16), Caitlin Hague (.292-1-12), and Maggie Reifsnyder (.278-4-10) have been taking turns hitting in the six through eight spots in the order and that trend will continue until one of the players hits on a consistent basis. Right now, the senior Hague has been the hot hitter and will likely stay in the six spot for now. Kathy Gregg (.306-6-21) could easily hit neat the top of the KU order and will provide a lot of offense out of the nine hole.

The Raiders are likely to turn to the pitching duo of Danielle Shields and Lori Knopf, who will each likely get a start on Friday. Shields (12-7 1.92) leads the pitching staff with 101 strikeouts and is allowing opposing hitters to bat just .216 against her. Knopf (8-7 2.46) has struck out 79 and opponents are batting .227 against her. Both are respectable pitchers, but neither has pitched well over the past few weeks.

Knopf (.371-4-32) also does it as the plate, leading the team in batting average and doubles (13). Hope Cornell (.345-7-36) leads the team in homers, RBIs, and runs (31). Courtney Steele (.323-6-19), Chelsea Carson (.277-0-5), Sarah Stengl (.265-0-18), Jillian Mullan (.265-0-6), and Rachelle Wedell (.262-0-11) are among the other regulars hitting above the .250 mark.

West Chester’s ace is that of Shannon Padula (23-8 1.95), who will see action in at least one of Saturday’s games. She has pitched 190 innings this season for WCU, 130 more than runner-up Ashley Saussaman (4-3 1.40). Brittany Rees (2-1 2.78) and Megan Graham (2-4 5.54) are other pitching options for the Golden Rams.

Megan Harbaugh (.417-7-37) is the team’s top hitter, leading the Rams in batting average, homers, and RBIs. Stefani Kerbacher (.340-0-9) leads the team with 41 runs scored and with 15 steals. Other top-hitting Golden Rams include Erin MacNamee (.392-1-28), Meghan Halberstad (.323-0-13), Tara Colantuono (.313-2-24), Jamie McComb (.310-0-33), and Katie Kmiencinski (.303-1-16).

Outlook
If Saturday evening rolls around and KU is not the PSAC East regular season champion, it will be a big disappointment. The Golden Bears dominated divisional play for the most part and a collapse this weekend would be heartbreaking. Normally, there would be no reason for concern, but it will be interesting to see how the ladies bounce back from losses in four of their last six games, including a 2-1 heartbreaker to Lock Haven and a 16-0 shellacking at the hands of LHU.

If the Golden Bears struggle again this weekend against two quality teams, they will have a tough time contending with anyone in the playoffs. It’s not very often that a team in any league at any level can back into the playoffs and contend. KU can take last week’s struggles and learn from them. They breezed through much of the season, but now they are getting a taste of what level they need to be at if they hope to compete at the regional, and maybe even, the national level.

We know the Golden Bears have the talent to win all four games this weekend, but with Shippensburg and West Chester battling it out for the last playoff spot, every game will count for them. They will be pulling out all the stops in order to squeeze a win out of KU. The ladies need to realize this and treat these games like a playoff tune up. A few big games this weekend in a playoff environment will do wonders come the playoffs in early May.