by Matt Koll
Ross Memorial Park is becoming just as synonymous with being the home of the PAC Baseball Tournament as it is with being the home of the Washington and Jefferson Presidents. Seven years in a row now the postseason has taken place here, and the top-seeded Presidents are looking to strike again. But there’s stiff competition this season, two teams finishing just a game behind them in PAC play, with another finishing just two games back when all was said and done in the regular season. Things reset now as the playoffs are upon us. Let’s take a look at who’s vying for a championship in 2024…
#1 WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (28-12, 16-4 PAC)
Record vs. PAC Tournament teams: 8-3
Photo courtesy of W&J College Athletics.
What they’ve done lately: After a 6-4 win in Game 1 of the doubleheader, the Presidents got beat soundly 8-1 in Game 2 at the hands of fourth-seeded Allegheny. Before that, they swept a doubleheader against non-conference opponent Otterbein but dropped both games of a doubleheader against second-seeded Grove City on the road.
Overview: By the numbers, W&J’s lineup is simply the best in the conference. They lead in just about every major category and in some categories, second place is not particularly close. To put the dominance in perspective, they scored 22 more runs, had 53 more hits, 14 more doubles and 13 more home runs than the next best team. Those home run totals came as a pleasant surprise even to head coach Jeff Mountain, who is wrapping up his 22nd season with W&J. Scout Zaas put together a stellar season at the plate hitting .443 with 7 HR, 38 RBI and an OPS of 1.235.
“Scout was as locked in as anyone we’ve had here in my time the first 25 games he played,” said Mountain. “He’s battled injuries the last ten. We actually work a lot on situational hitting and manufacturing runs in practice, as we prefer to be a versatile offense, but that hasn’t been our style as much this year as the year has unfolded.”
Of course, the lineup is filled with quality hitters like Nolan Lutz, Drew Garth and Jacob Laduca. All four have hit over .360. Zaas, Lutz and Garth all have OPS numbers well over 1.000 and hold three of the top four spots in the conference in that metric.
The pitching staff was strong as well, finishing with the 2nd-best team ERA and recorded the most saves in the conference. Anthony Pass logged 64.2 innings with a 3.20 ERA (8th in PAC) and 59 strikeouts.
Why they can win it all: Been there, done that. Some of the names and faces change…even the format changes by going to a full double elimination bracket this year…but coach Mountain’s teams are always in the thick of things. Four titles in a row is an impressive feat and the pressure of trying to repeat the previous year’s performance hasn’t gotten to them yet. Maybe the question we should be asking here is, “Why can’t they win it all?” Well, one reason might be inexperience.
“This is probably as inexperienced of a team that we’ve had, at least coming into the year,” Mountain said. “And it’s played out that way as the year has unfolded in that we’ve had a lot of first year starters and underclass starters. It seems like a pretty close group. The current seniors have been through a lot [dealing with Covid in their senior year of high school and freshman year of college] in terms of being held to tough regulations during key points of the educational and athletic experiences, and that’s created challenges for them.”
One thing is certain…you can never count out any W&J squad in the PAC Baseball Tournament.
#2 GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (24-12, 15-5 PAC)
Record vs. PAC Tournament teams: 6-4
Photo courtesy of Grove City College Athletics.
What they’ve done lately: They’ve been red hot, winners of seven in a row heading into the PAC Tournament. They swept Chatham on the road after sweeping #1 ranked W&J at home. They won their final seven games and are winners of 14 of their 17 games.
Overview: What stands out right away about this Grove City team is its ability to pitch. It finished the regular season with a team ERA (3.37) a full run and then some better than the next best team (4.66). The 293 strikeouts are tops in the PAC as well, and so is the opponent batting average of just .227. How have they done it?
“Almost every good team has and needs pitchers that can pitch deep into games. Fortunately, we have three guys, Nick Guidas, Sam Bevin, and Evan Umland that have done a great job for us in that area,” said head coach Matt Royer. “David Leslie did not pitch the first half of the season and we have slowly increased his pitch count to where we feel he is capable of going longer innings also. David, who possesses the best stuff on our staff, has appeared in seven games with 31 strikeouts in 21 innings and has a 0.86 ERA.”
Grove City’s pitching staff as a whole is young, featuring nine freshmen. But Royer says they have done a good job when called upon this season.
Offensively, the Wolverines are led by two of the PAC’s best hitters in Josh Minnich and Markus Williams. They have been run producing machines, ranking second and third respectively in RBI while boasting batting averages of .394 and .349. This dynamic duo also possess plenty of gap power, as Minnich’s 17 doubles lead the conference and Williams is right behind him with 16 himself.
Royer said that they set the tone for the lineup hitting in the 3 and 4 spots, but also led by their daily work ethic. He says they simply wouldn’t be where they are without them.
Why they can win it all: Pitching perfection. Ok, no team has a perfect 0.00 ERA. But as mentioned before, the Wolverines have three starters that can carry the load with a fourth with the talent to do the same. Grove City will make teams work to score runs and that can go a long way toward a title run.
“Well, we’ve swept five of our doubleheaders and split five others so we have defeated every team at least one time this season. That, however, means very little to me once the playoffs start,” Royer said. “I guess one positive is that our guys should not feel overmatched by any of our opponents. But we certainly respect all of them and know what they all are capable of.”
#3 WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS (23-16, 15-5 PAC)
Record vs. PAC Tournament teams: 6-4
Photo courtesy of Waynesburg University Athletics.
What they’ve done lately: Swept in a doubleheader against #3 Denison but split a doubleheader at Grove City in their final PAC regular season series.
“Our team is a lot more confident group than when we started the season, both individually as well as a team with guys believing in their teammates,” said head coach Perry Cunningham. “At the beginning of the year, I felt that we hoped to win but we now expect to win games. We’ve had a number of come from behind wins this year which has fueled that confidence.”
Overview: Waynesburg finished fourth in the PAC in hits while boasting a .289 team batting average. Lane Ours popped 5 homers on the season with 24 RBI’s and a .298 batting average. Dalton Mount and Todd Burner both finished in the top 20 in hits. On the mound, Waynesburg ranked fourth in total team ERA despite low strikeout totals. Dalton Lucey racked up 70.2 innings in his 11 starts with a 3.82 ERA, good for 12th in the PAC. The regular season series against Allegheny went to the Jackets. They took the first game 5-2 after scoring three unanswered runs in the 8th inning, including a solo shot from Alec Engelmore. Game Two was a 12-5 blowout in which the Jackets racked up 13 hits and posted an eight-run 3rd inning.
Why they can win it all: Explosive offense. When the Waynesburg bats are rolling, the hitting is very contagious and the run totals can rack up quickly. The Yellow Jackets posted double digit run totals in both games of their regular season series against Thiel and W&J. This team is capable of scoring with any squad in the conference and will need to make good on that potential in the PAC Tournament.
“Our guys have executed all areas of the game pretty consistently all year. It hasn’t been perfect, but it doesn’t have to be perfect,” said Cunningham. “However, we can’t be sloppy either. We just have to be ready to play from the first pitch to the last pitch.”
#4 ALLEGHENY GATORS (26-12, 14-6 PAC)
Record vs. PAC Tournament teams: 4-7
Photo courtesy Allegheny College Athletics.
What they’ve done lately: The Gators plated eight runs in each of their final two games, one against non-conference opponent Baldwin Wallace and the other in a 8-6 win over the top-seeded W&J Presidents in a series in which they split.
Overview: Allegheny’s consistent approach at the plate keeps them in any game and has won them plenty of games this season. The Gators hit .321 as a team, the second-best number in the PAC, while scoring the second-most runs of any team in the PAC. Allegheny is just behind the lead in many offensive categories actually, including slugging and on-base percentage, doubles, and hits.
The two-headed monster of JD Robinson and Tyson Bryant-Dawson right in the middle of their order have done damage all season long. Robinson’s 1.044 OPS ranked seventh in the conference, while Bryant-Dawson was right behind him with a .999 OPS ranking eighth. But we can’t talk about the offense without mentioning Matt Jennings and his .394 batting average (6th in PAC) while driving in 37 runs (6th in PAC). While we’re at it, let’s give Brady Nolin some love as well for his .342 batting average and 32 RBI (11th in PAC).
Brent Hermann made 11 starts throughout the season, tallying a 3.33 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 73 innings. Mark Schweickert also went 55.2 innings over his nine starts with a 4.69 ERA. He also recorded a save along the way.
Allegheny split the regular season doubleheader with first round opponent Grove City taking the first game 9-4 but suffering a 8-0 shutout loss in Game 2.
Why they can win it all: Lineup depth. Allegheny comes at you in waves. The top of their lineup features some of the best hitters in the conference which allows them to set the table for runs and drive them in. The Gators have four of the Top 25 PAC batters in terms of batting average, and four of the Top 15 PAC batters in hits. That kind of production can score runs with any team in this tournament, forcing opponents to try to keep them off balance and off the scoreboard.
#5 WESTMINSTER TITANS (18-20, 11-9 PAC)
Record vs. PAC Tournament teams: 4-6
Photo courtesy of Westminster College Athletics.
What they’ve done lately: The Titans ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak after beating non-conference Aloysius and sweeping a doubleheader against Bethany at Senior Recognition Day. The strong finish snapped a four-game losing streak before that, which preceded a four-game winning streak before that. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster for this team over the last couple weeks.
Overview: While the offense hasn’t always been there for the Titans this season, they’ve gotten consistent pitching to buoy them and finish the regular season with a winning record in conference play. They can also pick it in the field, leading the PAC in fielding percentage at .975 after only making 35 errors all year long.
Jake Vitale and Ryan Gibbons have led the way for a pitching staff that ranked third in team ERA. Gibbons threw 51 innings over his eight starts, punching out 41 hitters to the tune of a 4.06 ERA. Vitale logged seven starts, going 42 innings with a 3.86 ERA.
Jake Dockum and Matt Randza provide the one-two punch at the plate. Dockum hit .293 with a couple of homers and drove in over 20 runs while Randza hit .290 with 10 doubles and drove in 20 runs.
When Westminster met Grove City in the regular season, the first game was scoreless through the first 5 innings until the Titans broke through for a run on a throwing error. But they gave up two runs in the 7th inning and lost 2-1. Kolton Banfi went 8 innings giving up just the two runs on four hits and eight strikeouts. They bounced back in Game 2, nearly shutting the Wolverines out in a 4-1 victory. Jake Vitale went 8 innings, surrendering just the one run with two strikeouts.
Why they can win it all: Keep calm and pitch on. While the Titans certainly have capable hitters, it will likely be their efforts on the mound that will carry them toward a PAC Championship. They’ve got multiple options for starters who can go deep into games and keep them in games until the offense is able to score what they need to win. Their first round against Grove City could be a pitcher’s duel and a great test to see which offense can eventually break through.
#6 THIEL TOMCATS (15-22, 10-10 PAC)
Record vs. PAC Tournament teams: 3-7
Photo courtesy of Thiel College Athletics.
What they’ve done lately: After dropping a doubleheader against top-seeded W&J on the road, the Tomcats split a doubleheader against Saint Vincent on the road, including a high-scoring 17-13 contest in Game 2. They overcame a 6-0 deficit after three innings of play.
Overview: The Tomcats will need to bring the bats in a big way in this tournament. Their .299 team batting average ranked 6th in the conference, and their 370 hits tied for 5th. This team doesn’t have much power in terms of putting the ball over the fence, but their 71 doubles (5th in PAC) shows they can hit the gaps and drive in runs with extra base hits.
Nathen Pruny and Nick Jacobs are exciting hitters. Prunty racked up 49 hits and drove in 24 runs to go along with a .380 batting average, which was good for 8th in the PAC. Meanwhile, Jacobs provided most of the team’s pop with four homers and 35 RBI’s, while posting a .432 batting average that ranked second in the conference. Jacobs’ impressive 1.189 OPS also finished 2nd in the PAC. He is flat-out, one of the best hitters in this tournament.
The obvious weak spot is the pitching staff that finished the regular season with the 2nd-worst ERA in the conference. Alec Katon made 11 starts and went 52.2 innings, striking out 54 hitters along the way and posting a respectable 4.27 ERA.
Unfortunately, things got out of hand in the regular season doubleheader against first round opponent W&J as Thiel suffered two blowout losses to the top seeded Presidents, 18-2 and 11-5.
Why they can win it all: Just hit, baby. Having Nick Jacobs helps. So does having Nathen Prunty and Mike Sittig with his .345 batting average. The challenge will be keeping teams from racking up runs against them, but if the pitching staff can keep them within striking distances, the Tomcats have the bats to contend.
