by Matt Koll
Every baseball team in the Presidents Athletic Conference played at 30 games this spring. That, in itself, is refreshing statement and one that couldn’t be made in 2020 as the baseball season was rendered to a jarring halt in March.
Now the four best remain for a double-elimination championship tournament that will be held Thursday-Saturday, May 13-15. Washington and Jefferson plays host this year after compiling a spectacular 33-1 season under head coach Jeff Mountain. The Presidents are seeking back-to-back titles, even if it last awarded in 2019. A tournament win would be the 12th PAC Championship in school history in its 12th straight tournament appearance.
But they’ve still got plenty of work to do as three other schools are eager and hungry for their taste of glory. A conference title and an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship is on the line, so let’s dive deeper into what this year’s field has to offer.
#1 WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON (33-1, 25-1 PAC)
A powerhouse if there ever was one. In a literal sense, too.
Not only have the Presidents lost just one measly game this year, they also lead the PAC in home runs (27) and runs scored (335) as a team.
“No matter the year, the culture is in place to be a year round hard working program,” said head coach Jeff Mountain. “One area our players work hard is in the weight room. I think that is reflected in our power numbers.”
At one point this season, W&J scored double digit runs in eight straight games as part of an 11-game winning streak to round out the regular season slate. But they’re more than just bats. A 2.23 team ERA is tops in the conference while a .970 fielding percentage also ranks atop the PAC.
“It’s been different because we have only played league games, and have only played on the weekends,” said Mountain. “[But] for the players to win 33 of 34 says a lot. I don’t know if people understand how difficult it is to do that in any sport, but especially in baseball.”
The Presidents have PAC leaders up and down the lineup, from senior Adam’s Morris and Moore finishing 3rd and 5th respectively in batting average to junior Henry Litman and sophomore Tyler Horvat placing 1st and 2nd respectively in ERA throughout the season. On the surface, there’s not very many holes, if any, about this team. It’s just a matter of doing what their capable of and finishing the right way.
NEXT GAME: vs. #4 Saint Vincent 1 pm Thursday
#2 GROVE CITY 27-8 (22-5 PAC)
The Wolverines have had four games against W&J and all four were right there for the taking. Grove City lost by two runs once and by just one run three times in their meetings this season, each time having them on the ropes but never quite finishing them off.
“They’re going to keep coming at you, they’re relentless,” said Grove City head coach Matt Royers. “There were a couple of weird plays there (in games against them) but they don’t have any weaknesses. It’s really kind of draining when you play them because you can’t walk a man or they’ll steal. They hit. They’ll run your pitchers count up just because they’re talented and foul pitches off so they’re really good. That’s why they’re so hard to beat.”
But before they can look at W&J, they’ve got business take care of against Franciscan first. They plan to do that while leaning heavily on their two senior stars who have led them at the plate all year long.
“They’ve been fantastic. I mean we’ve literally had innings where we rifle four doubles in a row and they’re right in the middle of that. Bobby is a great 2-out hitter, he’s just been a machine. They hit 5th and 6th in the lineup so there’s always somebody on for them to drive in. Tanner had a streak where he was hitting the ball as hard as any player, consistently, as any player I’ve coached for like 2 weeks. They’ve both had fantastic years. We wouldn’t be where we are without them.”
Orner and Abbott have paced a group hitting .331 on the season (3rd in PAC) and whose 87 doubles as a team are tops in the conference. Their team defense is an asset for them as well, ranking 2nd and only three percentage points behind W&J. The potential issue with Grove City? Pitching.
Despite strong numbers throughout the season, Royers had to re-do 2/3 of his rotation with just two weeks left in the regular season to try to get more production. Royers said that while they were going well earlier in the year, they just weren’t throwing enough strikes and as of Tuesday night, he wasn’t sure who he’s going to throw against Franciscan on Thursday.
Regardless of some pitching concerns of late, this is a deep and dangerous squad capable of making some noise.
NEXT GAME: vs. #3 Franciscan 4 pm Thursday
#3 FRANCISCAN 16-17 (15-11 PAC)
A 15-11 conference record and a series sweep of Waynesburg to wrap the regular season buoyed the Barons to avoid the play-in game and land the #3 seed in the tournament.
Franciscan is a fascinating study in having one facet of its game be so much better than the other, yet still having success. The Barons can flat-out hit. Their .335 team batting average ranks second in the PAC, scoring almost 7.5 runs per game on average. The Franciscan lineup features freshman Joshua Costello’s .426 average (5th in PAC), Kyle’s Ferrence’s .404 (T-7th in PAC) and Austin Horan’s .397 average (9th in PAC) make up three of the top 10 hitters in the conference. Franciscan was dealt a blow by being without Horan’s services for the tournament, though.
“Josh has been superb and we will need his production in order to win,” said head coach Rick Carver. “Kyle has been struggling of late. Getting him hot again will be a key for us to win. Our strength has been being productive throughout the lineup 1-9. We are limping into the tournament with Horan out and Furka banged up. Offensive execution and quality approaches at the plate are what we need to win. But, in championship play, good pitching and defense wins. W&J, Grove City and Saint Vincent all have experienced coaches who know this. We’ll have to be at our very best to win.”
The pitching just hasn’t been there for them. The Barons are the bottom of the conference with a team ERA that sits at 7.48 on the season. They’ll need to make sure they keep games within reach, especially against a deep lineup like the one Grove City will bring to the plate on Thursday.
NEXT GAME: vs. #2 Grove City 4 pm Thursday
#4 SAINT VINCENT 15-16 (13-12 PAC)
The Bearcats shut out Bethany 2-0 in the play-in game to earn this fourth spot in the PAC Tournament. Despite losing one of their top starting pitchers, Casey Jones, in the season opener due to injury, Saint Vincent has pressed on and qualified for the PAC Tournament for the second time in the last three seasons.
Saint Vincent brings a balanced approach, ranking 4th in the PAC in batting average (.311) and 3rd in team ERA (5.45). The shutout win was a welcomed sight, not only because it allowed them the opportunity to take on W&J Thursday, but because their final series of the regular season was canceled and they had seven of their previous eight games.
T.J. Dailey has put together quite the season. His .404 batting average is tied for 7th in the conference to go along with 4 HR’s and 27 RBI.
Matt Evans and Tom Bash provide a 1-2 pitching punch that’s allowed the Bearcats to stay in games. Both have ERA’s under 3.00 and rank in the top seven in the PAC. Both combined for the shutout of Bethany as Bash went 8 innings, giving up just 6 hits with 7 strikeouts while Evans worked a scoreless 9th for the save.
In Saint Vincent’s last appearance in the PAC Tournament in 2018, the Bearcats upset top-seeded W&J in day one of the tournament, 4-2, on the strength of a complete-game effort by Jimmy Malone. The grad student, who returned to the team in 2021 to complete his eligibility, could very well get the ball again against the Presidents on Thursday.
NEXT GAME: vs. #1 W&J 1 pm Thursday
