(Lock Haven, Pa.) – Several baseball and softball players for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania were awarded Eastern College Athletic Conference Division II South All-Star honors.  Among those recognized were the Bald Eagle baseball team’s Dan Sowash (State College/State College) and Jason Laubach (Mifflinville/Central Columbia) and the Lady Eagle softball team’s Stacie Miller (Lock Haven/Lock Haven), Tara Trabosh (Pottsville/Pottsville Area), and Jocelyn Tutrani (Royersford/Royersford).
             Dan Sowash makes his first appearance on the All-ECAC list, taking his place among the First Team All-Star members.  A North Atlantic First Team All-Region and First Team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference pitcher, the junior right-hander went 9-2 from the mound, setting a new LHU record for season wins.  He posted a 1.16 ERA, setting another new school mark and holding the best average in all of NCAA Division II as of May 20. Sowash rewrote the history books again by throwing 74 strikeouts over the course of the season.  He made a total of 11 appearances, throwing seven complete games with five shutouts in 69.2 innings of work.
            LHU outfielder Jason Laubach earns Second Team ECAC All-Star honors.  Laubach, also a First Team All-PSAC West outfielder, paced the Lock Haven offense with a .411 batting average (51-124) in 41 starts.  The senior Bald Eagle also led the squad and was among conference leaders with nine doubles, five home runs, and 30 RBIs.  On defense, Laubach was flawless, securing 52 putouts and five assists with no errors.
           Stacie Miller earned First Team ECAC All-Star accolades.  The senior catcher for the Lady Eagles was the PSAC West Player of the Year and also a First Team all-conference player.  Miller led Lock Haven and was among PSAC leaders in batting average (.427), doubles (13), home runs (10), RBIs (36), and slugging percentage (.818).  She recorded new school records for single season home runs and slugging percentage, and her 36 RBIs tied the existing LHU mark.  With this year’s numbers, Miller took over the Lock Haven career records for doubles (41) and RBIs (75).  
            Junior first baseman Tara Trabosh earned Second Team ECAC All-Star honors.  Trabosh was also named to the First Team All-PSAC, hitting .318 including four doubles, a triple, and three home runs.  Her 15 RBIs was second only to Miller’s total.  Trabosh has led the Lady Eagles in fielding percentage for the past two seasons, this year posting a .985 percentage including a team best of 322 putouts. 
            Rookie third baseman Jocelyn Tutrani makes her inaugural appearance on the ECAC’s All-Star list, being selected to the Second Team.  A First Team All-PSAC infielder Tutrani posted 86 assists and 37 putouts in her first season of collegiate action.  At the plate, she recorded 29 hits (4 doubles, 1 triple) and seven RBI with a .302 batting average. 
            The Lock Haven baseball team finished off the 2001 season with a 29-12 overall mark and a 13-7 PSAC West ledger.  The Lady Eagle softball team was 16-21 overall and even at 10-10 in the PSAC Western Division. 

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -    Dan Sowash (State College/State College), a pitcher for the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania baseball team, earned a spot on the North Atlantic All-Region First Team as released this week.
          Sowash posted a 9-2 record from the mound this season, setting a new Lock Haven record for season wins.  His 1.16 ERA, which also marked a new LHU record, is currently the best in the nation (as of May 20).  The junior right-hander threw 74 strikeouts over the course of the season, setting yet another school record.  Sowash made a total of 11 appearances, throwing seven complete games with five shutouts in 69.2 innings pitched.
            This is the first all-region accolade for Sowash, who also earned First Team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division honors for his performance this season. 
            The Lock Haven University baseball team finished off the 2001 season with a 29-12 overall mark and a 13-7 PSAC West ledger.  The Bald Eagles’ 29-12 record marks the best win percentage (.707) for any team under LHU head coach Paul “Smokey” Stover (1992-present).

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(Lock Haven, PA) – Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania’s Heath Repard (Hughesville/Hughesville) earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Rookie of the Year honors and five other Bald Eagle baseball players were selected to the All-PSAC West teams as announced by the conference office today.  Dan Sowash (State College/State College) and Jason Laubach (Mifflinville/Central Columbia) nabbed First Team honors, and Josh Brown (Lebanon/Lebanon), Matt Isnor (State College/State College), and Travis Menteer (St. Marys/Ridgway Area) all earned Second Team accolades.
            Heath Repard, a left-handed pitcher for Lock Haven, went 3-2 on the season with a 4.03 ERA.  In eight appearances on the mound, including six starts and four complete games, Repard struck out 37 and allowed only three extra-base hits, all of which were doubles. 
             Junior pitcher Dan Sowash and senior outfielder Jason Laubach are both new to the First Team All-PSAC list.  It is the second all-conference award for Sowash, however, having scored Second Team accolades in 1999.  Sowash went 9-2 this season and is currently rated second in the nation (as of May 13) with a 1.16 ERA. This year he took over LHU single season records in ERA (1.16), strikeouts (74), and wins (9).  He made 11 appearances, throwing seven complete games with five total shutouts.  
            Laubach paced the Bald Eagle offense with a .411 batting average (51-124) in 41 starts.  The senior outfielder also led the team and was among conference leaders with nine doubles, five home runs, and 30 RBIs. In the field, Laubach turned in a flawless performance, recording 52 putouts and five assists with no errors. 
           Bald Eagles Josh Brown, Matt Isnor, and Travis Menteer all earned All-PSAC Second Team honors for their performances this season.  Brown, a senior third baseman for LHU, posted a .368 batting average (49-133) while starting in all 41 games this season.  The veteran infielder tallied 11 extra-base hits, including seven doubles, and 17 RBIs.       
           Isnor, a junior, earned second team honors as a utility player.  Contributing behind the plate, at first base, or as the designated hitter, Isnor wrapped up the season hitting .330 (33-100) with 18 RBIs.  
            Menteer is a senior right-handed pitcher who went 8-2 from the mound this year, bettering the school’s previous season record of seven wins along with teammate Sowash.  Carrying a 3.09 ERA, he made 11 appearances with 10 starts including six complete games and one save.  Menteer posted 60 strikeouts in 64.0 innings pitched.
            California (Pa.) University’s Jason Foreman was the PSAC West Athlete of the Year, and California Head Coach Mike Conte was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year.  In the PSAC East, Kutztown University’s Tim Bausher was the Athlete of the Year and Head Coach Matt Royer was the Coach of the Year.  The PSAC East Rookie of the Year was East Stroudsburg University’s Nick Farkas.
            The Lock Haven University baseball team finished off the 2001 season with a 29-12 overall mark and a 13-7 PSAC West ledger.  The Bald Eagles’ 29-12 record marks the best win percentage (.707) for any team under LHU head coach Paul “Smokey” Stover (1992-present). 

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Dan Sowash (State College/State College), a pitcher for the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania baseball team, was selected as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s Western Division Pitcher of the Week for games ending May 5.  This is the third time this season he has merited the PSAC weekly honor.
          Sowash (9-2) improved on his school-record wins total with an 8-0 victory over Edinboro University on Saturday.  The junior right-hander’s seven strikeouts in that game brought his season total to 74, setting another LHU season record last held by Jeremy Fisher (73 strikeouts, 1997).  After holding the Fighting Scots scoreless on Saturday, Sowash’s earned run average dropped to 1.16, currently the best ERA of any pitcher in the NCAA Division II.  That figure is also a new school record, bettering the 1976 mark of 1.23 set by Ed Sampsell.
            For the season, Sowash is 9-2 and in 11 starts has thrown three shutouts and combined for two more.  He leads the team in ERA (1.16), strikeouts (74), and innings pitched (69.2). 
            The Bald Eagle baseball team is 29-12 overall and wrapped up conference play with a 13-7 mark in the PSAC West. 

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Heath Repard (Hughesville/Hughesville), a freshman pitcher for the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania baseball team, was awarded Western Division Pitcher of the Week honors by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for games ending April 15.
             Repard threw a complete-game shutout against Indiana (PA) University in his only appearance last week.  The left-hander allowed just one hit and no walks while striking out six in the 13-0 Lock Haven victory.
           On the season, Repard is 2-0 with five appearances on the mound resulting in a cumulative 3.48 ERA.  He has recorded 25 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings of work. Repard is a 2000 graduate of Hughesville High School, where he was a four-year baseball letterwinner and an all-conference pitcher.
            The Bald Eagle baseball team is currently 20-7 overall and 7-3 in the PSAC West. Lock Haven will next travel to Slippery Rock University for a conference twinbill on Tuesday, April 17, at 1 p.m. 

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania head baseball coach Paul “Smokey” Stover captured his 200^th career coaching victory as the Bald Eagle diamondmen picked up two wins at Edinboro University this afternoon.
            Stover reaches the 200^th victory career milestone in his 10^th season at Lock Haven, and is currently 200-185-5 overall (0.519 winning percentage).  During his tenure, the Bald Eagles have set new school standards for wins three times, including last season’s 30-22 conference championship run.  He earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Coach of the Year honors after the 2000 season for the team’s performance.  The Bald Eagles have made two trips to the PSAC playoffs under Stover, advancing to the championship game both times in 1997 and 2000. 
            The veteran coach has guided 22 players to All-PSAC West status during the past ten seasons, including a school-record eight in 1997.
            Stover came to LHU directly from Jersey Shore High School, where he turned around the program and turned it into a conference and state power.  When Stover took over at JSHS, the Bulldogs had never collected more than five wins in any of their first 13 seasons. Stover proceeded to guide them to an 11-9 record his first year. The next year, Jersey Shore entered the West Branch Conference, and in each year he was head coach, either tied for the conference title or won it outright. His overall record at JSHS was an outstanding 90-33, while his West Branch record was equally impressive at 65-9.
            The 2001 Bald Eagle baseball squad is currently 20-7 overall, its third straight 20-or-more wins season and sixth overall under Stover.  Lock Haven heads into the second half of conference competition with a doubleheader at Slippery Rock University on Tuesday, April 17.  

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Dan Sowash (State College/State College), a junior member of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania baseball team, was selected as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Pitcher of the Week.   This week’s nominations were cumulative for all games up to and including March 26.  
      Sowash has recorded a 4-0 mark from the mound thus far this season, including three complete games.  In 24.1 innings, the junior right-hander has allowed just two earned runs for a team-leading 0.74 ERA, and has also notched 29 strikeouts and five walks.  In his four appearances, Sowash established a stretch of 23.1 innings where he did not allow a run, collecting three shutout victories.  
      The LHU baseball team is currently 13-4 overall, and is scheduled to open PSAC Western Division action this Sunday with a doubleheader against Slippery Rock University at LHU’s Foundation Field at 1 p.m. 

May 31 -- TWO LHU DIAMONDMEN EARN ALL-REGION HONORS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Two Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania baseball student-athletes were among the list of players selected to the NCAA Division II North Atlantic All-Region team, as selected by the region's coaches.  Seniors Brad Strohm (Harrisburg/Lower Dauphin) and Jeremy Fisher (Belleville/Indian Valley) both earned Second Team All-Region honors for their performances during the 2000 season. 

Brad Strohm split his time between left field and designated hitter, and earned First Team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors, his third time receiving all-conference recognition, for his work at the designated hitter slot in the lineup.  Strohm was second on this year's squad with a .352 (56-159) batting average, and led the squad with 11 homeruns and 14 doubles along with 36 RBIs.  This is his first regional honor.

            Jeremy Fisher, The Haven's top right-hander this season, joins Strohm on the regional list as well as the First Team All-PSAC list.  Fisher posted a 3.10 ERA and went 6-0 on the year, throwing for a total 58.0 innings with 42 strikeouts.  He now owns the LHU career records for strikeouts (233) and innings pitched (227), and is tied for the single-season win percentage mark with his 6-0 ledger.  This is also Fisher's first time on the all-region team.

The 2000 LHU baseball team went 30-22 and finished second in the PSAC Western Division with an 11-9 record.  The Bald Eagles played to a second-place finish at the PSAC Championships, going 2-2 in the post-season tournament.   Their 30 wins marks the first time in LHU history that a team has hit the 30-win milestone.

May 16, 2000 -- LHU BASEBALL PLAYERS EARN 
                      ALL-PSAC HONORS; Head Coach Smokey 
                      Stover Named Coach of the Year

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Six baseball student-athletes from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania have been named to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division baseball teams, as voted on by the league's head coaches.  Bald Eagle seniors Brad Strohm (Harrisburg/Lower Dauphin) and Jeremy Fisher (Belleville/Indian Valley) earned First Team honors, and Jason Sarcinelli (Dalton/Lackawanna Trail), Don Tawney (Williamsport/Williamsport Area), Ernest Woods (Queens, N.Y./Thomas Edison), and Dan Cassell (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) all received Second Team recognition.  In addition to the individual player honors, Head Coach Paul "Smokey" Stover was selected by his peers as the PSAC West Coach of the Year. 

The 2000 LHU baseball team went 30-22 and finished second in the PSAC Western Division with an 11-9 record.  The Bald Eagles played to a second-place finish at the PSAC Championships, going 2-2 in the post-season tournament.   Their 30 wins marks the first time in LHU history that a team has hit the 30-win milestone.

Earning First Team honors was a pair of seniors, Brad Strohm and Jeremy Fisher.  Strohm split his time between left field and designated hitter, and earns the all-conference selection for his work at the designated hitter slot in the lineup.  Strohm was second on this year's squad with a .352 (56-159) batting average, and led the squad with 11 homeruns and 14 doubles along with 36 RBIs.   This is the senior's third all-conference selection, and his first time on the First Team list. 

            Jeremy Fisher, The Haven's top right-hander this season, earns First Team honors as a starting pitcher.  Fisher posted a 3.10 ERA and went 6-0 on the year, throwing for a total 58.0 innings with 42 strikeouts.  He now owns the LHU career records for strikeouts (233) and innings pitched (227), and is tied for the single-season win percentage mark with his 6-0 ledger.  This is Fisher's second time being selected for all-conference honors, earning Second Team accolades in 1997.

Four Haven diamondmen received Second Team honors.  Seniors Don Tawney and Dan Cassell close out their Lock Haven careers with their first-ever All-PSAC recognition.  Tawney, the Bald Eagles' second baseman, tallied a .293 (36-123) batting average with eight doubles, five homers, and 18 RBIs.  A strong fielder, he posted 100 putouts, 97 assists, and just six errors (.970 fielding percentage).   The Crimson and White's starting center fielder Dan Cassell came up big for The Haven at the plate and in the field, reporting a .327 (53-162) batting average with 13 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs.  His 41 RBIs led the 2000 ball club, and with a .980 fielding percentage (99-0-2), he was also one of LHU's most consistent in the field.

            Junior Jason Sarcinelli and sophomore Ernest Woods also capped off their 2000 seasons with their first All-PSAC awards.  Sarcinelli, a transfer from East Stroudsburg, hit .279 (39-140) with 10 doubles, three triples, three home runs, and 18 RBIs. The team's starting first baseman, he led LHU in putouts with 293, and added 17 assists with eight errors (.975 fielding percentage).   Woods earned Second Team accolades as a catcher for the Bald Eagles.  Hitting at a .308 (28-91) clip, he was fourth on the team in batting average and recorded four doubles, a pair each of triples and homers, along with 20 RBIs.  Behind the plate, Woods tallied 136 putouts and 22 assists with five errors (.969 fielding percentage).

            Closing out Haven honors, ninth-year head coach Paul "Smokey" Stover was awarded his first PSAC West Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Bald Eagles to their winningest season on the books at 30-22.  Now with a 180-180-2 (.500) win-loss record, Stover's trip to the 2000 PSAC playoffs was the second in his career at Lock Haven, also taking the team to the tournament in 1996. 

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania baseball team (28-20, 11-9 PSAC West) will challenge for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title this weekend, Thursday through Saturday, May 11-13, at the 2000 PSAC Baseball Championships being held at the Blair County Ballpark in Altoona, Pa. 

Earning the No. 2 seed in the PSAC Western Division by virtue of their 11-9 conference ledger, the Bald Eagles come up against Millersville University (42-10, 20-4), the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Division, in the first round on Thursday at 7 p.m..  The No. 1 seed out of the PSAC West is Slippery Rock University (33-10, 17-3), who will face the East's No. 2 seed in Shippensburg University (29-18, 19-5) in the opening round.

LHU IN PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION

Lock Haven's appearance in the conference championships marks the Bald Eagles' fifth crusade for the coveted PSAC crown.  The only team in the race this season and one of three in the conference that does not have a conference title on its resume, LHU's most recent appearance was in 1996, when the squad  went 2-2 and fell one win short of the title. That year's team posted a 25-22 overall mark and finished as the second seed in the West with a 13-7 record.  The LHU diamondmen were also in contention on three other occasions, advancing in 1989, 1983, and 1976.

RECORD-MAKING SEASON

The Bald Eagles enter into competition sporting one of the best records in school history, already posting a single-season high of 28 wins, which tops the 27 wins recorded in 1997.  Guaranteed at least two more contests, this year's ball club will also own the single-season record for games played, having competed in a minimum of 50 contests. 

A number of individuals have carved their own place into the annals of Haven baseball.  Senior right-hander Jeremy Fisher moved into sole ownership of the career strikeouts mark, currently with 223 (previously existing mark of 202 by Scott Bennett, 1995-98).  Fisher, at 6-0, also shares the high mark in the single-season win percentage category with Jeff Book (1996; 6-0), and is closing in on Bennett's career innings pitched record of 229, now with 225 2/3 innings. 

Junior third baseman Josh Brown has compiled 159 at bats this season, topping the old mark of 153 held by Marco Randazzo (1997).  Senior left fielder Brad Strohm is working his way up the hitting charts, posting 11 home runs this season, three under the single-season record of 14 owned by Grant Jackson (1997).  Strohm, with 101 total bases, is also close to Randazzo's single-season record of 116, and with 18 career homers, needs just two more to capture ownership of that respective record.

HEAD COACH SMOKEY STOVER

This year’s appearance in the PSAC Championships marks the second for ninth-year head coach Paul “Smokey” Stover.  Stover also led the 1996 Crimson and White ball club to the conference playoffs, where they went 2-2, finishing one win short of the championship. 

Stover’s current overall record at Lock Haven stands even at 178-178-2 (.500).  He has guided 19 players to All-PSAC status in the past six years, including a school-record eight in 1997.

PITCHING

The LHU staff headlines two of the PSAC's leading pitchers in sophomore Kevin Conklin (Pine Grove Mills/State College) and senior Jeremy Fisher (Belleville/Indian Valley).  With a 6-2 record, Conklin posts the fourth-best ERA in the conference at 2.73, and has worked a team-high of 56.0 innings.  The southpaw's 41 strikeouts is second on the team, and he has earned PSAC West Pitcher of the Week honors on two occasions and ECAC Pitcher of the Week accolades once this season.  Fisher comes in at 6-0 and is fifth in the PSAC with a 2.84 ERA.  The senior right-hander has put in 50 2/3 innings of work, fanning 38 batters in the process.  The Bald Eagles also have senior JC Keefer (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) at their disposal.  Keefer has been a solid force on the mound for LHU for the past two seasons, and is currently registering a 4.18 ERA with 4-3 record.  Dan Sowash (PA Furnace/State College) (4.65 ERA, 4-4), Travis Menteer (St. Marys/Ridgway Area) (5.58 ERA, 4-4), and Todd Traynor (Warsaw, N.Y./Warsaw Central) (11.96 ERA, 1-5) are also among the list of active Bald Eagle pitchers. 

Behind the plate for The Haven have been sophomores Ernest Woods (Queens, N.Y./Thomas Edison) and Matt Isnor (State College/State College), along with junior Jason Sarcinelli (Dalton/Lackawanna Trail).  Woods was named the PSAC West Co-Player of the Week this past Monday after contributing his first home run, a three-run shot, and a triple, in the win over IUP.  Woods is fifth on the team with a .308 BA, and has posted 109 putouts and 20 assists with just five errors.  Isnor has seen significant time at catcher, and is posting a .200 BA with 95 put outs, 12 assists, and four errors.  Sarcinelli sees spot duty catching for the Bald Eagles, also contributing at first base.

INFIELD

The Haven infield is one of the strongest in the past few years, and has turned 33 double plays this season.  The infield crew is led by senior second baseman Don Tawney (Williamsport/Williamsport Area), junior third baseman Josh Brown (Lebanon/Lebanon), and sophomore shortstop Butch Rudolph (Mill Hall/Lock Haven).  Tawney has appeared in all 48 games this season, and is hitting .286.  He has posted 90 assists, 85 putouts, with only four errors all season.  Rudolph is hitting .284, and boasts 98 assists with 39 putouts.  Brown is first on The Haven charts with a .377 BA, tallying a team-best 60 hits in 159 at bats, including an LHU high of 14 doubles.  Covering first base for the Bald Eagles has been the duo of Kevin Conklin and Jason Sarcinelli.  Conklin is averaging .255 at the plate, and has 104 putouts, 23 assists, and only four errors.  Sarcinelli leads the squad in putouts with 264, and is currently hitting .294.

OUTFIELD

The Haven's starting outfield is comprised of left fielder Brad Strohm (Harrisburg/Lower Dauphin), center fielder Dan Cassell (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin), and Jason Laubach (Mifflinville/Central Columbia), who has seen much of his time on the field in right.  Strohm currently leads The Haven in slugging percentage (.697), and with a .927 fielding percentage, is a solid presence out in left field.  Hitting .352, second best on the team, and leading the Bald Eagles in home runs with 11, he is also quite possibly LHU's biggest threat at the plate.  Cassell, also a senior, has come on strong in his final season, hitting .322 and posting nine homers along with 13 doubles.   One of The Haven's top fielders, he registers a .978 fielding percentage, fielding 87 fly balls to center with only two errors.  Moving over to right field, Laubach has been a quiet, but consistent, role player for the Bald Eagles this season.  He comes into the PSAC playoffs hitting .287 with seven doubles and five home runs.

THE CONTENDERS 

No. 1 Eastern Division MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY

The Haven's first opponent will be Millersville University, who enters PSAC Championship action with a 42-10 overall ledger.  The squad's pitching staff sports the best earned-run average in the conference at 3.24, and the Marauders lead the PSAC in fielding percentage with a combined .961 (1207 PO, 538 A, 70 E).   The Millersville bats have also been swinging proficiently, scoring an average of 7.50 runs per game, and hitting .328 overall, fourth-best in the conference.

The Marauders won the PSAC East title outright with two wins over Kutztown University this past Saturday, coming back from a 6-0 deficit in game two to steal the 7-6 victory.  Leading performers for the 'Ville include Matt Knox (.392 BA, 73-186, 13 2B, 6 HR, 66 RBI), Mike Wokulich (.369 BA, 62-168), and Matt Becker (.357 BA, 66-185, 12 2B, 4 HR).  On the mound, Millersville has a host of able throwers to choose from, including strikeout leader Jason Bradley (1.13 ERA, 3-1, 39.2 IP, 49 K), Mike Pestke (3.63 ERA, 6-1, 57.0 IP, 45 K), and Matt Wagner (2.38 ERA, 6-1, 41.2 IP, 46 K).  George McClure is arguably the PSAC's best relief pitcher, coming in at 5-1 with an ERA of 1.38 and a conference-leading 10 saves.

The Bald Eagles split a twinbill at home versus the Marauders on April 16 of this year, falling in game one, 13-3, before charging back for a 10-9 victory in the nightcap.              

Millersville has won four PSAC titles in the past, winning the crown in '98, '75, '74, and '68.  

No. 2 Eastern Division SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY

The Shippensburg University Red Raiders' are currently 29-18 and finished the regular season with a 19-5 tally in the PSAC East.  Shippensburg has won eight of its last nine games, including a 20-1 thumping of Kutztown University in game two of a doubleheader last Sunday.  Jamie Eichelberger is among PSAC leaders with a .401 batting average (57-142), and Paul Abraham is fifth in the conference with 44 RBIs for an average of 1.02 per game.  Pitcher Richie Rodarmel is ranked second in the PSAC with a 2.12 ERA and fourth in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 9.79 (74 K's). 

Shippensburg has won the conference crown on seven occasions, second only to Mansfield University (8 titles).  The most recent Red Raider championship was in 1996.

No. 1 Western Division SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY

The Rockets enter PSAC Championship action as the No. 1 seed in the West, the ninth time in the last 10 years they have accomplished the feat.  With a 33-10 overall and 17-3 PSAC West mark, the squad opens competition carrying a conference-leading batting average of .369 and the team has also averaged 8.58 runs per game to set the standard for the PSAC. Three out of the top five hitters in the PSAC wear Slippery Rock jerseys (Dan DeCola; .503 BA, Greg Stokes; .409 BA, Mike Sikorski; .403 BA), and Mike Gunn is second in the PSAC in RBIs (47; 1.17 per game) and home runs (10 HR; 0.25 per game).  On the mound, SRU is just as tough.  Craig Petulla and Joe Novak have tallied records of 7-1 and 7-2, respectively, and Petulla is among the conference elite with a 3.23 ERA. 

The Bald Eagles went 1-3 versus The Rock this past season, winning a game at home, 1-0, but folding in the pair on the road (4-8, 2-5) and one at home (8-7, 8 innings).

SRU has won three PSAC titles, capturing the laurels in 1991, '82, and '78. 

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania baseball player Kevin Conklin (Pine Grove Mills/State College) was selected the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Pitcher of the Week for the week ending April 24. 

A sophomore left-hander, Conklin picked up his fifth win of the season with Lock Haven's 1-0 victory over No. 19-ranked Slippery Rock University last Thursday.  He threw a two-hit, complete game shutout, and struck out six on the way, including the last two batters in the top of the seventh inning to seal the win.  The shutout was SRU's first such loss this season.

When not on the mound, Conklin is one of LHU's starting first basemen, and also contributes at the plate. He went 3-for-6 in the doubleheader against SRU, including a two-RBI double in the 8-7 loss in game one.

Overall, Conklin boasts a 2.96 ERA, fourth best in the conference, and is second on the team in strikeouts with 35 for the season.  He is currently hitting .284, and has recorded 17 RBIs, a double, two triples, and one home run.  In the field, Conklin has posted 61 putouts, 15 assists, and only two errors for a .974 fielding percentage.

                The Bald Eagles are 23-17 overall and 7-7 in the PSAC West.  They next host PSAC West opponent Clarion University in a doubleheader scheduled for Thursday, April 27, at 1 p.m. on LHU's Foundation Field.

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania baseball player Kevin Conklin (Pine Grove Mills/State College) was chosen as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Pitcher of the Week for the week ending March 27. 

Conklin, a sophomore left-hander, took the mound for the Bald Eagles' only win this weekend, a 7-2 victory in the second game of the doubleheader at East Stroudsburg University on Sunday.  He limited the Warriors, who were hot at the plate in game one with 14 hits, to just four hits with six strikeouts.  Conklin also made four plate appearances that game, posting one hit and one run scored.

For the season, Conklin boasts a 3-1 record and is the team leader with a 2.03 ERA and 24 strikeouts.  His three early season wins include East Stroudsburg (7-2), Edinboro (6-0), and Salem Teikyo (7-3).  His only loss came during the team's Spring Trip to Fort Myers, Fla., a 0-5 effort against Assumption College. As a hitter, he has appeared in 11 contests and is third on the team with a solid .353 BA with 12 hits and six RBIs.             

The Bald Eagles are 12-8 overall, and open up PSAC Western Divisional play this weekend, hosting Edinboro University in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 1, at Foundation Field at 1 p.m.  LHU then hosts West Chester University on Sunday, April 2, also starting at 1 p.m.

Barr pitched one game during the span, recording a 10-inning complete-game victory in LHU’s 2-1 triumph over California (Pa.) University on Saturday. He recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts and walked only three. Barr allowed just one hit in the contest, a single which occurred in the first inning.

For the season, Barr registered a 3-5 record despite finishing with a 1.62 ERA, the best among PSAC-West pitchers. He made nine appearances this year, working 61 innings. He tied for the team lead with 55 strikeouts, while allowing only 11 earned runs, 26 walks, 30 hits and eight extra-base hits. Barr pitched six complete games, recorded one shutout, and allowed only one run on four separate occasions.

The Bald Eagles finished the season with a 23-25 overall record and a 8-12 mark in the PSAC-West. They closed out the campaign winning their last seven games.