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Baseball to Host NCAA North Atlantic Regional Tournament - 05/11/08

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ATH06_BIO_028_WilliamsTodd_TBaseball to Host NCAA North Atlantic Region Tournament at Point Stadium as #4 Seed
     05/11/08...Head Coach Todd Williams' Mountain Cat baseball team earned the program’s second NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional Tournament berth when the pairings were released on Sunday.  Pitt Johnstown, which posted a school-record 35-17-1 overall record, earned the #4 seed in the North Atlantic Region and was selected to host this year’s tournament that begins on Thursday at Johnstown’s Point Stadium.  Pitt Johnstown will take on #3-seeded Concord (WV) University, a team it split a four-game series with to open the 2008 season, in Thursday’s opening round.
     Six teams will compete in this year’s North Atlantic Region Tournament from Thursday through Sunday at the Point Stadium.  The Regional champion will advance to the 41st Annual NCAA Division II baseball championship tournament in St. Louis, MO from May 24-31. This year’s regional tournaments are made up of 48 teams (six teams from each of the eight regions).
     West Chester University earned the North Atlantic Region's top-seed after finishing second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament.  West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) champion West Virginia State University is the second seed, followed by Concord (WV) University, Pitt Johnstown, Shippensburg University and PSAC Tournament champion Kutztown University.
     Games are scheduled for 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Sunday’s game times have not been determined.
     Pitt Johnstown, which secured in first ever Regional Tournament berth in 2006, ended the 2008 regular season with 10 straight wins, but was eliminated in two games at the WVIAC Tournament on May 3 at the Point Stadium.  The Mountain Cats opened the tournament with a 7-4 loss to Alderson-Broaddus (WV) College, before falling 10-1 to eventual champion West Virginia State.
     In the 2006 Regional Tournament, Pitt Johnstown suffered a 13-1 loss to top-seeded West Virginia State and a 2-1 loss to Ohio Valley (WV) University.
     Senior outfielder/designated hitter and First Team All-WVIAC choice Adam Plummer (Bellwood, Pa.) leads the team in hitting at .401 (57-142), followed by sophomore infielder/outfielder Josh Campanella (Allison Park, Pa.) (.387 63-163) and senior infielder and First Team All-WVIAC selection Dan DelSignore (Johnstown, Pa.) (354 67-189).  Junior first baseman and Honorable Mention All-WVIAC Matt Hanley (Delmont, Pa.) is hitting .345 (58-168) and paces the Mountain Cats in both homeruns (12) and RBIs (54).
     On the mound, freshman right hander and Second team All-WVIAC Jon Moore (Leechburg, Pa.) is 6-1 with a 3.66 E.R.A. in 46.2 innings-pitched.  Senior Honorable Mention All-Conference choice David Huey (Glen Campbell, Pa.) is 6-2 with a 4.53 E.R.A. in 57.2 innings of work, while freshman Kaleb Fleck (Claysburg, Pa.) is also 6-2 with a 5.24 E.R.A. in 46.1 innings-pitched.  Junior Ben Watkins (Johnstown, Pa.) and Honorable Mention All-WVIAC Chuck Boring (Dilltown, Pa.) lead the team in strikeouts with 48 apiece.  Out of the bullpen, Eric Faint (Johnstown, Pa.), a Second Team All-WVIAC choice, leads Pitt Johnstown in E.R.A. (2.50), saves (8) and opponent batting average (1.98).  Faint has also fanned 33 in 35.1 innings of work.
     In addition, several players are ranked among the national statistical leaders, including junior shortstop Matt Petrowsky (Johnstown, Pa.), who is currently ranked sixth in Doubles Per Game (.50), ninth in Doubles (24), 37th in Slugging Percentage (.733), 74th in Homeruns (11) and 75th in Homeruns Per Game (.23). DelSignore is 52nd in Doubles (18), while Hanley 61st in Homeruns (12) and 80th in Homeruns Per Game (.23) and Plummer is 74th in On-Base Percentage (.497).  Faint’s eight saves rank 17th in NCAA Division II.
     As a team, Coach Williams’ Mountain Cats are15th in Doubles (123), 18th in Doubles Per Game (2.32), 27th in Fielding Percentage (.964), 38th in Slugging Percentage (.496), 46th in Strikeouts Per Nine Innings (7.4), 61st in Homeruns (40) and 64th in Batting Average (.321).
Last Reviewed: May 11, 2008
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