LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Gannon University baseball team was picked fourth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West preseason Poll as voted on by the league's coaches and released Friday.
Gannon, under the direction of fourth-year head coach
Greg Coleman, posted a 31-18 overall record last year with an 18-10 mark in conference play, finishing third in the eight-team western division. Gannon tied program records in both overall and conference wins last season and ended the year with an eight-game winning streak at McConnell Family Stadium.
The PSAC is once again loaded with talent in both divisions this season with Seton Hill (west) and Millersville (east) earning first-place nods in their respective divisions. The Griffins earned five of eight possible first-place votes while Mercyhurst garnered the other three in the west.
Slippery Rock was slated third, followed by Gannon, while California, IUP, Pitt-Johnstown and Clarion round out the PSAC West.
In the east, West Chester also received four first-place votes along with Millersville. Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg followed while Lock Haven, Shippensburg, Kutztown and Mansfield rounded out the division.
The Golden Knights, who made their first PSAC Tournament appearance since 2016 last season, return five position players, three starting pitchers and two relief pitchers for the 2019 campaign.
Seniors
Nate Cardy (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) and
Ian Steighner (Chicora, Pa./Butler) have already garnered preseason accolades after earning 2019 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-Region First Team honors. Cardy, one of the best players in program history, is just one RBI shy of a setting a new Gannon record with 122 and one home run shy of tying the Gannon all-time mark with 18.
Steighner hit .319 in 2018, collecting 29 hits in 91 at-bats. He scored 24 runs and had a .447 on-base percentage, the third-highest mark on the team. He delivered multiple clutch hits in 2018, including the go-ahead base-hit in extra innings at Slippery Rock in the final regular-season series. Gannon won the game, 4-3, clinching its berth in the 2018 PSAC Tournament.
Senior 1B
Dominic Mori (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area) also returns in 2019, giving Gannon plenty of experience along the infield. Mori cracked 10 doubles last season, hit .318 and drove in 40 while collecting 12 multi-hit efforts.
On the mound, sophomore
Deven Judy (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon Area) looks to continue his development in the starting rotation following a strong freshman season in 2018. Judy struck out 61 batters in just 53 innings and won three games last year for Gannon.
Senior P
Cory Hegedus (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) was stellar out of the bullpen lasts season for Gannon with 25 strikeouts in 19.2 innings pitched. He capped the year with a 1.83 ERA and allowed just two extra-base hits all season.
The Golden Knights open their year against Mansfield (10:00 a.m.) and Glenville State (1:30 p.m.) at the Sue Morris Sports Complex.
For up-to-date game information, including live stats and video streaming, visit gannonsports.com.
2019 PSAC Baseball Preseason Poll
WEST (# of first-place votes)
1) Seton Hill (5)
2) Mercyhurst (3)
3) Slippery Rock
4) Gannon
5) California
6) IUP
7) Pitt-Johnstown
8) Clarion
EAST
1) Millersville (4)
2) West Chester (4)
3) Bloomsburg
4) East Stroudsburg
5) Lock Haven
6) Shippensburg
7) Kutztown
8) Mansfield
