Scoreboard

Mike Gallagher

Baseball 3/20/2023 10:31:00 AM Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Baseball Makes Northern Debut at D'Youville

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (5-7, 0-0 PSAC West) at D'YOUVILLE SAINTS (6-8, 0-0 ECC)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, March 21, 2023 I 2:00 p.m.
FACILITY/LOCATION: Bobo Field I Niagara University, N.Y.
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ERIE, Pa. – With the weather taking a turn for the better this week the Gannon baseball team looks to finally return to the diamond after last playing in Florida on Feb. 25-March 4. The Golden Knights are scheduled to play D'Youville in a single nine-inning game on Tuesday, March 21. The contest will be played at Niagara University's Bobo Field with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m.

Gannon and D'Youville were originally slated to play a doubleheader this past Saturday but cold and the potential for snow forced the cancelation of the twinbill. The Golden Knights were also forced to postpone a scheduled nine-inning game with Mansfield on Tuesday, March 14 in what was to be the home opener.

Head coach DJ Cannon's team has not played since dropping a 5-2 decision to Ashland in the final game of their spring trip on March 14. The Golden Knights come in with a 5-7 record.

Like Gannon, D'Youville is looking to take to the diamond for the first time since playing in Florida, although their spring trip concluded on March 15. The Saints are 6-8 and looking to snap a four-game skid after winning six of the previous seven games. They are members of the East Coast Conference.

Freshman outfielder Reece Colvin (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) leads the Golden Knights with a .379 batting average with three doubles, a triple and five RBIs. Brandon Wetherholt (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area) and Cam Vozel are also over .300 at .316 apiece. Junior Jared Bielanin (Erie, Pa./McDowell) drove in 10 runs in Florida while hitting .281 with two doubles and a triple.

Cannon looks for three of Gannon's top returning hitters to catch fire after a slow start. Miguel Vega (Florida, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) comes in at .239, but the junior second baseman drove in nine runs and stole 10 bases. He hit .328 last year with 29 steals. Ian Hess (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan), a redshirt senior first baseman, is hitting .222 while boosting his career record for home runs to 30 with one thus far. He also got off to a slow start last year but ended the season at .308 with 11 HRs. Third baseman Ryan Kalbfus (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) battled a minor injury and is off to a .212 start. The graduate student hit .307 with 8 HRs a year ago.

The Golden Knights lost two of their top all-time pitchers in Deven Judy (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon Area) and Eric Sapp (Deerfield, Ohio/Southeast) and the rotation is still a work in progress. Reliever-turned-starter Joe Reitebach (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg) is 1-2 with a 4.97 ERA in three starts while freshman Jacob Engel (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) (0-0, 5.73 ERA) showed promise in Florida.

Gannon opens up PSAC West action later in the week, hosting Pitt-Johnstown in a doubleheader on Friday, March 24 before heading to Johnstown the next day for another twinbill.

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Players Mentioned

#9 Deven Judy: RHP; 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#23 Eric Sapp: LHP; 6' 4"; Graduate Student; L/L

#12 Jared Bielanin: INF; 6' 2"; Junior; R/R

#13 Ian Hess: 1B; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; R/L

#35 Ryan Kalbfus: INF; 6' 2"; Graduate Student; R/R

#31 Joe Reitebach: RHP; 6' 3"; Junior; R/R

#5 Miguel Vega: INF; 5' 8"; Junior; L/R

#10 Brandon Wetherholt: OF; 6' 0"; Graduate Student; L/R

#3 Reece Colvin: OF; 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R

#37 Jacob Engel: RHP; 6' 4"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#9 Deven Judy
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: RHP

#23 Eric Sapp
: 6' 4"; Graduate Student; L/L
: LHP

#12 Jared Bielanin
: 6' 2"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#13 Ian Hess
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; R/L
: 1B

#35 Ryan Kalbfus
: 6' 2"; Graduate Student; R/R
: INF

#31 Joe Reitebach
: 6' 3"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#5 Miguel Vega
: 5' 8"; Junior; L/R
: INF

#10 Brandon Wetherholt
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; L/R
: OF

#3 Reece Colvin
: 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R
: OF

#37 Jacob Engel
: 6' 4"; Freshman; R/R
: RHP