CLARION’S PETULLA NAMED PSAC-WEST “ROOKIE OF THE YEAR”
Whitling, Gerstel, Gledhill also named All-Conference

           Clarion University freshman second baseman Tony Petulla (Osceola Mills/Philipsburg Osceola) is the 2004 PSAC-West Rookie of the Year as well as a first-team PSAC-West selection in a vote by the league coaches released Thursday.

It is the second consecutive year the Golden Eagles have had the “Rookie of the Year” with Josh Gerstel (Verona/Butler) being chosen as the top first-year player in 2003.

Honored again this season, Gerstel is a second-team PSAC-West pitcher, the second straight year he has earned that honor. Junior utility player Mike Whitling (Knox/Keystone) and junior outfielder Kevin Gledhill (Austin/Austin) join Gerstel on the second team giving the Golden Eagles four all-conference performers this season. For Gledhill, it is his second straight second-team selection.

            Petulla had a solid freshman campaign hit .444 this season with a .530 on-base percentage. He finished second in the PSAC in hitting just percentage points out of the top spot and was the PSAC leader in on-base percentage. In 45 games all starts, he had 67 hits in 151 at-bats while also walking 20 times and being hit by nine pitches. He scored a team-high 46 runs and led the Golden Eagles with 12 doubles while adding 28 RBI’s, second on the team, a triple and two home runs.

            Gerstel was Clarion’s top pitcher this season going 4-4 with a save while compiling a 4.15 ERA in 11 games with eight starts. In 69 1/3 innings of work he allowed 40 runs, 30 of them earned, on 79 hits and 16 walks. He struck out a team-high 60. In his two seasons at Clarion, Gerstel is 9-7 with two saves and a 3.66 ERA. He has struck out 122 batters and walked just 41.

            Whitling had a breakout season for the Golden Eagles hitting .357 in 31 games with 28 starts. He played 17 games in the outfield, seven as designated hitter, three at first base, three at pitcher and one at shortstop. He had 30 hits and 84 at-bats and scored 21 runs while driving in 16. He had nine doubles and a triple and walked 11 times while stealing four of six bases.

            Gledhill was the PSAC leader in triples with six while finishing tied for third in the conference in RBI’s with 47. In 47 games, he hit .354 (58 of 164) while adding 11 doubles and a team-high four home runs. He scored 31 runs while slugging .567. In two seasons with the Golden Eagles, Gledhill has hit .324 with 11 home runs, 25 doubles, six triples and 77 RBI’s in 95 games.

            The Golden Eagles finished the year 18-29 overall and 5-15 in the PSAC-West under fifth-year head coach Scott Feldman, who has a five-year record of 69-138.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Petulla

Rookie of the Year

1st Team PSAC-West 2B

Josh Gerstel

2nd Team PSAC-West P

Mike Whitling

2nd Team PSAC-West Utility

Kevin Gledhill

2nd Team PSAC-West OF