Clarion University’s 2004 Baseball team gets underway in Fort Pierce, Florida on Saturday, March 6^th when the Golden Eagles square off against Northwood (Mi.).

Clarion will continue its trip with two games on Sunday including an 11:45am start against Davis & Elkins and a 6pm start against St. Scholastica. Clarion has 10-games scheduled overall and will conclude the trip on March 12^th against Nyack College at 8:45am.

"We’re looking forward to the trip and the season getting underway," said Clarion fifth year head coach Scott Feldman. "We continue to build the program with young players and will have only one senior on the team this season."

Feldman begins his fifth season with a career record of 51-109. The Golden Eagles posted a 17-31 overall record last year and were 7-13 in the PSAC-West. In 2002 Clarion was 7-35 overall and a 3-17 in the PSAC-West, while in 2001 Clarion was 10-25 overall and 2-18 in PSAC-West play. In Feldman’s first season (2000) he led the Eagles to a 17-18 overall mark and a 10-10 record in league play.

Last season the Golden Eagles hit .274 as a team, scored 193 runs (4.0 runs per game), belted 10 home runs, drew 159 walks and were 36 of 57 in stolen bases. The pitching staff dropped the 9-inning ERA to 5.55 from 7.96 the year before and the team will rely on quality pitching again this season.

Senior catcher Pete Vuckovich (Johnstown - Conemaugh Valley) and junior pitcher Bill Young (Grampian - Curwensville) will captain the 2004 team.

Vuckovich, a three-year letterwinner, returns as a starter behind the dish. Last year he played in 30 games an hit .282 (24 of 85) with 3 doubles and 14 rbi’s. A knowledgeable player who is strong defensively, he will also be in the Clarion lineup at dh.

Young, a two-year starter on the mound, tossed 54.1 innings a year ago with a 1-8 record and a 6.79 ERA. He yielded 84 hits, struck out 45 and walked only 16. He also pitched 38 innings in 2002 with a 1-6 record and a 5.92 ERA.

The infield will get a new look this year with sophomores Jeff Donston (New Castle) at short and Dan Barrett (Punxsutawney) at third, with freshman Tony Petulla (Osceola Mills - Philipsburg-Osceola) at second and junior Mike Whitling (Knox - Keystone) at first base.

Donston, an excellent glove man, moves to short from second base. He had a fielding percentage of .967 last year, while hitting .227 (20 of 88) with 11 rbi’s in 38 games.

Barrett, who played in 14 games as a freshman, hit .208 (5 of 24), while freshman Petulla has strong credentials coming from Philipsburg-Osceola High. He hit .386 and was a two-time CPL All-Star.

Whitling, also a pitcher, has good power according to Feldman.

Also looking for time in the infield will be freshman Dustin Watt (Monroeville - Gateway) at short, freshman Bobby Huxta (Bedford) at second, freshmen Brad Gardner (Brick, N.J.) and Jeff Devine (Fox Chapel) at third and either Brandon Guiliani (So. Moon Twp - Blackhawk), Josh Nolan (Fr. Portage) or Chuck Roller (Warrington - Central Bucks West) at first base.

Watt was an All-Section shortstop at Gateway and hit .530 his senior year. Huxta, meanwhile, also earned All-Section honors at Bedford as a pitcher/shortstop. Gardner was a 2-time All-County selection at Brick Memorial (N.J.) and Devine batted .327 last year as a third baseman/outfielder at Fox Chapel.

Guiliani returns to the Eagles with some playing experience from 2003. He played in 11 games and hit .286 (4 for 14). Nolan hit .464 last year at Portage with 6 home runs, and Roller, who will pitch for Clarion, averaged about .350 his junior and senior years at Central Bucks East.

Pete Vuckovich Jr. returns to anchor the catching chores. He is joined behind the plate with sophomore Jason Warner (Berwick) and freshman Blake Wise (Steelton - Higgspire). Warner saw action behind the pate and at dh in a combined 38 games and is the Eagles top returning hitter from 2003 with a .304 average (34 of 112). He pounded three doubles, three triples and 15 rbi’s. Wise, a freshman, was a Mid-Penn All-Star averaging .336 last year at Highspire.

Junior Kevin Gledhill (Austin) and sophomore Jason Kooser (Pgh - Shaler) expect to lead the outfielders. Gledhill, a second team PSAC-West choice in 2003, batted a strong .290 (42 of 145) and led the Golden Eagles with 7 home runs, 30 rbi’s and 14 doubles. He was second in runs scored with 24. He will play right field. Kooser meanwhile, who started at short in 2003, has moved to left field. Last year he hit .250 (29 of 116) while playing in all 44 games. He led the team in runs scored (26) and walks (23), also had 7 doubles and 12 rbi’s. The starting center field spot is up in the air between sophomore Todd Braid (DuBois) and freshman Felton Woulard (Gainesville, Fla.). Braid, considered the fastest runner on the team, played in 21 games a year ago and hit .190 (7 of 36). Woulard, who started several games at quarterback for the Eagle football team in the Fall, is talented in the outfield.

Freshman Cole Cook (Brookville), from nearby Brookville High, will back up in left.

2003 PSAC-West Rookie of the Year Josh Gerstel (Butler) and junior captain Bill Young (Curwensville) expect to lead the mound staff. Gerstel had outstanding freshman numbers including a 5-3 overall recod with a 3.13 ERA. He started 9 games and pitched 7 complete games, tossing 63.1 innings, allowing 66 hits, 31 runs, 22 earned runs and 25 walks while striking out 62.

Young, who will be the #2 starter, was 1-8 with a 6.79 ERA. He pitched 54 innings and also threw five complete games.

The remainder of the starting staff will likely be freshman Chuck Roller, Jake Yale (Jr. Brockport - Brockway), Brett Sheaffer (Fr. Boiling Springs) and Mike Whitling. Roller had a 6-3 record last year with Central Bucks East, a 3.0 ERA and was first team All-League. Yale, a junior, started 6 games last year and posted a 1-1 record with a 6.33 ERA. He tossed 27 innings, walked 20, struck out 11, yielded 32 hits and 19 earned runs.

Sheaffer posted a 5-2 record and a 1.43 ERA at Boiling Springs last year. Whitling gained some pitching experience last year tossing 24 innings and posting a 2-3 record with a 6.75 ERA. He allowed 18 earned runs, walked 15 and struck out 19.

Clarion’s closer is expected to be junior Caleb Martz (Punxsutawney). Martz made 9 apearances in 2003 and was 0-1 with a 4.34 ERA. He pitched 18.2 innings, gave up 27 hits and 9 earned runs while walking 1 and striking out 13.

The bullpen will likely be manned by Nate Simpson (Jr. Clarion-Limestone), Bobby Huxta, Cole Cook, Billy Geiger (Fr. Saegertown), Blake Wise and Adam Shaffer (Fr. Cranberry). Simpson pitched 22 innings last year and was 1-2 with an 8.59 ERA.

"We will rely on our pitching and defense this season," commented Feldman. "We expect to be a very scrappy team and look to win the close games and instill a winning attitude in our program. We have become a very close knit team, very disciplined and have a real desire to win ball games. I am proud of what we have done here and I believe we are taking the right steps towards building a good program."

CLARION NOTES: The Golden Eagles will be getting a permanent fence installed this Spring ... Feldman believes that will be a distinct advantage for the program ... With Edinboro dropping baseball a year ago, Shippensburg has been moved into the PSAC-Western Division ... The West now has California, Indiana, Lock Haven, Slippery Rock, Shippensburg and Clarion ... "I’m anxious to see how the conference pans out this season," said Feldman ... "Right now I see a slew of teams who could contend for the 2 playoff spots in the West. Everyone has a shot this year." ... A new PSAC schedule format also starts this season ... All PSAC-West games will be on Friday and Saturday, with Sunday serving as the make-up day ... Each team will play the same opponent four games in a weekend (home and home) ... For example ... Clarion opens PSAC-West play on Friday March 26^th at Slippery Rock, then returns to Clarion to host Slippery Rock on Saturday the 27^th ... Clarion opens its northern schedule on March 16^th hosting Penn State-Altoona at 1pm and then hosts LaRoche the next day .... New to the Clarion schedule will be first year program Seton Hill on March 21^st and Mt. Aloyisius on April 15th.