2005 Season Preview
                                        CLARION BASEBALL TEAM OPENS PLAY ON MARCH 5TH
                                         EAGLES PLAY NORTHWOOD (MI) AT FORT PIERCE (FLA.)
        Clarion University’s 2005 Baseball team gets underway in Fort Pierce, Florida on Saturday, March 5th when the Golden Eagles square off against Northwood (Mi.) at 6pm.
        Clarion will continue its trip with two games on Sunday including an 11:45am start against Elizabethtown and a 7pm start against Concord. Clarion has 11-games scheduled overall and will conclude the trip on March 11th against St. Thomas Aquinas at 8:45am.
        “We’re looking forward to the trip and the season getting underway,” said Clarion sixth year head coach Scott Feldman. “We continue to build the program with young players, but we feel we have plenty of veterans to provide leadership this season and we’re looking forward to battling in the PSAC-West.”
                                           FELDMAN BEGINS SIXTH SEASON AS HEAD COACH
        Feldman begins his sixth season with a career record of 69-138. The Golden Eagles posted an 18-29 overall record last season and a 5-15 mark in the rugged PSAC-Western Division. In 2003 the Eagles were 17-31 overall and 7-13 in the PSAC-West, while in 2002 Clarion was 7-35 overall and a 3-17 in the PSAC-West and the 2001 squad 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 had a strong hitting team finishing the season with a .302 batting average, while scoring 251 runs (5.3 runs per game) and stealing 43 bases. Ranking 7th in the PSAC in hitting, the Eagles saw their pitching drop to an 8.04 ERA in 2004 from a solid 5.55 showing in 2003.
                               FREY, GLEDHILL, YOUNG, ADAMSKI ARE TEAM CAPTAINS
        Clarion’s four seniors will lead the Golden Eagles as team captains in 2005. Pitcher/outfielder Jared Frey (New Bloomfield), outfielder Kevin Gledhill (Austin), pitcher Bill Young (Grampian/Curwensville) and pitcher Brad Adamski (Valencia/Mars) will provide veteran leadership.
        Frey, who sat out last year with an injury, is back at 100% for 2005. In 2003 Frey hit .298 (37 of 124) with 6 doubles, 4 triples, 1 home run and 19 rbi’s. A left-handed pitcher, he will likely be the Eagles #4 starter. Frey has a career average of .321 (102 of 318) with 25 doubles and 49 rbi’s.
        Gledhill, a second team PSAC-West selection in 2003 and 2004, is ready to provide the Eagles power from the clean-up spot. Gledhill hit .354 last year (58 of 164) and ranked #1 in the PSAC-West in rbi’s (47) and in triples with 6. He also was 6 of 10 in stolen bases. In his two-year career Gledhill is hitting 324 (100 of 309) with 77 rbi’s, 25 doubles, 6 triples and 11 home runs.
        Young, a three-year starter on the mound and a co-captain last year, is coming off his best season in 2004. He posted a 6-1 record, tossing 45.2 innings, striking out 31, walking only 15 and composing a 6.90 ERA. In his career he now has a record of 8-15, pitched 138 innings, yielded 101 earned runs, struck out 104, walked only 77 and has an ERA of 6.59.
Adamski, another player who sat out last year, returns to help lead the mound staff. In 2003 Brad tossed 36.2 innings, posted a 4-3 record with a strong 4.91 ERA, struck out 25 and walked 22. The 6'7" right hander has a career record of 5-9, pitched 89.1 innings, yielded 60 earned runs, struck out 62 and walked only 37.
                                                                     INFIELD GETS NEW LOOK
        The infield will get a new look this year with freshmen Matt Allen (South Williamsport) and Matt Carver (South Park) expected to start at short and second. Veterans Brandon Guiliani (Jr. Moon/Blackhawk) and Brad Gardner (So. Brick, N.J.) will start at first and third base respectively.
        Infielders expected to see time will be Doug Rowell (Harrisburg - Bishop McDevitt) at short and second, along with Doug Brown (Fr. Slippery Rock - Laurel) at third, Dan Price (Jr. Elizabethtown) at second and Jake Yackovich (Fr. Murrysville - Franklin Regional) at first.
        Allen, who is a solid fielding shortstop, earned four letters at South Williamsport.
        Carver, who has plenty of speed and power, hit .445 with 30 rbi’s at South Park last year.
        Guiliani, who played in 46 of Clarion’s 47 games last year, hit .238 (29 of 122) with 3 doubles and 23 rbi’s, while            Gardner played in 34 games and batted .190 (16 of 84) with 9 rbi’s.
        Rowell saw plenty of time in 2002 and 2003 for the Eagles before sitting out last season. In 2003 he hit .186 and in 2002 he hit .212.
        Price is a transfer from Lebanon Valley College, while Brown was an All-section player at Laurel High School. Yackovich meanwhile hit .400 at Franklin Regional and was an All-section player in 2004.
                                                        OUTFIELD PLAY AN EAGLE STRENGTH
        With Jared Frey in center field and Kevin Gledhill in right, the Eagles have a three-way battle for the left field spot between Dustin Watt (So. Monroeville - Gateway), Dan Barrett (Jr. Punxsutawney) and Cole Cook (So. Brookville).
Watt played in 37 games last year and hit .189 (18 of 95) with 12 rbi’s, while Barrett hit .241 (13 of 56) with 9 sbi’s and Cook batted .158 (3 of 19). Also looking for outfield time will be Seth Stewart (So. Rimersburg - Union). Stewart sat out last year and gained some playing time in 2003.
                                                                  WARNER LEADS CATCHERS
        Junior catcher Jason Warner (Jr. Nescopeck - Berwick) is ready to anchor the catching chores for the Eagles. Last year Warner split time with Pete Vuckovich, who has graduated. Warner, who also served as dh last year, was the team’s second leading hitter at .371 (56 of 151), posted 8 doubles and was third on the team with 26 rbi’s. In two seasons Warner has hit 342 (90 of 263), 11 doubles, 4 triples, 41 rbi’s and 9 stolen bases.
        Also looking for time behind the plate will be freshman Jordan Premick (Gibsonia - Hampton), Freshman Corey Rodgers (West Mifflin) and sophomore Josh Nolan (Portage).
        Premick hit .460 at Hampton last year, while Rodgers hit .360 at West Mifflin and was an all-section receiver. Nolan, who is likely to join Rodgers as a potential DH, hit .257 last year (9 of 35) in 17 games with 3 rbi’s.
                                           GERSTEL LEADS SOLID EAGLE PITCHING STAFF
        Clarion’s pitching staff in 2005 expects to be solid in all areas, including a deep starting rotation and lots of help from the bullpen. The Eagles will feature #1 starter Josh Gerstel (Butler), #2 starter Bill Young, #3 starter Brad Adamski and #4 starter Jared Frey.
        Gerstel, a second team PSAC-West choice last year and the 2003 PSAC-West Rookie of the Year, is ready for his junior season. Last year Gerstel tossed 69.1 innings, had a 4-4 record and an ERA of 4.15. He struck out 60 and walked only 16. He pitched a complete game, 15-inning outing in defeating Lock Haven last year 4-1. In 2003 he put together a 5-3 overall record 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.
        Also battling for time on the starting staff will be Adam Shaffer (So. Seneca - Cranberry), Blake Wise (So. Steelton) and Bobby Huxta (So. Bedford).
        Shaffer was 0-4 last year with an 8.64 ERA, tossing 25 innings with 14 strike outs and 24 walks. Wise tossed 9.2 innings and had a 7.45 ERA with an 0-0 record, and Huxta was 1-4 overall with an 11.93 ERA after hurling 28.2 innings.
        The closer role will be headed by Chuck Roller (So. Wassington - CB East). Roller was a work-horse last year tossing 46 innings, striking out 43 and walking only 15. He was 3-4 overall with a 9.59 ERA.
        Looking for mound time in middle relief will be bill Geiger (So. Saegertown), Ricky Kesich (Fr. South Park), Ryan McBurnie (Fr. Pgh - Brentwood) and Andy Canter (Fr. Centerville - Titusville).
        Geiger tossed 34 innings last year, notched a 3-1 record and had a solid 8.47 ERA. Kesich, McBurnie and Canter are promising young pitchers.
                                     EAGLES SEEKING WEST PLAYOFF SPOT IN NEW FORMAT
        The PSAC is undergoing a big playoff structure change this season. Three teams from the West and East will qualify for the PSAC Championship Tournament (It has always been the top 2). Feldman believes the Eagles have a shot to make it to the tournament in this format. “I think this opens the field up to all of the teams in both divisions,” said Feldman. “I believe we have a real shot of making the PSAC Playoffs this season, he continued. “We have good veteran leadership, a quality pitching staff, and some productive offensive players. Timely hitting and pitching together will be the key, as well as staying away from injuries.”
CLARION NOTES: The West now has California, Indiana, Lock Haven, Slippery Rock, Shippensburg and Clarion ... 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 April 1st hosting Lock Haven, then travels to Lock Haven on Saturday April 2nd... Non-league opponents include Point Park, Seton Hill, Mount Aloysius, Westminster, Gannon, Mercyhurst, Pitt-Johnstown and Saint Vincent... PSAC-East opponents include East Stroudsburg, Kutztown and Mansfield.