Baseball News

2008 SEASON PREVIEW

Delaware Valley College head coach Bob Altieri has a mixture of youth and experience to work with as the Aggies aim for a Freedom Conference playoff berth for the ninth time in the last 12 years. They are coming off a 2007 campaign that saw then go 11-22 overall and 5-13 in conference play.

Altieri is pleased with his 33-man roster as battles for starting roles all over the field have been taking place since fall ball.

"We are extremely happy that we have at least two players at every position to compete and get better," he said. "Hopefully by the time we get back from our spring break trip to Florida, the number ones will be established."

OUTFIELD
Brent Terlecky (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) is coming off a freshman campaign that saw him named to the all-Freedom Conference second team. He played in 31 games (30 starts) and batted .304 while tying for top honors on the team in both doubles (9) and home runs (3). Terlecky also scored 20 runs and knocking in 14.

Junior Kevin Weingart (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) will switch over from right field to center. He batted .288 and tied for the team lead in doubles with nine. He also scored and knocked in 21 runs.

Mike Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) moved to shortstop to help last year, but will return to outfield in '08. The sophomore, who will also be in the starting rotation, batted .245 last year with four doubles, 16 runs scored and 15 RBIs.

Freshmen Kellen Jarrett (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) and Bobby Oakes (Spotsylvania, VA/Riverbend) will also see time in the outfield.

INFIELD
Zach Jakubowski (Audubon, NJ/Audubon) will man the hot corner during his senior season. He started all 33 games a season ago and led Delaware Valley in batting (.351), slugging (.550), runs scored (23) and triples (4) while tying for top honors in home runs (3).

The other corner will be handled primarily by fellow senior Kyle Bobb (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley). Bobb saw action in all 33 games (31 starts) in '07 and batted .272 with three doubles, 13 runs scored and 14 RBIs. Bobb will also see time on the mound and at designated hitter and Terlecky will move to first on those occasions.

The second base position features a battle between junior Anthony Perry (Dresher, PA/Upper Dublin) and sophomore transfer Dylan Saldutti (Lansdale, PA/Lansdale Catholic). Perry played in 14 games with 10 starts and batted .226 with three runs and two RBIs. Saldutti transferred from Albright College where he batted .286 with five runs scored in 16 appearances.

Rookies Zach Chodur (Nesquehoning, PA/Tamaqua) and Jim Takacs (Norwood, PA/Interboro) are each expected to see playing time at shortstop.

CATCHER
Junior Joel Porambo (Lansford, PA/Panther Valley) moved behind the plate in the middle of the 2007 season and finished with a .224 average, two doubles and five RBIs.

Senior Travis Roth (Warminster, PA/Archbishop Wood) returns to the team after a two-year absence. A starter in his first two seasons with the Aggies, Roth batted .272 with nine doubles and a team-best 23 RBIs in 2005.

Altieri and his staff are also high on freshman Mike Thomas (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe) at the position.

PITCHING
Sophomore Sean Tappan (Milton, DE/Cape Henlopen) and senior Dan Metague (Southampton, PA/Cardinal Dougherty) return to the rotation where they combined for nine starts last season.

Tappan appeared in seven games (five starts) as a rookie and recorded a 2-2 mark with 21 strikeouts and a 3.95 ERA. Metague saw time in five games with four starts and went 0-3 with a 10.00 ERA.

Isgro moves into the starting rotation after making four relief appearances last year. He went 0-3 with one save and a 5.14 ERA.

Freshman Brian Hafer (Pine Grove, PA/Pine Grove) is expected to start as well for Delaware Valley while Bobb (3.00 ERA) will hold the fifth spot.

Senior Justin Lucas (Royersford, PA/Spring-Ford) and junior Rob Galdieri (Scranton, PA/Bishop O'Hara) will man the bullpen along with sophomore Chris Albaugh (Drexel Hill, PA/Monsignor Bonner) and freshman Zack Holm (San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo).

Lucas went 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in 11-plus innings of work last year while Galdieri had a 15.43 ERA in four-plus innings. Albaugh notched four innings of work, en route to a 9.00 ERA last season.

Jakubowski, who did not pitch in a game last year, will serve as Delaware Valley's closer in 2008.