Baseball News

AGGIES SET TO MAKE RETURN TO FREEDOM CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS
First Trip To Postseason Since 2004

DOYLESTOWN (PA) - After a three-year absence from the Freedom Conference playoffs, the Delaware Valley College baseball team returns to the postseason on Friday, May 2 (4:00 p.m.) when the fourth-seeded Aggies battle top-seeded Manhattanville College in the first game of the double-elimination tournament held at Quakertown Memorial Park.

Joining Delaware Valley (24-15, 8-10) and Manhattanville (25-11, 14-4) in the conference playoffs are No.2 DeSales University (20-18-1, 10-8) and third-seeded Arcadia University (16-20-1, 10-8). Those two schools will also meet at on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Quakertown - the site of the entire, three-day tournament. The Freedom champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

The Freedom Conference Baseball Championship schedule is as follows

Game 1 - Friday, 4:00 p.m. - No. 1 Manhattanville vs No. 4 Delaware Valley
Game 2 - Friday, 7:30 p.m. - No. 2 DeSales vs No. 3 Arcadia
Game 3 - Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - Loser of Game 1 vs Loser of Game 2
Game 4 - Saturday, 2:30 p.m. - Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 2
Game 5 - Saturday, 6:00 p.m. - Winner of Game 3 vs Loser of Game 4
Championship Round - Sunday, 12:00 p.m. - Winner of Game 4 vs Winner of Game 5
Championship Round - Sunday, 3:00 p.m. - If necessary

Delaware Valley qualified for the Freedom Conference playoffs seven times in an eight-year span from 1997 to 2003. This year's young squad was picked to finish seventh in the preseason coaches' poll. However, head coach Bob Altieri and his Aggies defied those expectations and produced a 24-15 record including an 8-10 mark in the conference. They finish tied for fourth with Wilkes, but earned the tiebreaker thanks to winning two of three games from the Colonels during the regular season.

As a team, the Aggies boast a .333 batting average and average 7.3 runs per game. Senior third baseman Zach Jakubowski (Audubon, NJ/Audubon) has had a year to remember as he leads the team in batting (.475), slugging (.752), on-base percentage (.521), hits (67), runs (37), triples (9), home runs (4) and RBIs (47). The three-baggers are a single-season record (as is his career total of 15) while his number of hits is just three shy of tying current assistant coach Tony DeLude's record total from the 2002 campaign.

Sophomore second baseman Dylan Saldutti (Lansdale, PA/Lansdale Catholic) has been a spark at the top of the batting order. Saldutti is batting .373 with seven doubles, seven stolen bases, 33 runs scored and 18 RBIs.

Fellow sophomore Mike Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) has a .372 batting average, a .554 slugging percentage, eight doubles, four triples, two home runs, 26 runs scored and 25 RBIs to his credit.

Senior first baseman Kyle Bobb (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) and junior outfielder Kevin Weingart (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) are having strong offensive seasons for Delaware Valley. Bobb is batting .369 with four doubles, 21 runs scored and 22 RBIs. Weingart has notched a .320 average, a .539 slugging percentage, 10 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 43 runs scored and 28 RBIs.

Isgro heads an Aggie pitching staff that has a 4.05 team ERA. He is 6-1 with 47 strikeouts and a 4.73 ERA in 47-plus innings of work.

Sophomore Sean Tappan (Milton, DE/Cape Henlopen) and senior Dan Metague (Southampton, PA/Cardinal Dougherty) have combined for 17 starts and nine victories. Tappan is 4-4 with 44 strikeouts and a 3.18 ERA in 51 innings while Metague is 5-3 with 39 K's and a 5.19 ERA in 44-plus innings.

MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE PREVIEW
Head coach Jeff Caulfied and the Valiants have made their first season in the Freedom Conference a memorable one so far as they are 25-11 overall while posting a 14-4 league mark during the regular season. They have won 10 of their last contests.

Manhattanville's offense has a team batting average of .341 and put an average of 8.2 runs per game on the scoreboard. Junior outfielder Stephen Pinto leads the way as he is batting .473 with nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, 22 stolen bases, 43 runs scored and 32 RBIs.

Seniors Thomas Verrengia and Jeff Dunn are two other players to watch. Verrengia, a second baseman, has a .438 batting average, 13 doubles, two triples, one home run, 43 runs scored and 27 RBIs to his credit. Dunn, a catcher, is hitting .371 with 11 doubles, two home runs and 35 RBIs.

Manhattanville permits 6.4 runs per contest and has a 5.72 team ERA. Sophomore John Kain has a team-best five wins (5-1) to go along with 6.75 ERA. Senior Frank Albano (4-3, 3.93 ERA) and sophomore Steven Arroyo-Falcon (4-2, 4.60 ERA) have four victories apiece.

DESALES UNIVERSITY PREVIEW
The Bulldogs, under head coach Tim Neiman, have won seven Freedom Conference championships since 1998. This year's edition is 20-18-1 overall and were 10-8 in conference play during the regular season.

DeSales' offense averages 7.7 runs per game to go along with a .327 batting average. Three starters are hitting over .350 with Andrew Heard's .372 mark leading the way. The senior outfielder has also contributed seven doubles, two triples, 30 runs scored and 14 RBIs for the season.

Sophomore outfielder Andrew Feher is hitting .364 with nine doubles, three home runs and 26 RBIs while senior first baseman Scott Matejicka has 13 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 38 RBIs to go along with a .354 batting average.

Another player to watch in the lineup is Zac Hess as the junior is batting .338 with nine doubles, six home runs and 32 RBIs.

On the mound, DeSales gives up seven runs per game while compiling a 5.49 ERA. Junior Chris Brian is the top performer as he has won five of six decisions and fanned 42 batters, en route to a 4.60 ERA.

ARCADIA UNIVERSITY
In their lone season in the Freedom Conference (Arcadia will move to the Commonwealth next year), head coach John Bellis and the Knights have a 16-20-1 overall record and tied DeSales for second in the Freedom with a 10-8 mark.

Arcadia bats .296 and averages 6.8 runs per game as a team. Eric Console leads the team in batting (.381) and the senior outfielder has also notched five doubles, 20 runs scored and 20 RBIs.

Senior shortstop John Curreri is hitting .358 with 10 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 15 stolen bases, 39 runs scored and 33 RBIs while fellow senior and double-play mate Ken Spangenberg has tallied a .355 batting average, five doubles, six triples, four home runs, 42 runs scored and 31 RBIs.

Arcadia's pitching staff has a 6.32 ERA and allows an average of 6.9 runs per contest. Sophomore Jared Knaple leads the squad in both victories (4-2) and strikeouts (29) while recording a 5.36 ERA.