Reading, Pa. (Mar. 15, 2013) - Alvernia University will open the Commonwealth Conference schedule Friday afternoon at conference newcomer Stevenson University.  The Crusaders were picked as preseason favorites to win the conference by the league coaches.  Alvernia has posted a 46-8 record in the Commonwealth since joining for the 2010 season.

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The Crusaders are 7-3 through the first 10 games of the season and enter conference play with three players batting .375 or better.  Two-time defending Commonwealth Player of the Year, Chris Ray (Exton, Pa./Henderson) leads the team at .378 (14-37).  Fellow senior Leon Stimpson (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) is batting .375 (15-40), as is sophomore Dustin Stuck (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) who is 6-16.  The three have combined to swipe 19 bases in 21 attempts with Stimpson leading the way at 8-10.

Alvernia head coach Yogi Lutz entered the season with 687 career wins (687-319-6) and is now six wins shy of 700 for his career.

The Mustangs are 11-3 entering the weekend's 3-game series with Alvernia.  They lost the season opener, 4-0 at Lynchburg, then rattled off nine straight wins on their Spring Break trip before dropping the last game of the trip, 16-5 to Frostburg State.  They are 2-1 since returning home with wins at Washington & Lee and North Carolina Wesleyan, and a loss at Guilford.  They are led by a pair of batters hitting over .450.  Heath Johnson leads the way at .465 (20-43) and Troy Miller is batting .451 (23-51).

Alvernia Commonwealth Schedule (All 3-Game Series)
March 15-16 : Fri. @ Stevenson, Sat. DH HOME
March 22-23 : Fri. HOME, Sat. DH @ Messiah
March 28, 30 : Thur. HOME, Sat. DH @ Widener
April 5-6 : Fri. @ Elizabethtown, Sat. DH HOME
April 12-13 : Fri. HOME, Sat. DH @ Lebanon Valley
April 19-20 : Fri. @ Albright, Sat. DH HOME
April 26-27 : Fri. @ Arcadia, Sat. DH HOME

Commonwealth Conference Championships
May 2-4, 2013