Reading, Pa. (Feb. 24, 2017) - The Alvernia University baseball team heads to Virginia Saturday to begin the 2017 season.
 
The Crusaders finished tied for first in the MAC Commonwealth Preseason Coaches Poll with Widener. They are coming off a season in which they claimed the number one seed in the Commonwealth tournament before being eliminated after two games. The Crusaders will use last year's early exit as motivation for this season.
 
"We know what it feels like to go in as the number one seed and be the first team out," said senior first baseman Cam Coons. "We have that bitter taste in our mouth and we don't want to have that feeling again."
 
Alvernia returns all but two position players from last year's 27-15 (17-4) team. Among them are Coons, the 2016 MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year, who hit a conference best .414 with 15 doubles, four home runs, 33 RBI's, and a Commonwealth best .632 slugging percentage. Sophomore infielder Nathan Sides, the 2016 MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year, will look to continue his excellent play after a stellar rookie season in which he hit .353 with eight doubles, four triples, and 33 runs scored. The experience from last year's team will help the Crusaders push for another postseason run.
 
"It's great to have the lineup back and have experience all over the field," Coons said. "We have a core group of guys who know what needs to be done and how to get it done, as well as a strong underclassmen presence who can step in and get the job done as well."
 
On the mound, Alvernia returns a pitching staff lead by sophomore starter Thomas Malik (5-3, 2.82 ERA) and junior John Catchmark (8-0, 3.19 ERA, 66 Ks). Senior Ryan Sheekey adds veteran leadership to the starting rotation after pitching 160 innings over his first three seasons. Antonio Baglivo (2.87 ERA, 2 saves) and Zack Landy (0.00 ERA, 19.2 IP) will anchor the bullpen for the Crusaders.
 
"In baseball you need as many arms as you can get," Coons said. "Having a strong Friday and Saturday conference starter is key, but also having a strong backside of the bullpen with arms like Baglivo and Landy will be essential as well. The season is long, so the more arms we have the better."
 
Other top returners include senior Joe Iacobellis (.364, 20 runs), junior Ben Dubas (.345, 29 RBIs, 29 runs), and sophomores Connor Boyle (.323, 21 runs), Ian Shaffer (.287, 6 HRs, 19 RBIs, 21 runs), and Franco Esposito (.284, 5 2Bs, 3 HRs)
 
The Crusaders will take on New Paltz University at 10am Saturday, followed by #10 Randolph-Macon College at 2:30pm. Both games will take place at Randolph-Macon.