Kutztown University

The following are press releases for the Kutztown University Athletic Department, released during the time listed above. For more information, contact the sports information office.

April 29, 2005

KUTZTOWN TO HOST MEN’S, WOMEN’S TENNIS REGIONALS

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University will host an NCAA Division II East Region men’s and women’s tennis first- and second-round tournament next Thursday-Saturday, May 5-7, at Keystone Courts.

The women’s team will host Bryant, Queens (NY) and Stonehill next Thursday and Friday, while the men’s team will host Millersville, Assumption and Mercy next Friday and Saturday.

There are 16 men’s and 16 women’s first- and second-round tournaments in the eight regions, two each per region, throughout the country. The winner of each tournament advances to the finals in Altamonte Springs, Fla., with the Central Florida Sports Commission and Sunshine State Conference serving as co-hosts, May 11-14.

In the women’s tournament, Bryant (21-1) will face Queens (13-2) at 10:00 AM on Thursday. Kutztown (12-2) will take on Stonehill (13-2) at 1:00 PM. The winners meet in the second round on Friday at noon.

In the men’s tournament, Kutztown (18-1) faces Millersville (7-6) at 9:30 AM on Friday. Assumption (17-1) matches up against Mercy (6-4) at 2:30. The winners will face each other on Saturday at 2:30 PM.

Bloomsburg’s women will host the other East Region tournament, while Concordia (NY) plays host for the other men’s tourney.

KU’s men set a school record with its 18 wins this year, and won its fifth Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) title in six years last weekend at Bloomsburg. The Golden Bear women won the second-most matches in school history, 12, this season. KU placed second at the conference meet last week.

Both Kutztown teams have a final tuneup this weekend at the (PSAC) Individual Championships at IUP.

April 27, 2005

SOFTBALL HEADS TO SHIPPENSBURG FOR PSAC PLAYOFFS

KUTZTOWN, PA – The Kutztown University softball team will head to Shippensburg this weekend for a shot at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crown.

The Golden Bears, in search of their first PSAC tournament crown, finished their regular season with a 26-20 record, including 13-11 in the PSAC Eastern Division. KU is the No. 3 seed in the East and will face Indiana (PA), the No. 2 seed in the West, in its first contest at the double-elimination tournament at noon on Thursday.

The winner will go on to face the No.1 seed from the East and tournament host, Shippensburg, at 4:00 PM on Thursday. The loser will play the loser of the Bloomsburg/California (PA) contest in an elimination game at 10:00 AM on Friday morning.

The winner of the PSAC Championship will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. The six-team regional is scheduled for May 12-15 at the highest regional seed.

Kutztown has used a balance of pitching and hitting to post its 12th straight 20-win season. The Golden Bears are eighth in the PSAC in both batting (.279 batting average) and pitching (2.55 earned run average).

KU relies on the trio of Cheryl Griffith (sr. Bethlehem/Liberty), Rachel Weidensaul (fr. Ashland/Cardinal Brennan) and Stacey Denlinger (jr. Harleysville/Souderton) to handle the pitching duties. Griffith leads the team with a 1.96 ERA in 24 appearances. In 103.1 innings, she has allowed 107 hits, while walking just 22, with 63 strikeouts. Weidensaul’s 98.2 innings are second on the team, as is her 2.34 ERA. She has allowed 113 hits, but has shown good control issuing just 16 walks against 48 strikeouts. Denlinger, meanwhile, leads the team with four shutouts and her eight complete games are tied with Griffith for the team lead. In 91.1 innings pitched, she has surrendered 94 hits, fanned a team-high 86, and walked 23.

The Kutztown offense is fueled by a fierce running attack that ranks second in the conference in stolen bases with 44. The team has had to reconfigure its lineup after losing shortstop Stacy Bricker (sr. Kutztown/Kutztown) for the season due to injury. Bricker led the team in batting average, doubles and runs batted in at the time of her injury.

Second baseman Jackie Messina (fr. Allentown/Parkland) and centerfielder Adriane Willmer (so. Kitchener, ONT/Resurrection) rank first and third, respectively, in the PSAC in steals. They are also second and third in runs scored.

Messina has swiped a league-high 16 bases and scored 45 runs in her first season at Kutztown. An excellent bunter, she is batting .313 (42-of-132) for the season. Messina has replaced Bricker in the third spot in the lineup after batting second for the early part of the season and has also taken over at shortstop.

Willmer, the leadoff hitter, is batting .365 (58-of-159) with 13 steals and 43 runs scored. An All-PSAC East pick a year ago, she is tied with Messina for the team lead with four triples.

Tarin Horonzy (fr. Fleetwood/Fleetwood) has emerged as one of the Golden Bears top run producers. She has slugged five of the team’s 10 home runs this season and is second on the squad with 33 RBI. For the season, she is hitting .355 (43-of-121). A versatile defender, Horonzy has played all five infield positions and has spent time in the outfield.

Third baseman/designated player Erin Livingston (sr. Philadelphia/Archbishop Carroll) leads KU with 35 RBI and has 12 doubles and a .296 (34-of-115) batting average.

Lindsay Bennett (fr. Rising Sun, MD/Rising Sun) (.225, 11 doubles, 20 RBI) anchors the bag at first, but has also played some shortstop. Dani Spalik (so. Johnson City, NY/Johnson City) does the catching and is batting .262. Sam Flowers (fr. Harleysville/Souderton) (.178, 1 homer, 7 RBI) and Megan Alexander (so. Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg) (.228, 7 RBI) split time in left field. Dani Wunderlich (so. Douglasville/ Daniel Boone) (.179, 16 runs) has moved up to the second spot in the batting order and plays right field.

Shippensburg, the No. 1 seed in the East, enters the playoffs with a 37-3 record overall and a 20-2 mark in PSAC play. The Raiders are led at the dish by Jamie Dacey (.569, 9 doubles, 11 triples, 4 HR, 54 RBI) and Sarah Costa (.455, 10 doubles, 7 triples, 6 HR, 46 RBI) and inside the circle by Kelly Tiesi (0.66 ERA, 21-1 W-L, 164 K) and Danielle Shields (1.14 ERA, 11-1 W-L, 110 K). Shippensburg has won the last two PSAC titles.

Lock Haven earned the top seed from the PSAC West by virtue of a 30-6 overall mark and 15-1 record in conference play. The Lady Eagles’ top hitter is Courtney Hughes (.393, 14 doubles, 7 homers, 32 RBI, 7 SB) and their top pitchers are Jean Middlestead (0.78 ERA, 12-1 W-L, 102 K) and Shona Guevara (1.38 ERA, 16-4 W-L, 117 K). Lock Haven won its only PSAC tournament in 1982.

Bloomsburg is the No. 2 seed in the East after completing the regular season 36-6 overall and 17-5 in the PSAC East. Sara Roba (.409, 16 doubles, 8 HR, 48 RBI) and Dee Wolfe (.400, 16 doubles, 3 HR, 33 RBI) lead the Huskies at the plate and Jaime Wilson (0.72 ERA, 10-1 W-L) and Amanda Smith (1.35 ERA, 12-3 W-L, 132 K) anchor the pitching staff. BU has won 14 PSAC tournaments, the last victory coming in 2002.

Indiana (PA), the No. 2 seed in the West, enters the postseason with 21-13 mark, including 13-6 in the PSAC West. Sarah White leads the team with seven homers, 32 RBI and a .398 batting average. Jodie Swavely pulls double duty as one of the team’s top hitters (.355, 4 HR) and IUP’s top pitcher (1.54 ERA, 15-3 W-L, 140 K). IUP will be seeking its first PSAC tournament championship.

California (PA) earned the No.3 seed from the West after finishing the 2005 regular season 24-14 overall and 13-7 in the West. Jennifer Doty (.493, 17 doubles, 14 HR, 49 RBI) is the team’s most dangerous hitter. Becky Mezyk is a two-way threat as both a batter (.394, 10 doubles, 5 HR, 31 RBI) and pitcher (2.03 ERA, 12-7 W-L, 109 K). Cal has won six PSAC titles, with the most recent coming in 2000.

In-game results for Kutztown’s games will be posted to the Golden Bear Hotline (610-683-1515, option 3).

Notable: Kutztown was 3-9 against the other teams in the PSAC playoffs this season…Shippensburg swept the four game season series with KU this season…the Golden Bears split their four meeting with Bloomsburg…Lock Haven swept a doubleheader from Kutztown in Lock Haven…KU picked up a split with IUP in a twinbill at North Campus Field…the Golden Bears did not play California (PA) in the regular season…Shippensburg was 6-0 against Kutztown and Bloomsburg and did not play any of the three teams from the West…the Huskies went 2-4 against KU and Ship and had a doubleheader at Lock Haven cancelled…the Lady Eagles were 9-1 against playoff teams, with the lone loss coming against IUP…the Indians are 5-5 against playoff squads and Cal is just 1-7.

April 27, 2005

SHUBILLA NAMED PSAC GOLFER OF THE WEEK

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Holly Shubilla (so. Wilkes-Barre/GAR Memorial) has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Golfer of the Week.

Shubilla captured her first career victory by winning the Lehigh Spring Invitational at the Saucon Valley Country Club last Friday. She paced the field with a round of 85 on a par-73 course. Her victory helped lead Kutztown to a second-place finish out of five teams at the event.

KU wrapped up its season with a second-place finish at Gettysburg on Tuesday. Shubilla had her second-straight first-place finish, with a round of 84 on the par 72 course at Gettysburg.

April 27, 2005

KU SWEEPS WOMEN’S TRACK HONORS

KUTZTOWN, PA – Two members of Kutztown University’s women’s track & field team have swept the weekly Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) honors.

Laura Kline (jr. Reading/Reading) was named the PSAC Track Athlete of the Week, while Elizabeth Lord (sr. Shillington/Governor Mifflin) was named Field Athlete of the Week.

Kline ran the league's fastest 400-meter hurdles time for the second week in a row, finishing third in 1:03.05 at the Lafayette Invitational. She finished behind two Division I competitors with her NCAA II provisional qualifying effort. She also ran the anchor leg of Kutztown's first-place 4x400m relay team, that finished in 3:56.66.

Lord recorded the best discus throw in the PSAC this season, posting a mark of 140-10. She won the event at the Lafayette Invitational, competing primarily against Division I athletes.

The track & field teams return to action on Saturday at the Lehigh Games.

April 25, 2005

KU’s TARIN HORONZY NAMED PSAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Tarin Horonzy (fr. Fleetwood/Fleetwood), of the softball team, has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Player of the Week.

Horonozy led Kutztown to a 4-2 week and helped the Golden Bears clinch a berth in the PSAC playoffs. She batted .571, going 8-for-14, with 10 RBI, one double and two home runs. One of the home runs was a three-run homer in Kutztown's 5-3 win over Bloomsburg that assured the Golden Bears their postseason spot.

For the season, Horonzy is hitting .355 (43-121) with 18 runs, and 33 RBI. She leads the team with five home runs and has seven doubles.

Kutztown will travel to Shippensburg this Thursday-Saturday for the PSAC Championships.

April 25, 2005

KU’s COSTELLO NAMED PSAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Kyle Costello (jr. Plains/Coughlin HS), of the baseball team has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Player of the Week.

Costello hit .562 in a 3-1 week for the Golden Bears. He had at least one hit in every game and multiple hits in three of the four contests. During his 9-for-16 stretch he had a double, a triple, seven RBI and scored five runs. His top performance came in a win over Shippensburg in which he was 4-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs.

For the season, Costello is hitting .374 (52-139) with 28 runs scored and a team-high 49 RBI. He has 10 doubles, two triples and five home runs.

Kutztown will travel to East Stroudsburg for a PSAC East doubleheader on Friday, before returning home to face the Warriors in the regular-season finale on Saturday.

April 21, 2005

TENNIS TEAMS HEAD TO PSAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

KUTZTOWN, PA – The Kutztown University men’s and women’s tennis teams will head to Bloomsburg this weekend for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships.

The top-seeded Golden Bear men have sailed through the regular season at 16-1 overall and went undefeated in the PSAC at 5-0. The women, the Eastern Division’s No. 2 seed, dropped their fall season opener, but have won 11 of 12 matches since to sit at 11-2 overall and 3-1 in the PSAC East.

The men’s team will play fourth-seeded Slippery Rock (2-3 PSAC, 6-9 overall) in the semifinals on Friday at 9:30 AM. The women face California (PA) (4-0 PSAC West, 17-6 overall), the top seed out of the West, in a semifinal match at 12:30 PM.

In the other semifinal match ups, No. 2 seed Bloomsburg (4-1, 8-9) hosts third-seeded Millersville (3-2, 10-3) in the men’s bracket. The other women’s semifinal features the East’s top-seeded Huskies (4-0, 11-6) against the No. 2 team from the West, Indiana (PA) (2-2, 8-4).

Championships matches are scheduled for Saturday, with men’s final at 9:00 AM and the women’s following at 11:00 AM. Third-place matches begin at 3:00 PM on Friday with the men’s consolation. Time permitting, the women’s consolation will follow, otherwise the match will be held Saturday.

Mukundan Nandakumar (sr. Chennai, INDIA) and Harsh Sharma (jr. Calcutta, INDIA) lead the Golden Bear men, who have won at least a share of the conference title in four of the past five seasons. The two have teamed for a 12-0 record at first doubles. In singles, Nandakumar will play at the No.1 position. He is 13-2 on the season in singles play. Sharma is 13-4 overall and will play at second singles for Kutztown.

The Golden Bears’ other four singles players all have double figure win totals, as well. Radoslaw Hlubinski (jr. Warsaw, POLAND) will play third singles in the tournament. He is 11-4 in 2004-05. Ilja Semjonovs (jr. Liepaja, LATVIA) gets the nod at fourth singles and is 10-3 this year. Somdeep Appineni (so. Hyderabad, INDIA), who leads the team in wins, brings a 14-3 record into the PSAC Championships. Rounding out the singles lineup for Kutztown is Lukas Beman (so. Woodend, AUSTRALIA). The current PSAC Player of the week will play sixth singles for KU and is 11-6 on the season.

Kutztown swept its three matches against the other PSAC competitors this season, defeating Slippery Rock 8-1 on March 8 in Hilton Head, SC, downing Bloomsburg 7-2 on April 13, and blanking Millersville, 9-0, on Saturday.

Kutztown will use the duo of Hlubinski and Appineni at second doubles and the tandem of Beman and Semjonovs at third doubles. Hlubinski and Appineni have posted a mark of 9-3 this year, while Beman and Semjonovs are 10-2, including 8-0 at third doubles.

The KU women are in search of their first PSAC title. KU’s best-ever finish was a second-place showing in 1993. This is Kutztown’s first appearance in the tournament since it was reformatted to a four-team bracket, instead of all teams qualifying, last year.

Five of Kutztown’s six singles plays have two or fewer losses this season. Kerstin Kloeffer (so. Ludwigs Hafen, GERMANY) will play first singles and is 9-1 on the year. KU’s No. two singles player, Amy Withers (fr. Essondon, AUSTRALIA), is 6-1 in singles matches. Priya Pachkawde (so. Nasik, INDIA) will play at third singles and enters the PSAC Championships at 10-4. At fourth singles is Jharna Nansi (so. Maharashtra, INDIA), who is 7-2. Undefeated Lauren Losoncy (jr. Shillington/Governor Mifflin) gets the start at fifth singles. The transfer is 10-0 since joining the team for the spring season. Bianca Blatz (fr. Ludwigs Hafen, GERMANY) completes the Kutztown lineup at No. 6 singles. She has missed much of the year with injury and is 2-2 in singles play.

The doubles lineup for the Golden Bear women features Kloeffer and Pachkawde at first doubles. That duo is 3-0 this season. At second doubles, Nansi and Withers will play together for the first time. Third doubles has Losoncy and Blatz, who have won three of the four matches they have played together.

Kutztown suffered both of its losses this year to the other PSAC competitors. Indiana (PA) defeated KU 8-1 in September, though KU played without Kloeffer, Withers and Losoncy. KU dropped a 5-4 decision to Bloomsburg on April 13. Kutztown has not faced California (PA) since 2001.

The men’s 16 wins this season are tied for the second most in school history, as are the women’s 11 wins. With just one more victory, the men’s team will tie the Kutztown record of 17, set in 1999-2000 and 2002-03.

April 21, 2005

MAROON & GOLD SCRIMMAGE TO CAP SPRING FOOTBALL PRACTICE

KUTZTOWN, PA – The Kutztown University football team will cap its spring football practice on Saturday, April 23, with the annual Maroon & Gold scrimmage.

The Golden Bears will take the field at 4:00 PM on Saturday at University Field for live-action and situational drills. Attendance is free and open to the public.

Kutztown is coming off an injury plagued 2004 season, in which the Golden Bears were 4-6 overall. The season was marred by an abundance of injuries, with a total of 11 players who were projected as starters in the preseason or who opened the year in the starting lineup missing a combined 43 games played.

The 2005 Golden Bears are projected to feature 17 seniors, the most in recent memory. Leading the offense will be all conference running backs Tony Bria and Maurice Adams, wide receiver James Brooks and tight end Jason Henley. Leading an experienced defense will be linebackers Drew Hicks and Greg Mitchell and safety Michael Baldwin.

April 21, 2005

KUTZTOWN ANNOUNCES 2005 TAU KAPPA CLASS

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University recognized 18 student-athletes at the Tau Kappa banquet on Thursday, April 14.

pictured-this year's Tau Kappa honorees (click on picture for larger image)

Tau Kappa is an honorary sorority composed of outstanding female athletes at Kutztown. To gain induction, a nominee must accumulate at least 500 points based on individual and team achievement on a weighted scale. Athletes who reach 1,000 points are honored with a Tau Kappa pin. This year's class consisted of 13 new members and five who reached the 1,000 point level after being inducted last year.

In alphabetical order, the 2005 inductees to Tau Kappa:

Sarah Brandon (so. Gibsonia/Pine-Richland), of the volleyball team, was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Athlete of the Year in 2004. She is a two-time All-PSAC East first team selection and an All-Atlantic Region pick this season. Brandon is also a two-year starter for the Golden Bears at outside hitter. Brandon qualified for the 1,000-point induction and pin level.

Meghan Fenningham (jr. Philadelphia/Nazareth Academy) has earned All-PSAC swimming honors in both the 100 and 200 breast. She has qualified for the PSAC Championships in each of her three seasons at KU.

Amanda Grant (sr. Whitehall/Whitehall) is a member of both the KU cross country and track & field teams. She is a two-year starter in cross country and a three-time qualifier for the PSAC track championships.

Colleen Healey (jr. Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) was named a second team National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-America selection in field hockey in 2004. Healey is a two-year starter who has twice been selected as a team captain.

Kim Kelty (fr. Levittown/Neshaminy) was selected as the PSAC East Rookie of the Year in 2004 in women’s soccer and was named to the All-PSAC East first team in her rookie campaign with the Golden Bears.

Laura Kline (jr. Reading/Reading) is a two-sport standout for the Golden Bears. As a member of the field hockey team, she is a two-year starter and an All-PSAC second team selection as a midfielder in 2004. In track & field, she won a PSAC Championship as part of KU’s 4x400 relay at the 2004 outdoor championships. Kline qualified for the 1,000-point induction and pin level.

Kaleena Lockard (sr. Berwick/Berwick) won the 2004 PSAC Indoor track & field shot put title and is a two-time All-PSAC performer. She has qualified for the PSAC championships three times.

Janelle Kostishion (sr. Hilltown/Pennridge) of the track & field team is a four-time PSAC qualifier. She has won three conference titles as part of the Golden Bears’ 4x800 relay. Kostishion was inducted at the 500-point level last year, and received her 1,000 point Tau Kappa pin this year.

Renee Marchand (so. Hawley/Wallenpaupack) has earned All-PSAC track & field honors in both the pentathlon and 4x400 relay, and is a two-time qualifier for the conference championships.

Alison Maurer (jr. Lewisberry/Northern York) has won three PSAC track & field championships, winning the 20-lb. weight at the past two indoor championships, and added a title in the hammer at the 2004 PSAC Outdoor Championships. She is a four-time qualifier for the PSAC Championships. Maurer was inducted at the 500-point level last year, and received her 1,000 point Tau Kappa pin this year.

Danielle Mousley (sr. Manheim Twp./Manheim Twp.) competes in both track and cross country for KU . She is a two-time team captain who won a PSAC crown in indoor track as part of the Golden Bears’ 4x800 relay. Mousley is also a two-year starter in cross country and a three-time qualifier for the conference championships in track & field. Mousley was inducted at the 500-point level last year, and received her 1,000 point Tau Kappa pin this year.

Kelly Murdock (so. West Lawn/Wilson) earned both All-PSAC East first team and All-Northeast Region second team honors in her first year with the Golden Bear women’s soccer team. She started all 19 games in which she played and led the team in assists.

Sara Otis (sr. Wyalusing/Wyalusing Valley) has won three PSAC track titles, two as part of 4x400 relays and another running on KU’s 4x100 relay. She has also All-PSAC honors in her career, and is a five-time individual qualifier for the conference championships. Otis was inducted at the 500-point level last year, and received her 1,000 point Tau Kappa pin this year.

Jaci Pfeiffer (jr. Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) is a five-time qualifier for the PSAC Championships in track & field. She has twice earned all-conference honors as part of the KU 4x400 relay, winning one championship in the event.

Melissa Porter (sr. Wallingford/Strath Haven) is a member of the KU swim team. The two-time team captain qualified for the PSAC Championships in each of her four seasons.

Christine Procopio (jr. Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills), of the track & field team, has qualified for the PSAC Championships in each of her two seasons, earning All-PSAC honors in the 20-lb. weight throw twice.

Lauren Tatro (sr. Somerville, NJ/Somerville) earned All-PSAC women’s soccer honors in three of her four seasons at Kutztown. In 2003, when she was selected to the all-conference first team, she was also named to the All-Northeast Region second squad. Tatro was a four-year starter in the midfield for the Golden Bears. Tatro was inducted at the 500-point level last year, and received her 1,000 point Tau Kappa pin this year.

Adriane Willmer (so. Kitchener, ONT/Resurrection) is a standout on the KU softball team. As a freshman, she earned All-PSAC first team honors and has been a starter in each of her two seasons.

April 19, 2005

ALISON MAURER NAMED PSAC ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Alison Maurer (jr. Lewisberry/Northern York), of the women’s track & field team, has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Field Athlete of the Week.

Maurer placed fourth in the hammer throw while competing primarily against Division I competition at the Bucknell Outdoor Classic. Her toss of 174-5 improved on her conference-best effort earlier in the season. An NCAA provisional qualifier, Maurer now owns Division II's sixth best hammer throw this season.

Maurer and the Golden Bears return to action on Saturday at the Lafayette Invitational.

April 19, 2005

KU’s LUKAS BEMAN NAMED PSAC MEN’S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Lukas Beman (so. Woodend, AUSTRALIA) has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Men’s Tennis Player of the Week.

Beman went 3-1 at No. 5 and No. 6 singles and 4-0 in No. 3 doubles as Kutztown posted a team record of 3-1 this week. With wins against Bloomsburg and Millersville, Beman helped lead Kutztown to a perfect 5-0 PSAC regular season record and a conference title.

For the season, Beman is 11-6 in singles and 15-3 in doubles matches. The Golden Bears are 16-1 overall. KU returns to action on Friday when it takes on Slippery Rock in the PSAC championship semifinals at Bloomsburg.

April 18, 2005

MATT KELLER NAMED PSAC EAST PITCHER OF THE WEEK

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Matt Keller (jr. Fleetwood/Fleetwood) has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week.

Keller picked up a win and a save in his two outings last week. He first registered a save by throwing 1 1/3 innings against Albright to preserve an 11-10 victory. Against hot-hitting Mansfield, he threw a complete game in a 2-1 Golden Bear triumph. He allowed just five hits and one walk while fanning 10.

For the season, Keller is 8-1, with two saves, a 3.72 earned-run average and 39 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched. Keller has 17 career wins, tied for fifth all-time at KU, and 13 career saves, tied for the KU career record.

Kutztown returns to action on Tuesday at Shippensburg for a single, non-conference game.

April 15, 2005

NCAA REVERSES DECISION ON REGULATION BASEBALL GAMES

KUTZTOWN, PA – The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee has reversed its decision from earlier this week regarding the regulation baseball games played by its members, including Kutztown University.

As a result of the reversal of the ruling, Kutztown, nine other Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schools and teams throughout the country will be able to count as regulation games seven inning games played in tournaments on or before April 18, 2005.

Kutztown had eliminated five contests, four wins and one loss, it played at the Newport Apprentice Builder Invitational February 25-27. With those games added back to the team’s record, Kutztown is now 27-12 on the season. There had been 55 total games played by PSAC teams, and hundreds throughout the country affected by the ruling.

The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee said the following in a press release on Friday:

The decision comes in response to the common practice of limiting games during early-season tournaments to seven innings instead of nine, the standard set in the NCAA Baseball Rules Book. Similar games were unknowingly counted toward team records and individual statistics in previous years.

“The committee firmly believes that baseball is a nine-inning game,” said Chris McKnight, committee chair and head coach at Frostburg State University. “However, there is widespread confusion that crossed conference and regional boundaries about how the rules regarding regulation games and doubleheaders are applied to tournaments. This ruling allows those games to count, but makes clear that they won’t count in the future.” McKnight added, “The impact on student-athletes who had, in many cases, raised funding for these events was a major factor in the committee’s decision. Also, the committee does not believe – in most cases – institutions intentionally violated this rule.”

The ruling allows those games played on or before April 18 to count, but the committee made it clear that relief is being given because, in general, institutions were not intentionally violating the rules.

Team and individual performances during these games will be counted toward statistics and NCAA championship consideration. Single seven-inning games not played as part of tournaments will not be considered regulation games.

Seven-inning games are only considered regulation when they are part of a doubleheader, defined as a game between the same two teams with the second game beginning no more than 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first. Under NCAA rules, doubleheaders may be played using two nine-inning games, two seven-inning games or one of each.

“During a tournament, if a team plays one team in the morning and a different team later in the day, that is not considered a doubleheader,” McKnight said. “So, both games must be nine-inning games. Because this rule has been misunderstood by a large number of institutions for many years, the committee is offering relief for teams who have played in these games.”

A shortened contest is considered a regulation game if an umpire calls the game after five innings due to inclement weather, darkness or another situation that puts participants or spectators at risk. Time limit games and conference policies that supersede the Baseball Rules Book are not considered regulation contests and will not be permitted after April 18.

April 14, 2005 (updated April 16, 2005)

TENNIS TEAMS SEEK TO CLINCH TOP PSAC PLAYOFF BERTHS

KUTZTOWN, PA – Both the Kutztown University men’s and women’s tennis teams can clinch Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoff berths in Saturday’s matches versus Millersville.

Kutztown will take on the Marauders beginning at noon on Saturday at the Keystone Courts.

The Golden Bear men have sailed through the regular season without a loss and stand at 14-0 overall and 4-0 in the PSAC. The women dropped their fall season opener, and lost to Bloomsburg on Wednesday, 5-4 to bring a 10-2, 2-1 PSAC East record to the match.

The men and women were each tied with the Huskies for first place entering the day. The men picked up a 7-2 win, while the women, which had initially defeated the Huskies 5-4, ended up losing the match 5-4 when the PSAC upheld a lineup protest by Bloomsburg.

The KU men are led by Harsh Sharma (jr. Calcutta, INDIA) and Mukundan Nandakumar (sr. Chennai, INDIA). The duo is undefeated at first doubles with a 10-0 record. The two players split time at first and second singles. Sharma is 12-3 overall, while Nandakumar is 11-1 on the season. Somdeep Appineni (so. Andhra Pradesh, INDIA) and Radoslaw Hlubinski (jr. Warsaw, POLAND) are also in double figures in wins. Appineni is 12-2 this season, while Hlubinski is 10-2. The pair also has an 8-2 doubles mark, playing mostly at second doubles. In dual matches, Kutztown is 69-13 in singles on the year, winning 84 percent of its matches. In doubles action, the Golden Bears have lost just five times in dual matches, versus 37 wins for an 88 percent win rate.

A pair of spring additions have helped guide the Kutztown women to their 12 match win streak. Kerstin Kloeffer (so. Ludwigs Hafen, GERMANY), returned to the team this spring, and transfer Lauren Losoncy (jr. Shillington/Governor Mifflin) are both undefeated in singles play. Kloeffer has posted nine wins this spring at first singles, while Losoncy is 9-0, playing mostly at fourth singles. Another spring addition, Amy Withers (fr. Essendon, AUSTRALIA) and Jharna Nansi (so. Maharashtra, INDIA) have just one loss apiece. Withers is 5-1, with a 5-0 mark at second singles, while Nansi has a 7-1 mark, splitting time at second thru fifth singles. Two other players, Priya Pachkawde (so. Nasik, INDIA) and Kristen Bodalski (jr. Media/Cardinal O’Hara), are tied for the team lead with 10 wins each. In doubles, the duo of Kloeffer and Withers have teamed up for a 5-0 mark at first doubles, and Pachkawde and Nansi have six wins at second doubles. KU is 59-14 (81 percent) in dual match singles play and 29-7 (81 percent) in doubles play.

Both teams enter the Millersville matches one match ahead of Millersville and Bloomsburg. The Marauders and Huskies have matching 3-1 records in men’s play and the women’s teams are both 2-1 in the PSAC East. The matches are the conference regular season finales for both Golden Bear squads. Wins by KU clinch top seeds in the upcoming PSAC Championships. A loss by one of KU’s teams would force the Golden Bears into a tie-breaker situation with Millersville and possibly Bloomsburg.

Both the men’s and women’s PSAC Championships will be held on April 22 and 23 at Bloomsburg. The top four men’s teams, and the top two from each of the women’s divisions qualify for the playoffs (men’s tennis is not divided into divisions in the PSAC). Kutztown is the defending PSAC champions, while the women look for their first trip to the conference playoffs since changing to a four-team format last year.

April 12, 2005

WITHERS NAMED PSAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

KUTZTOWN, PA – Amy Withers (fr. Essendon, AUSTRALIA), of the Kutztown University women’s tennis team, has been chosen as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Player of the Week.

Withers turned in a 4-0 week in singles play, winning one match at first singles and three at second singles. In doubles play, she was also a perfect 4-0, teaming with Kerstin Kloeffer (so. Ludwigs Hafen, GERMANY) for four wins at first doubles.

A native of Australia, Withers is undefeated in both singles (5-0) and doubles (5-0) this season.

Withers’ play helped KU to wins over West Chester, Adelphi, East Stroudsburg and Queens (NY) last week. The four victories extended the Golden Bears win streak to 10 matches and improved KU to 10-1 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC East. Kutztown has already matched last season’s win total of 10 matches.

The Golden Bears return to action on Wednesday, April 13, when they travel to Bloomsburg for a PSAC East match. The opening serve is set for 3:00 PM.

April 11, 2005

PSAC Baseball Teams Lose 55 Results, KU erases five games
(press release courtesy of the PSAC)

Due to a recent awareness brought forth by the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee, it has been determined 55 results recorded this season by Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schools did not meet the criteria of a regulation game and will not be recognized as official contests. Ten of the league’s 12 institutions that sponsor baseball are directly affected by the findings and will no longer be able to count those contests in official PSAC and NCAA standings or statistics.

The games in question were not in compliance for one or two reasons: 1) they were scheduled as a seven-inning contest and/or 2) they were not part of a “doubleheader” as officially defined by NCAA rules.

In a memo dated March 11, 2005, Chris McKnight, chair, and Jim Paronto, secretary-rules editor of the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee explain the following:

To clarify, the NCAA rules book only allows for a seven-inning game as part of a scheduled doubleheader. By definition, a doubleheader must meet the following criteria:

1. Scheduled contest between the same two teams;
2. Second game of a doubleheader must begin no more than 30 minutes after the first game;
3. Doubleheaders may be scheduled as two nine-inning games, a seven and a nine, or two seven-inning games.

As it pertains to PSAC schools, all of the “non-regulation” contests took place in the opening portion of the season, between February 25 and March 13, as part of teams’ participation in weekend tournaments or spring break trips. A majority of the PSAC schools and numerous other baseball programs have practiced similar schedules for well over a decade, yet this is the first time the rule has been called to the attention of the NCAA’s member institutions.

Also stated in the March 11 memo:

The rules relating to these issues may be found in Rule 5-7 (doubleheader) and 5-8 (regulation game) of the 2005 NCAA Baseball Rules Book on page 52. It should be noted that these are not new rules; in fact, these rules have been in place for more than 25 years.

The current version of the NCAA Baseball Rules Book has an approved ruling in section 5-7 regarding doubleheaders, which was not in the 2004 version. It reads:

A.R. – A doubleheader must include the same two teams.

While the rules are being enforced to eliminate non-regulation contests in 2005, the NCAA has not requested that any results or statistics be eliminated prior to this season.

“This is an odd situation,” said PSAC Commissioner Steve Murray. “While I certainly don’t encourage our member institutions to violate the rules or schedule games that don’t meet the regulations, I have to question the timing on the enforcement. Because these games have been allowed to count for a number of years, I can say without reservation that none of our schools were knowingly trying to violate any rules. Had they been made aware prior to the season that these were non-regulation contests, the proper adjustments would have taken place.”

Following is a list of league schools that will lose results. Their records during those non-regulation contests are in parenthesis.

Bloomsburg (1-9), Clarion (4-5), East Stroudsburg (5-5), IUP (1-0), Kutztown (4-1), Lock Haven (5-4), Mansfield (5-2), Millersville (0-1), Slippery Rock (1-0) and West Chester (1-1).

Shippensburg and California were the only two schools who will not have results removed from their schedules.

The 55 lost results among PSAC schools are only a handful of those lost throughout the country, primarily on the Division II and III levels. “It is my guess that the number of games taken off the record is well into the hundreds,” Murray said.

The NCAA Division II Baseball Committee, which selects teams for NCAA postseason play, asked that games that do not meet the definition of a regulation game be removed from the score reporting system by April 11. Murray stated, "We will meet their deadline and comply with their wishes, yet we still hold out hope for a more reasonable decision in the next few weeks."

The five Kutztown University baseball games affected by this ruling are those played at the Newport Apprentice Builder Invitational. Friday, February 25: Kutztown vs. East Stroudsburg (W, 9-3), vs. Apprentice School (L, 1-2); Saturday, February 26: vs. Lock Haven (W, 9-1), vs. Bloomsburg (W, 3-0); Sunday, February 27: vs. Apprentice School (W, 13-2).

Kutztown's overall record, after this ruling is now 22-11.

April 5, 2005

KU’S MAURER EARNS PSAC HONOR

KUTZTOWN, PA – Alison Maurer (jr. Lewisberry/Northern York), of the Kutztown University track & field team, was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Field Athlete of the Week.

Maurer receives the award after winning the hammer throw at the Muhlenberg Invitational on Friday. Her winning throw flew 172-2, the longest in the PSAC this season and nearly 18 feet farther than her nearest competitor. The mark is also an NCAA provisional qualifying distance.

The hammer was the only event contested at Muhlenberg due to severe rains in the area.

The KU track & field teams continue their outdoor season on Saturday at the PSAC East Challenge, hosted by West Chester.

April 4, 2005

RACHEL WEIDENSAUL NAMED PITCHER OF THE WEEK

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Rachel Weidensaul (fr. Ashland/Cardinal Brennan), of the softball team, has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week.

Weidensaul picked up both victories as Kutztown swept West Chester last Wednesday. She threw five innings of relief in game one, giving up just three hits and one walk. She then threw 4.2 innings of relief in game two, again allowing three hits and a walk. She did not give up a run in either game and combined for five strikeouts.

Weidensaul is 5-1 with a 1.99 earned-run average in 38.2 innings pitched this season. She has appeared in nine games and has 22 strikeouts. Weidensaul was a standout for the Golden Bear women’s basketball team this past winter, starting 23 of 27 games and averaging 9.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

The softball team is 15-11 overall, 3-3 in the PSAC East this season. The Golden Bears travel to Bloomsburg for a doubleheader on Tuesday.