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 30, 2008

KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES 2008 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University has announced the 2008 Golden Bear football schedule.

2008 KU Football Schedule

AUGUST
THU 28 ST. ANSELM 6:05 PM

SEPTEMBER
SAT     6      CLARION                   3:35 PM
SAT     13    at Slippery Rock        6:00 PM
SAT     20    *at Bloomsburg          1:00 PM
SAT     27    *WEST CHESTER      1:05 PM
                           (family day)

OCTOBER
SAT     4      *at Cheyney               1:00 PM
SAT     11    *SHIPPENSBURG      1:05 PM
SAT     18    *at East Stroudsburg noon
SAT     25    *MILLERSVILLE        1:05 PM
                           (homecoming)

NOVEMBER
SAT 1 *C.W. POST 1:05 PM
SAT 8 #at Indiana (PA) 1:00 PM

All times tentative and subject to change
home games in BOLD CAPS
*PSAC East game
# opponent may change if either team wins division title.

The 2008 season will begin on August 28 and is scheduled to end on Nov. 8. The schedule features 11 total games, six home and five away, a Thursday night game, two state-wide televised games, three regionally televised games, a seven-game Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division slate, and a final crossover highlighted by the chance at a PSAC Championship game.

Kutztown will begin the 2008 campaign on Thursday, Aug. 28 when it hosts St. Anselm (N.H.). It will be the teams’ first-ever meeting. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m at University Field.

On Sept. 6, Kutztown will host Clarion for a 3:35 p.m. kickoff. The game is scheduled to be televised state-wide by PA Sports Fever. KU defeated Clarion 35-13 last year.

The Golden Bears’ first road game will be Saturday, Sept. 13. KU travels to Slippery Rock for the second-straight year, with kickoff set at 6 p.m. The Rock defeated the Golden Bears 45-9 last year.

KU’s second-straight road game is next. The Golden Bears open PSAC East play at Bloomsburg on Sept. 28, playing on the Huskies new artificial turf field. Kickoff will be 1 p.m. The Huskies upended the Golden Bears 49-32 at KU last fall.

Kutztown returns home to host West Chester for Family Day on Sept. 27. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. The Golden Rams recorded a 21-0 decision at WCU last season. The game is scheduled to be televised by KUTV in Kutztown and Eastern Berks County.

The Golden Bears’ first game on natural grass since the 2006 season, and the only such game in 2008, will be Oct. 4 at Cheyney. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on PA Sports Fever. KU handled CU 40-21 in 2007.

Kutztown’s first-ever PSAC East game against Shippensburg will be Oct. 11 at KU. The Raiders switch from the PSAC West to the East this fall. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m., with the game being televised by KUTV. Kutztown defeated Shippensburg, 27-16 last season.

The Golden Bears will travel to East Stroudsburg on Oct. 18 for a noon kickoff. The game is scheduled to air on PA Sports Fever. East Stroudsburg won a thrilling 24-23 decision at Kutztown in 2007. It will be KU’s first game at ESU’s new artificial turf field.

The annual homecoming game will be against Millersville on Oct. 25. Kickoff will be at 1:05 p.m. KU defeated MU, 26-23 in triple overtime, last season.

KU will then take on C.W. Post, new member of the PSAC , on Nov. 1 at University Field. The PSAC East and home finale will kickoff at 1:05 pm. Kutztown has not played C.W. Post since 1983 and is 2-0 all-time against the Pioneers.

The last week of the schedule is the final PSAC crossover contest. Unless originally scheduled to face one another, the top team in each division will be removed from the schedule and will face one another in the championship game. In that event, the teams' original opponents will fill their schedule void by squaring off against one another. Kutztown is tentatively slated to play at Indiana (Pa.) at 1 p.m. on Nov. 8, but KU could play at any of the eight PSAC West schools that day depending on which teams qualify for the Championship game. KU has not played IUP since 1993 and is 0-7-1 all time against the Crimson Hawks.

Kutztown was 5-6 overall, 2-3 in the PSAC East in 2007. All 2008 games are scheduled to air on KU’s flagship radio station, WEEU 830 AM.

Note: all game times and television schedules listed above are subject to change.

April 30, 2008

KU WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM RUNS IN FIRST 5K RUN THROUGH KUTZTOWN

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University women's soccer team took to the streets of Kutztown on April 26 for the first women's soccer 5K run. The event is slated to become an annual event.

The entire team, dressed in their grey training jerseys and black training shorts, organized two lines, stayed together and maintained a strong pace as they crossed the finish line at the corner of Baldy Street and South Campus Drive.

"The girls and I would really like to thank all the individuals, families and businesses who sponsored a runner this year,” KU head coach Erik Burstein said. “Their overwhelming generosity was amazing and we cannot thank them enough for their support."

The KU women’s soccer team went 10-6-3 in the 2007, the first season under the direction of Burstein. It was the sixth straight year the Golden Bears have collected 10 or more wins.

If you would still like to support the 5K run,
you can send your donation to the following address:

Erik Burstein
Head Women's Soccer Coach
Kutztown University
Keystone Hall
Kutztown, PA 19530

Checks should be payable to: KU WOMEN'S SOCCER.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

April 29, 2008

KU TRACK & FIELD HEADED TO PSAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University outdoor track and field squads will head to Indiana University (Pa.) for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) outdoor Championships May 1-3.

The Golden Bears, under second-year head coach Ray Hoffman, are coming off fourth- and fifth-place finishes by the women and men, respectively, at the 2008 PSAC Indoor Track and Field Championships.

At last year’s outdoor meet, KU’s women were the runner-up, while the men placed eighth.

The competition kicks off on Thursday at 11 a.m. with the first day of the decathlon and heptathlon. Action continues on Friday at 8 a.m., with running of the 10,000-meter race. The field events will begin with the hammer throw at 8:30 a.m. On Saturday, field events begin at 9:30 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 11 a.m., followed by the finals for the track events.

KU’s women have a number of athletes capable of bringing home individual PSAC crowns. Doofan Tor-Agbidye (jr. Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg) ranks second in the 200 dash (56.90) among PSAC athletes this season. She is also slated third in the 400 (56.90) and seventh in the 100 (12.59).

Joanna Horstmann (jr. Downingtown/Downingtown West) is seeded fourth in the 800 (2:15.22), while Keri Brown (fr. Southampton, NJ/Seneca) is fifth (2:17.11) in the 800 and seventh in the 1,500 (4:41.93). Heather Spangenberg (so. Clarks Summit/Abington Heights) is ranked seventh in the 400 with a time of 59.16.

Stephanie Williams (sr. Harrisburg/Riverside [Ellwood City]) is poised to make an impact in several distance events. Williams will enter the championships as the second seed in the 3,000 with a time of 9:58.78, sixth in the 5,000 with a time of 17:29.81, and is seventh in the 10,000 with a time of 37:17.56.

Kristin Cupido (fr. Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) is seeded third in the 10,000 (37:17.56), while Christina Reimer (fr. Chester Springs/Downingtown East) is slated sixth in the 3,000 steeplechase (11:49.93).

The Golden Bears relays are both ranked fifth, with a time of 49.78 in the 400 and a time of 4:00.20 in the 1,600.

KU’s throwers are expected to make the most noise in the field events. Ashley Pinter (fr. Bethlehem/Liberty) is the top-ranked participant in the discus (138-0) and hammer (159-4), while earning a sixth seed in the shot put (40-1). Michelle Hughes (sr. Warminster/William Tennent) has the third best throw in both the discus (133-2) and shot put (40-7 3/4), and is ranked fifth in the hammer (149-7).

In the pole vault, Rachel Weigle (so. Red Lion/Red Lion) is ranked third,(10-11 3/4) and Kelly Strickland (fr. Bear, Del./Caravel Academy) is ranked sixth (10-6).

Laura Deller (sr. York/Dallastown) is ranked eighth in the long jump (17-4 1/4), while Rebekah Leitzel (fr. Spring Mills/Penns Valley) is fourth in the javelin with a throw of 12711.

Katie Colburn (fr. Hanover/South Western) is KU’s top threat in the heptathlon, with a season-best score of 3,910 points, good for fifth in the league.

On the men’s side, KU’s top contenders come in the field events, with throwers Jim Dart (sr. Havertown/Haverford) and Steve Tyson (sr. Bridgeport/Upper Merion) leading the way. Dart is seeded first in the shot put with a throw of 521, second in the discus (161-10) and third in the hammer (171-10). Tyson is the second seed in the shot put (51-6 1/4) and is sixth in the discus (147-8). Tyson is looking for his fifth consecutive PSAC title and seventh overall.

Jason Rebuck (so. Southampton/William Tennent) is ranked third in the discus (160-5) and is fifth in the hammer (165-7), while classmate Chris Boutsikaris (so. Andover, N.J./Newtown) is ranked fourth in the hammer throw (171-3).

Sophomore Sam Wall (so. Newville/Big Spring) rounds out KU’s throwers, as he is seeded seventh in the shot put (48-0 1/2)

Ian Clark (jr. Troy, NH/Monadnock Regional) is ranked seventh in the decathlon (5,755 points), while Cody Hartzler (jr. Belleville/Indian Valley) is currently seeded fourth in high jump (6-9).

Justin Germani (fr. Birdsboro/Daniel Boone) is ranked fourth in the pole vault (15-7), while Devin Peterson (fr. Kutztown/Kutztown) is ranked eighth in the long jump (22-0 3/4).

On the track, KU’s top events will likely be the hurdles, where three athletes are seeded in the top eight in both the 110 and 400. Vonkurt Redley (sr. Philadelphia/Cheltenham) has the PSAC’s third best time in the 110 hurdles (14.63) and fourth best in the 400 hurdles (54.63) this season.

Shane Harvey (fr. Potterburg, N.J./North Hunterdon) is seventh in the 400 hurdles (55.45) and eighth in the 110 (15.07). Justin Gibbs (sr. Pottstown/Pottstown) is seeded sixth in the 110 hurdles (15.01) and Jason Rowles (so. Broomall/Marple Newtown) is eighth in the 400 hurdles with a time of 55.87.

The 1,600 relay squad is seeded third with a time of 3:17.52, while the men’s 400 relay is seeded eighth, with a time of 42.44.

KU’s results from the meet will be available at this link.

April 29, 2008

ARBOGAST EARNS PSAC EAST PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Kutztown University softball pitcher Katlin Arbogast (so. Ambler/Wissahickon) was named PSAC East pitcher of the week for her efforts on the mound this past week.

Arbogast went 4-1 with a 0.54 ERA and allowed only two runs in 26 innings pitched, both coming in a 2-1 loss to Lock Haven. She pitched 12 shutout innings against Shippensburg, while striking out 12 and allowing four hits. She also pitched final two innings of a nine-inning battle with West Chester to record the 4-2 victory. She followed that performance by throwing five scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory over the Golden Rams, helping clinch KU's second consecutive PSAC East crown.

This is the sophomore hurler's second pitcher of the week award, as she previously achieved the feat on March 18.

Arbogast will look to lead KU at the PSAC Championships on May 1-3 hosted by Lock Haven University. To view the PSAC Championship site, (click here)

April 29, 2008

KUTZTOWN BASEBALL TO BATTLE FOR PSAC TITLE

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University baseball team is headed to Lancaster, Pa., for the 2008 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Playoffs this Wednesday through Saturday, April 30 to May 3, at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The No. 2 seed from the PSAC East, the Golden Bears will take on Indiana (Pa.), the No. 2 seed from the PSAC West, on Thursday at 9 a.m. it will be the third game of the tournament. Games in the six-team, double-elimination tournament begin Wednesday at 4 p.m., with East No. 1 Millersville taking on West No. 3 Slippery Rock and West No. 1 Shippensburg takes on East No. 3 West Chester on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

At stake in the tournament is the PSAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Championship tournament.

If KU defeats IUP, the Golden Bears will face the winner of the Millersville/Slippery Rock game at 6 p.m. Thursday. If KU loses, it will play the loser of the Shippensburg/West Chester game at 3 p.m. Thursday.

The rest of the tournament schedule is determined by how many teams remain after Thursday’s games. Contests resume at noon on Friday and continue through Saturday’s championship round. Tickets are $7 for adults for all-day passes, while current students at PSAC member institutions will be admitted free with a valid ID.

KU has qualified for the PSAC playoffs in each of the past five seasons, and in nine of the last 12 years. In the last 10 years, the Golden Bears have won the PSAC title in 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2006, while placing second in 2001 and 2004. KU’s first PSAC title was in 1966.

The Golden Bears are 25-23 overall and finished the PSAC East with a record of 11-9. KU won seven of its last 10 division contests to enter the playoffs on a roll. KU is under the direction of sixth-year head coach Chris Blum, who has a career record of 219-93.

The Golden Bears have been led by solid pitching as the young lineup has come along late in the season. KU has a 3.78 team earned-run average and a .287 team batting average.

Starting pitchers Darin Gorski (so. Mount Joy/Donegal), Philip Rummel (sr. Exeter/West-Mont Christian), Derick Reis (sr. Jim Thorpe/Jim Thorpe) and Garrison Rausch (sr. Allentown/Parkland) comprise KU’s rotation.

Gorski is 8-2 with a 2.19 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 65.2 innings pitched. Rummel is 4-5 with a 3.42 ERA and 49 Ks in 55.1 innings pitched. One of those two are expected to start vs. IUP Thursday. Reis is 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 43.2 innings. Rausch is 1-3 with a 6.57 ERA and 30 Ks in 38.1 innings.

Other pitchers who saw action in PSAC East games this season include Justin Jachowicz (sr. Summit Hill/Panther Valley) (0-3, save, 3.44 ERA), Trent Mertz (fr. Kutztown/Kutztown) (1-0, save, 2.08 ERA), Mike Bucklin (so. Shillington/Governor Mifflin) (2-0, 3.60 ERA), Jason Herr (fr. Harrisburg/C.D. East) (0-2, 3.60 ERA) and Jordan Smith (fr. New Milford/Blue Ridge) (1-1, 5.02 ERA).

The Golden Bears are led at the plate by OF Chad Lightcap (jr. Boyertown/Boyertown), who is hitting .383 with 39 runs scored, 34 RBIs and five home runs. Rausch, who plays center field when not pitching, is hitting .188 with eight RBIs. Corey Buletza (fr. St. Clair/Pottsville) (.301, HR, 21 RBIs) and Jeff Kistle (fr. Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny) (.230, 10 RBI) split time in the outfield as well.

The infield is led by the third-baseman platoon of James Quigley (fr. Bensalem/Bensalem) and Mike Dugan (r-fr. Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City). Quigley is hitting .329 with 12 RBIs, while Dugan is hitting .291 with a home run and 17 RBIs. Second baseman Mike Kacelowicz (so. Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) is hitting .302 with a home run and 17 RBIs. Jared Frey (so. Mohrsville/Schuylkill Valley) is hitting .282 with 17 RBIs at first base, while Mark Renda (r-fr. Lansdale/North Penn) (.250, 16 RBIs) and Brett Wigder (fr. Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) (.289, 18 RBIs) share time at short stop.

Matt Kulbacki (so. Hershey/Hershey) and Scott Kacelowicz (so. Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) are the catchers. Kulbacki is hitting .299 with seven homers and 29 RBIs. Kacelowicz hits .298 with nine RBIs.

KU’s first-round opponent is Indiana (Pa.) (West No. 2, 36-17, 13-7 PSAC West). It will be the teams’ first meeting since 1997. The Crimson Hawks are led by head coach Jeff Ditch. IUP is making its first appearance in the PSAC playoffs since 1998, clinching a berth in the tournament with a 5-1 win over California on Saturday. That win also gave the Crimson Hawks a new single season record with 36 victories, topping the previous mark of 35 set in 1990 when the team won its fifth and most recent PSAC championship.

The offense has been the strength of the team this season, entering the postseason with a team batting average of .330 and school records of 98 doubles and 41 home runs to go along with 30 triples. Shayne Busti has belted 11 homers, one shy of the school record, and set an IUP mark with 60 RBIs. T.J. Nichols (.415) and Paul Bingham (.407) are the two leading hitters while Bingham has a team best 20 of IUP's 90 stolen bases. Colby Betz paces the pitching staff with a 7-0 record and 50 strikeouts in 54.1 innings while twin brother Corey combined with Shane Melhorn for nine saves.

The other PSAC Championship participants are:

Shippensburg (West No. 1, 33-21, 14-6 PSAC West), the defending PSAC champion, is making its sixth consecutive appearance in the PSAC Baseball Championship and its 25th overall. The Red Raiders have captured a total of 16 conference championships, including 10 tournament titles. Shippensburg has won three of last eight PSAC championships, taking home the title in 2000, 2003 and 2007. This season marked the Red Raiders’ first outright Western Division championship in their four years since moving from the East to the West in 2005. Leading the way for the Red Raiders this season are senior Justin Garber and junior Matt Wright. Offensively, Garber is batting a team-high .441 with 86 hits, just five shy of the school record of 91 set by Chad Stecker ’05 in 2004. Already the school’s career hits leader with 269, Garber needs only 15 to tie Mansfield’s Greg Robertson for the all-time PSAC record. The school’s all-time leader in strikeouts, Wright needs just four more to become only the third player in PSAC history to total 300. He already holds the school record with 296. Wright has totaled 112 strikeouts this season and needs just two more to break the school record of 113 set by Evan Englebrook ’04 in 2004.

Slippery Rock (West No. 3, 25-21, 12-8 PSAC West) will be making its third straight trip to the PSAC Baseball Championships … The Rock seeks to improve upon its No. 3 finish in both 2006 and 2007 … SRU seeks its first PSAC title since 2001 … SRU enters the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed from the Western Division for the second straight year after being the division’s No. 2 seed in 2006 … Rock was one of four teams to earn a share of 2005 PSAC-West title but was denied conference tournament berth by tiebreaker system … SRU did not earn conference playoff berth in 2004 after being conference runners-up in 2003 … Rock went on to win regional title and fourth trip to Division II World Series in 2003 … Jeff Messer has now led Rock to 18 conference tournament appearances in 23 seasons as Rock’s head coach … Messer is PSAC’s all-time leader in career wins with 724-414-4 mark and ranks second among all Pennsylvania collegiate head coaches in career victories behind only former Temple boss James Wilson (1,034 wins in 46 seasons).

Millersville (East No. 1, 22-24, 12-8 PSAC East) clinched its first PSAC East regular season division title in eight years after unleashing a sizzling late-season streak. Millersville, which finished last in 2007, began this season by going 6-20 and just 1-12 in games decided by two runs of less. The Marauders then won 16 of their next 18 games to vault atop the PSAC East and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2000. First-year head coach Jon Sheehan, a former catcher for the Marauders who finished his career in 2004, leads a young group of players that includes sophomore Corey Phelan (.320, 5 HR, 35 RBIs, a talented center fielder, and freshman first baseman Derek Kline (.367, 6 HR, 41 RBIs).

West Chester (East No. 3, 38-12, 11-9 PSAC East) set a school mark for wins in the regular-season. The Golden Rams are just one victory shy of the school's all-time single-season mark of 39 victories set in 2006. West Chester has been ranked nationally in the Top 20 all spring in both the Collegiate Baseball coaches' poll and the NCBWA media poll, reaching as high as fifth in the coaches' poll and sixth in media poll. Junior OF Matt Cotellese is second in the PSAC in home runs with 10 and ranks third in batting average at .444. The Rams' right-fielder has not been caught stealing in 19 attempts this year. WCU has been bitten by the injury bug this season, with several key players out of the lineup or battling injuries while still playing. Starting pitching remains the cornerstone of this year's club, led by Chris Powl (7-2, 2.90 ERA) and Jason Bowman (8-1, 2.76).

Complete KU results and links to live Webcasts will be available at kubears.com.

April 29, 2008

KU SOFTBALL TO PLAY FOR PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University softball team will be in search if its first conference championship, when it heads to Lock Haven University for the 2008 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship Tournament Thursday-Saturday, May 1-3.

All of the games of the six-team, double-elimination tournament will be played at Lock Haven’s Lawrence Field.

The No. 1 seed from the PSAC East, the Golden Bears will play the third game of the tournament Thursday at 2:30 p.m. East Stroudsburg (East No. 3) will play California (Pa.) (West No. 2) at 10 a.m. Thursday, followed by Bloomsburg (East No. 2) vs. Indiana (Pa.) (West No. 3) at noon. KU will face the winner of the ESU/Cal game at 2:30, followed by Lock Haven (West No. 1) vs. the winner of Bloomsburg/IUP at 4:30.

The schedule continues with four-games Friday beginning at 10 a.m., and up to three on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. Tickets are $7 for adults for all-day passes, while current students at PSAC member institutions will be admitted free with a valid ID.

At stake in the tournament is the PSAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Championship tournament.

KU is led by a strong offense and a deep pitching staff. KU enters the tournament with a .311 team batting average and a 1.71 team earned-run average. The Golden Bears set a single-season record with 44 wins, finishing the regular season 44-10 overall, 21-3 in the PSAC East. The Division title was the second straight and third overall for head coach Judy Lawes.

This is Kutztown’s fifth-straight PSAC Playoff appearance and the 13^th for Lawes. In last season’s PSAC tournament, KU finished as the runner up. KU has finished as the runner-up on four occasions (1988, 1989, 1996, 2007).

The offense is led by the trio of C/SS Ashley Fitzgerald (jr. Kitchener, Ont/Resurrection), 1B Steph Denlinger (jr. Harleysville/Souderton) and 3B Krista Cameron (jr. Formosa, Ont./Sacred Heart). Fitzgerald leads the PSAC in batting average (.456) and shares the league lead in RBIs (54). She has 14 homers and a KU single-season record 23 RBIs. Denlinger is hitting .362, with a PSAC-best 15 home runs and 53 RBIs. She has been walked 39 times. Cameron is hitting .341 with five homers and 35 RBIs.

Second baseman Kim Morrison (jr. Newmarket, Ont./Sir William Mulock) and short stop Krista Tedjeske (fr. Summerhill/Forest Hills) complete the infield. Morrison is hitting .290 with three homers and 16 RBIs, while Tedjeske is hitting .258 with two homers and 21 RBIs. Caitlin Hague (sr. Lansdale/North Penn) has 35 starts, at catcher/designated player, and is hitting .272 with a homer and 12 RBIs.

The outfield consists of Maria Schiavo (so. Old Forge/Old Forge) (320, 17 RBIs), Kathy Gregg (sr. Narvon/Garden Spot) (.312, 6 HR, 21 RBIs) and Maggie Reifsnyder (fr. Philadelphia/Little Flower) (.278, 4 HR, 10 RBIs).

Katlin Arbogast (so. Ambler/Wissahickon) is the ace of the pitching staff. She is 22-6 with a 1.47 earned-run average. She has struck out 217 batters in 162.0 innings pitched. Monica Glomb (fr. Mars/Mars) and Mary Hoch (fr. Somerton/St. Hubert) have been a welcome addition to the staff. Glomb is 10-4 with a 2.02 ERA, striking out 99 in 100.2 innings. Hoch is 9-0 with a 1.61 ERA and 47 Ks in 69.2 innings.

Below are capsules of the other five teams.

Bloomsburg (East No. 2, 44-7, 19-5 PSAC East) will be looking to claim its 15^th PSAC championship this week when it travels to Lock Haven for the conference tournament. The Huskies, 44-7, will be looking for their first PSAC title since 2002. Bloomsburg is led offensively by junior Tara Reed who is hitting .423 with a homer and 29 RBI, and freshman Lacy Mauro who is batting .403 with 25 RBI. In the circle, Bloomsburg’s 1-2 punch is led by Ashley Lynn who has a 20-3 record with a 0. 94 ERA and Sheelin Fisher who is 15-2 with a 0.98 ERA.

California (Pa.) (West No. 2, 26-14, 12-8 PSAC West), since 1994 has been a staple at the PSAC softball tournament and this year will be no different as Rick Bertagnolli led the 2008 Vulcans to their 15th straight PSAC tournament. The 2008 Vulcans are led by the arms of Sonia Petrosoniak and Maria Greco who combined for 168 strikeouts, and have allowed only 25 earned runs in 177.1 innings. Offensively, California is let by Julie Mackenzie and Nicole Bellavance who have combined for 71 hits, and 41 RBIs. California looks to return to their PSAC dominance that led the Vulcans to 11 straight PSAC West titles, and 11 straight NCAA Tournament Berths.

East Stroudsburg (East No. 3, 17-28, 1-13 PSAC East) is making its second straight PSAC softball tournament appearance after last qualifying for postseason play in 1981. The Warriors are led by senior pitcher Kristen Halvorsen, who has started 11 of the last 12 games, and has a 13-15 record with a 2.19 ERA. Three players are hitting better than .300 this season in senior 1B Ali Hale (.317), senior C/DH Eliza Morosco (.316) and freshman 2B/DH Brittany Racek (.315). Hale and senior 3B Candice Pastor lead the Warriors with 17 runs batted in, and Racek has scored a team-high 24 runs.\

Indiana (Pa.) (West No. 3, 16-24, 12-8 PSAC West) is in the PSAC tournament for the fourth time in the past six years and eighth time since 1998. IUP advanced to the championship game in 2001 but is still seeking its first conference title. The Crimson Hawk pitching staff is headed by redshirt freshman Erin Holloway, who set a school record this season with 187 strikeouts. She had 18 against Clarion to tie the PSAC record and post the second most ever by a Division II pitcher in a seven inning game. Kristen Tunno is the leading hitter with a .345 average while Sam Goettman paces the team with 23 RBIs. IUP is the only team to defeat Lock Haven in PSAC West play this season with a 10-inning 2-1 win on April 15.

Lock Haven (West No. 1, 38-6, 17-1 PSAC West), for the third time in as many seasons, enters the PSAC tournament as the top seed. LHU is currently manning down the No. 3 spot on the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, as they trail Barry and Angelo State. At the plate, the trio of Sarah Norris, Amanda Roosa and Erica Eisenbise make Lock Haven's offense the fourth most potent in the conference. Junior hurler Kristin Erb is slowly making her way to the top of nearly every conference and national list as she boasts a 34-6 record with a .34 ERA and 323 strikeouts coming into this weekends' tournament.

Results of Kutztown’s games will be available at this link.

April 27, 2008

KU BASEBALL, SOFTBALL HEADED TO PSAC PLAYOFFS

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University baseball and softball teams have both qualified for the upcoming Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships. On Sunday, the PSAC announced the seedings for both tournaments.

The Golden Bear softball team has known for some time it had qualified for the PSACs, but did not clinch its second-straight PSAC East title and No. 1 seed from the division until this past Friday and Saturday, the final weekend of the regular season.

KU (44-10, 21-3 PSAC East) will head to Lock Haven for the conference tournament. Action gets underway on Thursday. KU is scheduled to play the third game of the day at 2:30 p.m., against the winner of game one, California (Pa.) (No. 2, West) vs. East Stroudsburg (No. 3, East).

Lock Haven (No. 1, West) will face the winner of the Bloomsburg (No. 2 East) vs. Indiana (Pa.) (No 3, West) game. The tournament continues through Saturday. Daily tickets for the tournament are $7 for adults, $2 for students. Students currently enrolled at PSAC member institutions will be admitted free with a valid student ID.

KU’s baseball team won three of four games vs. West Chester in the final weekend of the season to clinch a PSAC playoff berth.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 30, and continue through Saturday, May 3 at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pa. The official tournament schedule, including order and times of all the games, will be released by the league office Monday morning.

Kutztown (25-21, 11-9 PSAC East) will be the No. 2 seed from the East, and will face Indiana (Pa.) (No. 2, West). The other first-round games will feature Millersville (No. 1, East) vs. Slippery Rock (No. 3, West) and Shippensburg (No. 1, West) vs. West Chester (No. 3, East).

All seating for the tournament at Clipper Magazine Stadium will be general admission. The purchase of one $7 ticket will admit a fan to all games played that day.

More information about the tournaments will be posted to the Golden Bear Web site at kubears.com, as it becomes available.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Kutztown University tennis player Arpit Sharma (so. Kolkata, INDIA) was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week.

Sharma went 1-0 on the week in No. 1 singles, as he defeated Andrew Pollack of West Chester 6-3, 6-3. Sharma followed that with a No. 1 doubles victory to combine with teammate Andy Torreabla to defeat West Chester's Matt Thomas and Andrew Pollack, 8-6.

Sharma and the rest of the Golden Bears will next travel to the PSAC Championships, hosted by Bloomsburg University on April 24-25.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Kutztown University’s Ashley Fitzgerald (jr. Kitchener, Ont./Resurrection), of the softball team, was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Player of the Week.

Fitzgerald, a catcher/shortstop, led KU to a 6-0 week, with wins over Shippensburg, Millersville and West Chester. The junior hit .667 (10-for-15) to go along with eight RBIs and four runs scored. She hit safely in each contest, running her hitting streak to 12 games. She had four multi-hit games on the week, including a 2-for-2 performance against Millersville where she drove in the only run of the game. Earlier in the doubleheader against the Marauders, Fitzgerald was 3-for-4 with a three-run walk-off homer in the fifth inning.

For the season, Fitzgerald is hitting .446 (54-for-121) with 13 home runs, 41 RBI and a .917 slugging percentage. All four are tops in the PSAC. She has 18 doubles this season, bringing her career total to 48, a KU record.

The Golden Bears, ranked No. 10 in Division II by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and No. 2 in the Mid-Atlantic Region by the NCAA, are 36-6 overall, 13-1 in the PSAC East. KU returns to action Wednesday at Mansfield for a doubleheader at 2:30 p.m.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University softball team is ranked No.2 in the first NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Poll of the season, as announced by the NCAA.

The team is coming off a week in which it went 7-1, highlighted by the doubleheader sweep of No. 3 Bloomsburg University (5-1, 2-1).

Of the 10 squads ranked in the poll, all but one hail from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Ahead of KU in the poll is defending national runner-up Lock Haven, which holds a perfect 8-0 record in the region, while KU is 9-1 in regional play.

Behind KU are Shippensburg, California (Pa.) and West Chester. The Golden Bears swept Shippensburg on April 7, 6-5 and 2-0. KU will host West Chester Friday in a doubleheader. KU also (32-6, 9-1) hosts both Bloomsburg and Lock Haven in the coming weeks, with Bloomsburg coming to town on April 18, and Lock Haven visiting KU on April 22.

No. 9 Bowie State, representing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), is the only non-PSAC school in the regional poll, and has a regional record of 12-6.

Last season, KU played host to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament, where it went 1-2 and finished fifth. Lock Haven won the tournament, and eventually fell in the NCAA Championship game to SIU-Edwardsville.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University football team will provide a preview of the 2008 season this Saturday, April 12, with the annual Maroon and Gold Scrimmage at University Field.

The Golden Bears, under third-year head coach Raymond Monica, are coming off a 5-6 season in 2007. KU returns 16 starters and 56 letter-winners from last year’s team, including All-PSAC East selections OG Darrell Martin (sr. Stroudsburg/Stroudsburg), TE Dan Onorato (sr. Malvern/Malvern Prep), RB/return specialist Dontay Wilson (jr. Stamford, Conn./Stamford), safety Mike Gardier (jr. Dunmore/Dunmore) and punter Ryan Nye (sr. Bernville/Holy Name).

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University softball team has moved up eight spots in the National Collegiate Fastpitch Association Division II softball poll from No. 18 to No. 10.

The team is coming off a week in which it went 7-1, highlighted by the doubleheader sweep of then-No. 8 at Bloomsburg University with wins of 5-1 and 2-1.

Overall, there are three nationally ranked teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). National runner-up Lock Haven is ranked No. 2, KU is ranked No. 10, and Bloomsburg now sits at No. 18.

KU (32-6, 9-1) hosts both Bloomsburg and Lock Haven in the coming weeks, with Bloomsburg coming to town on April 18, and Lock Haven visiting KU on April 22.

KU will next host West Chester University in a doubleheader on Friday at North Campus Field. The first pitch is slated for 1:30 pm.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Kutztown University women's tennis player Barbara Joerns (So. Ludwigshafen, GERMANY) was named PSAC East tennis player of the week for her efforts last week in matches against Millersville and East Stroudsburg.

Joerns went 4-0 on the week in No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. The Golden Bear sophomore's most dominating performance of the week came as she defeated Kari Arrants of Millersville 6-4, 6-1.On the season, Joerns is now 6-4 in singles matches, and 5-7 in doubles matches.

The KU tennis teams will be back in action April 8 as it plays host to Bloomsburg University at 3:30 p.m. from Keystone Courts.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Kutztown University freshman thrower Ashley Pinter (fr. Bethlehem/Liberty) was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Field Event Athlete of the Week for her efforts at the PSAC East Challenge this past week.

Pinter led the Golden Bears with two first-place finishes at the challenge, taking the top spots in the discus (122-1) and hammer (143-6). Additionally, she finished fourth in the shot put with a toss of 37-1.25. Her mark in the discus throw is the fourth-best by a conference, and already holds to top distance in the conference in the hammer throw.

KU's track and field team will return to action on April 11 as it travels to the Bucknell Bison Invitational to compete on Friday and Saturday.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Kutztown University baseball players Chad Lightcap (jr. Boyertown/Boyertown) and Darin Gorski (so. Mount Joy/Donegal) were named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for their efforts this past week.

Lightcap was 8-for-13 (.615) on the week. The outfielder/designated hitter scored two runs, ripped a double and had four RBIs. On Saturday, he was 4-for-6, accounting for four of KU's 10 hits on the day against Mansfield. In Sunday's twinbill vs. Mansfield, Lightcap was 4-for-7,with two runs scored and four RBI.

On the year, Lightcap is hitting .444 with five home runs and 23 RBIs. This is his second PSAC East Hitter of the Week honor on the season, as he previously accomplished the feat on March 21.

Gorski went 1-0 on the week, throwing a complete-game three-hitter Sunday against Mansfield. The southpaw had perfect game for 6.1 innings until a single broke up the bid for perfection in the away half of the sixth. He struck out five and allowed only one earned in the 3-1 victory.

With the win, Gorksi improves to 5-2 on the year with a 2.82 ERA. This is the hurler's second PSAC East Pitcher of the Week award, as he previously received the honor on March 18.

Lightcap, Gorski, and the rest of the Golden Bears return to action Monday, April 7 at 1 p.m. for a doubleheader at Lincoln University.