AMCC BB Preseason Poll

2006 BASEBALL
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

FROSTBURG STATE IS COACHES' CHOICE
TO WIN BASEBALL CROWN

Frostburg State University is expected to claim its fourth baseball championship in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in 2006. Seven out ten AMCC coaches voted the Bobcats to finish first, followed by Penn State Behrend and defending champion Pitt-Bradford. The winner of the AMCC tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Penn St. Altoona shortstop Tony Petulla (Osceola Mills, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola HS) is the coaches' selection as Preseason Player of the Year. The AMCC Co-Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2005, Petulla was a member of the all-conference first team last season. He was the league batting champ, hitting .419, and also led the conference in slugging percentage (.705), RBI (48) and HR (8), and ranked second in on-base percentage (.490).

The other Co-Player of the Year, Frostburg State's Billye Hollister (Waldorf, MD/Thomas Stone HS) is the AMCC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Also a first-team all-conference selection, the senior southpaw posted a 7-3 record in 2005 with 5 complete games. He had the best league ERA (1.75) to go with 80 strikeouts in 81.2 innings pitched.

AMCC BASEBALL POLL
Preseason Rankings*

1.) Frostburg State (1)
2.) Penn State Behrend (2)
3.) Pitt-Bradford (4)
4.) La Roche (3)
5.) Pitt-Greensburg (5)
6.) Penn State Altoona (6)
7.) Medaille (7)
8.) Lake Erie (9)
9.) Mount Aloysius (8)
10.) Hilbert (10)

* Number in parentheses is order of regular season finish in 2005

Preseason Player of the Year
TONY PETULLA - PENN ST. ALTOONA

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
BILLYE HOLLISTER - FROSTBURG ST.

FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
Head Coach Chris McKnight (7th year)
2005: 17-1 AMCC, 29-13 overall

SO DH Andrew Speights (Stafford, VA/Brooke Point HS)...2005 AMCC Newcomer of the Year...Ranked #2 in the conference in RBI (40)...#5 in BA (.390), hits (53) and total bases (74).

SR LHP Billye Hollister (Waldorf, MD/Thomas Stone HS)...2005 AMCC Co-Player of the Year...first team All-AMCC...conference best ERA (1.75)...80 strikeouts in 81.2 IP...7-3 record with 5 complete games.

HILBERT COLLEGE
Head Coach Randy Cialone (2nd year)
2005: 1-17 AMCC, 1-24 overall

SR OF Matt Markott (Angola, NY/Lake Shore HS)...Hit .281 last season with a .391 slugging percentage.

FR P Steve Morasco (Memphis, NY/Jordan-Elbridge HS)...First team WNY All-Section III as a high school senior.

LA ROCHE COLLEGE
Head Coach Rich Pasquale (4th year)
2005: 12-6 AMCC, 22-16 overall

JR C Nick Wendell (Everett, PA/Bedford HS)...AMCC First Team All-Conference in 2005...hit .348, .435 slugging percentage, .417 on base percentage...team captain for second year...scouted by the Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians for the June draft.

JR SS Luke McCoy (Loretto, PA/Penn Cambria HS)...AMCC honorable mention last season...hit .363 with a .407 slugging percentage...responsible for 32 double plays...has played every inning of every game in his first two seasons with the Redhawks.

LAKE ERIE COLLEGE
Head Coach Ken Krsolovic (3rd Year)
2005: 2-16 AMCC, 7-23 overall

SO OF Rocky Pfisterer (Akron, OH/Akron Green HS)...Hit .296 in 38 games and 135 AB...team leader in hits (40), doubles (11), RBI (21), and total bases (61)...in top three on team in AB, runs (16), HR (3), and stolen bases (5)...6 outfield assists as a freshman.

SR C/DH Dawson Knight (Conneaut, OH/Conneaut HS)...Among top five on team in BA (.297), hits (33), doubles (6), RBI (14), total bases (39), and OB percentage (.405) through 38 games as a junior.

MEDAILLE COLLEGE
Head Coach Ron Nero (2nd Year)
2005: 7-11 AMCC, 11-23-1 overall

No information provided.

MOUNT ALOYSIUS COLLEGE
Head Coach Garrett Sidor ( year)
2005: 6-12 AMCC, 8-20-1 overall

SR C/3B Brandon Bryner (Connellsville, PA/Connellsville HS)...Team co-MVP in 2005...batted .309...5 for 5 in stolen base attempts.

SR P Joey Hinton (Martinsburg, PA/Central HS)...3-5 record last season...31 Ks in 38 innings...team co-MVP.

PENN STATE ALTOONA
Head Coach Joe Piotti (10th year)
2005: 9-9 AMCC, 17-19 overall

JR SS Tony Petulla (Osceola Mills, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola HS)...2005 AMCC Co-Player of the Year as a sophomore...league batting champ, hitting .419...also led the conference in slugging percentage (.705), RBI (48) and HR (8), second in on-base percentage (.490).

SR OF Andy Bagley (Altoona, PA/Altoona Area HS)...All-conference honorable mention last season...hit .371 while contributing 37 runs scored and 9 stolen bases.

PENN STATE BEHREND
Head Coach Paul Benim (11th year)
2005: 12-6 AMCC, 27-17 overall

SR OF Shane Elzer (Washington, PA/Trinity HS)...Two time AMCC all-conference selection...2004 ABCA Mid-Atlantic Team member...hit .344 and led the league in triples (4) last year...also contributed 2 HR and 36 RBI.

JR P Chris McCartney (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin HS)...5-4 record in 2005...second in AMCC in limiting opponents' BA to .210...61 IP with a 2.93 ERA...league best ERA in 2004.

PITT-BRADFORD
Head Coach Bret Butler (8th year)
2005: 12-6 AMCC, 26-16 overall

SR RF Justin Schoening (DuBois, PA/DuBois HS)...All-AMCC second team in 2005...hit 331 with 6 HR and 29 RBI.

SR DH Ryan Snyder (Aliquippa, PA/Hopewell HS)...Last year's stats included .333 BA, 5 HR, 32 RBI.

PITT-GREENSBURG
Head Coach Joe Hill (4th year)
2005: 12-6 AMCC, 21-21 overall

JR OF/P Dustin Mills (Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills HS)...First team All-AMCC and ECAC South Region All-Star last season...batted .388 with 29 runs, 52 hits, 23 RBI and 11 doubles.

JR P Mark Swetz (Greensburg, PA/Bishop McCort HS)...Named to AMCC honorable mention team last season...8-2 record overall, 6-1 in conference, plus one playoff win...2.06 ERA with 52 Ks in 65.2 IP...held opposing batters to .218 BA.