AMCC BB Preseason Poll

2009 BASEBALL
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

COACHES PICK BEHREND LIONS
TO WIN BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Garnering 7 of 10 first place votes, Penn State Behrend is expected to successfully defend its Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference baseball title in 2009. The AMCC coaches picked Frostburg State University, a five-time league champion, to finish second Third place is a tie between Pitt-Bradford, last year's runner-up in the title game, and La Roche College, a finalist for the AMCC crown in 2007.

Preseason Player of the Year honors go to Medaille College sophomore outfielder Brandon Lumadue (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca East). A first team all-conference selection as a freshman, Lumadue was the AMCC batting champion with .483 BA. He led the Mavericks in RBI (51), hits (58), triples (5), home runs (8) and total bases (100).

Penn State Behrend senior David Koerbel (Pittsburgh, PA/Central Catholic) is the AMCC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. After helping the Behrend Lions to the league title in 2008, he was named both the AMCC Pitcher and Player of the Year. Koerbel led program with a 5-0 conference record, including 5 complete games. He was nationally ranked in ERA (1.80), wins (8), and strikeouts (73). An all-AMCC for three straight seasons, Koerbel is majoring in MIS.

This season the conference welcomes Franciscan University of Steubenville to its ranks; the Barons are entering year two of NCAA provisional membership. The AMCC kicks off conference play on Saturday, March 21, and the championship will be May 8-10 at the site of the top seed. The winner of the tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

AMCC BASEBALL POLL
Preseason Rankings*

1 - Penn State Behrend (1)
2 - Frostburg State (2)
3 - La Roche (8)
3 - Pitt-Bradford (T-3)
5 - Mount Aloysius (T-6)
6 - Pitt-Greensburg (5)
7 - Penn State Altoona (T-6)
8 - Medaille (9)
9 - Hilbert (10)
10 - Franciscan (N/A)

* Number in parentheses is order of regular season finish in 2008

Preseason Player of the Year
BRANDON LUMADUE
Medaille College

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
DAVID KORBEL
Penn State Behrend

FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY Head Coach Robert Marrow ( year) 2008: 6-19-1 overall
SR P Steve Daly (Chicago, IL/Quigley)...Led the Barons with a 4.50 ERA in 2008...posted a 13:8 (1.625) strikeout to walk ratio. JR 2B Steve Jagla (South Bend, IN/Marian)...Team leader for past two seasons with a .966 fielding percentage...second on team in batting average (.291) and slugging percentage (.342)
FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY Head Coach Guy Robertson (2nd year) 2008: 14-4 AMCC, 22-15 overall
SR 2B Joe Clark (Crozet, VA/Western Albemarle)...AMCC Honorable Mention selection in 2008...started in all 36 games...fifth on the team with a .336 batting average...second on the team with 23 RBI...tied for team lead with 10 doubles...second-best fielding percentage among starters (.982). SR OF Teon Richburg (Baltimore, MD/Mt. St. Joseph)...transfer from Morgan State University.
HILBERT COLLEGE Head Coach Robert Gladwell (3rd year) 2008: 1-17 AMCC, 6-25 overall
SR 1B Brandon Brown (Lyndonville, NY/Lyndonville)...Team-high batting average of .333 in 2008 to produce 18 RBI...also led the Hawks with 5 home runs. SO 3B/P Frank Simmeth (Cheektowaga, NY/St. Mary’s Lancaster)...Batted .306 last season and recorded 11 RBI.
LA ROCHE COLLEGE Head Coach Chase Rowe (3rd year) 2008: 7-11 AMCC, 19-20 overall
JR SS Keith Borman (Pittsburgh, PA/Penn Hills)...First team all-conference selection started all 39 games in 2008...hit .469 with 68 hits, 46 RBI and 91 total bases...slugged 3 HR and 10 doubles...also stole 19 bases. SR 3B Drew Bosco (Beaver Falls, PA/Blackhawk HS)...Second team All-AMCC last season...batted .390 with 32 RBI...recorded 12 doubles and 22 stolen bases.
MEDAILLE COLLEGE Head Coach Paul Smaldone (1st Year) 2008: 6-12 AMCC, 12-22 overall
SO OF Brandon Lumadue (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca East)...First team all-conference as a freshman...AMCC batting leader with .483 BA...led the Mavericks in RBI (51), hits (58), triples (5), home runs (8) and total bases (100). SR P Jason Behnke (North Otton, NY/Little Valley)...Led the team in strikeouts last season with 29.
MOUNT ALOYSIUS COLLEGE Head Coach Kevin Kime (3rd year) 2008: 8-10 AMCC, 20-20 overall
SR OF Dan Clark (Windber, PA/Windber, PA)...First team All-AMCC selection last season...hit .407 in 40 games... led the team in doubles (16) and homeruns (3) while driving in 38 RBI and stealing 19 bases. SO SS Bryan Nolan (Frederick, MD/Thomas Johnson)...Led the Mounties last year with a .443 batting average in 40 games...led the AMCC in stolen bases with 37 while driving in 25 runs.
PENN STATE ALTOONA Head Coach Joe Piotti (13th year) 2008: 8-10 AMCC, 19-23 overall
SR P Paul Keith (Smithmill, PA/Moshannon Valley)...Second team all-conference selection in 2008...posted a 4-4 record and 2.89 ERA...struck out 49 in 53 innings of work. SO 1B Grady Luzier (Forest, PA/West Branch)...All-AMCC honorable mention team as a freshman...batted .400 with 5 home runs and 37 RBI.
PENN STATE BEHREND Head Coach Paul Benim (17th year) 2008: 17-1 AMCC, 34-12 overall
JR 3B Dustin Dubensky (Punxsutawney, PA/Punxsutawney)...First team all-conference selection last season, and earned Behrend's Most Improved Player of the Year Award…posted .365 BA with a team-high 46 RBI (ranked second in AMCC) and a team-best 54 hits…smashed school-record 23 doubles and ranked fifth nationally… two-time All-AMCC Academic Team…majoring in plastics engineering, with a 4.0 GPA in plastics in Fall 2008. SR P Ben Cain (Venetia, PA/Peters Twp.)...Posted 5-0 junior year record with minuscule 0.76 ERA in 16 appearances…led AMCC in saves with five and games finished with 14…struck out 35 and walked only eight in 35 innings…held opponents to a .190 average last spring…three times AMCC All-Academic Team…ranks third on Behrend's all-time list for appearances with 47 … majoring in MIS.
PITT-BRADFORD Head Coach Bret Butler (11th year) 2008: 10-8 AMCC, 23-21 overall
SR P Ben McCracken (Bradford, PA/Bradford Area)...2008 AMCC Honorable Mention team...posted a 4-4 record with a 3.16 ERA...struck out 69 in 62.2 IP...held opposing batters to a .224 average. JR RF Bart McGary (Curwensville, PA/Curwensville)...Panthers' #2 hitter with a .360 BA last season...best team on-base percentage at .510...contributed 25 RBI...his 40 hits included 8 doubles.
PITT-GREENSBURG Head Coach Adam Jack (1st year) 2008: 9-9 AMCC, 16-19 overall
SR SS Matt Stanziano (Pittsburgh, PA/Brashear)...2008 D3 Baseball Pre-Season All-American and AMCC Pre-Season Player of the Year...hit .345...successful on 27 of 29 stolen base attempts...team captain. JR P Mike Zukowski (Natrona Heights, PA/Highlands)...Second team all-conference selection last season...5-1 record plus 3 saves in 14 appearances...2.48 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched.