KUTZTOWN, Pa. (April 28, 2011) – The Kutztown University baseball team is playing with an abundance of confidence late in its season. It has fought for its playoff lives in each of the last five weekends and now holds a strong chance of making a return trip to the postseason for the 11th consecutive season.
The final chapter in KU's rainy, yet eventful regular season will be written this weekend as it is set to face Bloomsburg University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup. KU will travel to Bloomsburg on Friday and return home Saturday; both days are doubleheaders set to begin at 1:00 p.m.
Saturday's game at North Campus Field will mark Senior Day for five Golden Bears. James Quigley (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem), Jonathan Grosse (Bayport, NY/Bayport-Bluepoint), Trevor Rosenberg (Sweetwater, N.J./Oakcrest/George Mason), Mike Dugan (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) and Tyler Persun (Mount Joy, PA/Donegal) will play their final game on their home field Saturday and will be honored before the opening game.
Kutztown (20-15 overall, 10-10 PSAC East) is coming off an outstanding series against West Chester. KU played well from all angles over the extended weekend and was able to outlast the Golden Rams, taking three of four games. This was the second consecutive year KU took three of four from WCU.
Its latest success has Kutztown right in the middle of the latest PSAC playoff talk. KU is currently third in the Eastern Division with the top four teams in each division moving onto the PSAC Championships in Johnstown, Pa., May 11-14. With rain postponing many of the games around the conference, nothing is guaranteed yet for the Golden Bears who need to continue to build upon its positive momentum this weekend.
Quigley has been one of many Golden Bears playing well lately. One of nine everyday Golden Bears batting above .300, Quigley currently holds a .310 average. The senior was 6-for-12 at the plate in the WCU series and had seven RBIs off six hits. He also had a pair of doubles in Monday's opening game. Quigley is second on the team in doubles (10) and RBIs (26), and third in runs scored (27) and hits (40).
Also with a pair of doubles in the West Chester series was fellow senior Dugan. Dugan batted .385 against WCU, increasing his season average to .357. He co-leads the team in hits (45) and is second on the team in runs scored (32) and fifth in RBIs (20). He also has a team-leading two triples and currently holds a season-high six-game hitting streak.
Despite only playing 35 games, the fewest among PSAC schools besides Mansfield, the Golden Bears still rank in the top three in most offensive categories in the conference. Entering Monday's final two games against West Chester, KU ranks second in the PSAC in team batting average (.328) and is third in runs scored (255), hits (362), doubles (67) and home runs (18).
A major contributor to the KU lineup this season has been junior left fielder Shayne Houck (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown). Houck is batting .369 this season, good for second on the team. His power hitting has not gone unnoticed this spring as he has continued to get be a nightmare for opposing pitchers at the top of the lineup. Along with holding an outstanding .713 slugging percentage, Houck leads KU in doubles (12) and home runs (10).
Houck has 34 career homers and is second on the Kutztown all-time home run list. He is three away from tying John Rozich with 37. Along with leading the PSAC this season, Houck is also ninth on the all-time PSAC leader board in homers.
The Golden Bears took three of four games from Bloomsburg last season, highlighted by a no-hitter by KU's Nathan Reed (Oley, PA/Oley Valley) in a 13-0 victory on Apr. 18, 2010.
Bloomsburg (18-18, 8-12) is coming off a successful series of its own, taking three of four from Mansfield last weekend. Joey Ianiero leads the Huskies at the plate, batting .392 with 29 RBIs. Jerry Lloyd has also had a productive season for BU. He is batting .314 and leads the team with 38 RBIs.
To take down the Huskies, Kutztown will need production from many of its role players in the lineup. Cody Montz (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Schuylkill Haven) has been consistent all year and leads the team with a .385 batting average. The junior also hit his first collegiate home run earlier this season.
Freshman Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights) has opened a lot of eyes with his play this season. He is batting .364 and has 25 RBIs off 39 hits. Stoudt also has two home runs in 2011 including a solo shot against West Chester.
KU will take the following week off for finals, but will hope to return to action on May 11 for the PSAC Championships.
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The Kutztown University Athletic Department would like to remind Golden Bear fans and followers there are many ways they can follow their favorite team. One can follow the Golden Bears via Facebook, SMS messages and weekly newsletters. One can also check out the photo galleries.
The Facebook page is a good opportunity for Kutztown fans to be updated through the social media. It is also a great chance for fans to show their support with comments and interaction.
Become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kutztown-University-Athletics/24879209924
SMS messages are a good way to get Kutztown news no matter where one is located. One can sign up to get news from any or every sport at Kutztown. Fans will receive final scores as well as special awards and honors earned by Golden Bear teams and student- athletes. Sign up at http://www.kubears.com/member/sms_signup.aspx.
You can also get a weekly newsletter of Kutztown highlights delivered straight to your inbox by signing up at http://www.kubears.com/subscribe.aspx
Photos are available through photo galleries from the last two years at Kutztown. Simply go to http://www.kubears.com/photo_gallery.aspx and choose which sport one would like to view. Galleries are broken down by sports, seasons and games.
The Kutztown University sports information department hopes that everyone has enjoyed all of the new ways to keep up with their favorite team. The SID department hopes people will continue to take advantage of the great resources available.
