KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University and Owls Field in West Lawn, Pennsylvania will play host to the NCAA Atlantic Region on May 17-20. 
 
Tournament Page (includes ticket prices, live stats, directions and team information)
 
The Golden Bears will play the final game of the tournament's first day, with a contest against Mercyhurst slated for a 6 p.m. start. 
 
The game marks a return to the NCAA postseason for KU after a string of 10 straight trips was snapped a year ago.
 
Kutztown features a balance of offense and pitching has led the Golden Bears' resurgence.  Seven players with at least 50 at bats are batting over .300, while six pitchers with at least 15 innings of work are under a 3.00 earned run average.
 
Offensively, senior Shayne Houck (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) continues to lead KU.   The two-time PSAC East Athlete of the Year and 2010 Atlantic Region Player of the Year holds career records at Kutztown in runs scored (213), hits (253), runs batted in (201), doubles (62), home runs (44), and total bases (453).  The third baseman's 213 runs scored and 44 home runs are also PSAC records.  This season, Houck is batting .342 with 13 doubles, nine homers, 48 RBIs, and 32 walks.
 
Joining Houck on the left side of the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East infield is Cody Montz (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Schuylkill Haven) (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Schuylkill Haven), who leads the team with a .345 batting average, 41 runs scored, 58 hits and 19 stolen bases.  He also has nine doubles, two homers and 24 RBIs at shortstop for KU.
 
Catcher Matt Albaugh (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) was named All-PSAC this season after batting .336 with 30 RBIs, second on the team. 
 
In the outfield, Brad Stoudt (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) (Topton, Pa./Brandywine Heights) earned an All-PSAC nod and checks in with a .328 batting average, five doubles, five triples, two homers, 29 RBIs and 10 steals. 
 
Sean McCormick (West Chester, PA/Henderson) (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) has been one of the toughest hitters in Division II to strike out, going down on strikes just five times in 114 at bats.  He is batting .325 on the year.  Todd Rubendall (Collegeville, PA/Methacton) (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) splits time at catcher with Albaugh and sports a .302 average. 
 
On the mound, Dominick Ruscitti (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville-Newbaugh/Dominican College) (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville-Newbaugh) was selected to the All-PSAC East team after going 7-2 with a 2.39 ERA in 64 innings.  He struck out 42 and walked just 17 with one complete game shutout to his credit. 
 
J.R. Seader (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway/ Maryland-Baltimore County) (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway), Trent Mertz (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), and Damon Valloreo (Vincentown, N.J./Burlington CCC) (Vincentown, N.J.) have each started at least eight games for KU this season and each player has three wins on the season.  Mertz is second on the team with 37 strikeouts and also has two saves on the year. 
 
Jason Henderson (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) leads the team with six saves in 18 appearances, all in relief.  He has a 2.88 ERA and 34 strikeouts in just 25 innings.  He leads a deep bullpen that also features Tom Neely (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan), Connor Wing (West Chester, PA/Unionville) (West Chester, Pa./Unionville), Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights) (Mertztown, Pa./Brandywine Heights) and Billy Felo (Dauphin, PA/Central Dauphin/Chesapeake College) (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin).
 
Neely has made the most recent three of his 15 appearances as a starter and has a 2.15 ERA in 37.2 innings and is tied with Ruscitti for the team lead with seven victories.  Wing is second on the team with 16 appearances and has a 1.74 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 31 innings.  Stoudt has tallied a 1.82 ERA over 29.2 innings of work and Felo has allowed just two earned runs in 18.2 innings for a 0.96 ERA. 
 
KU's first round opponent in the NCAA Atlantic Regional is Mercyhurst, a team that has 38 victories on the year. 
 
The Lakers offense is led by the current PSAC West Player and Rookie of the Year winners and a former PSAC West Player of the Year.  Shane Latshaw is the reigning PSAC West Player of the Year after unseating teammate Ethan Santora.  Latshaw is batting .369 with 11 homers and 48 runs batted in.  He also has 12 doubles and five triples.  Santora hit .328 this season with five homers and 42 RBIs.  Kolin McMillen was chosen as the PSAC West Rookie of the Year after leading the team with a .391 batting average.
 
Ben Rawding was named the PSAC West Pitcher of the Year with a perfect 9-0 record and a 2.65 ERA in 74.2 innings over 12 starts.  He has struck out 77.  Zach Leitten also has more strikeouts than innings with 65 punch outs in 62.1 innings and leads the team with a 2.45 ERA. 
 
While Laker pitchers have thrown 14 complete games, when the team does turn to the bullpen, Dan Altavilla leads that unit with a 0.93 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 29 innings.
 
The tournament opens on Thursday with top seeded Seton Hill facing Winston-Salem State at 11 a.m.   The Griffins are 42-8 on the year.  Nicholas Sell leads a potent offense with a .403 average, 11 homers and 52 RBIs.  Brad Schnelle leads the pitching staff with a 7-0 record and has a 2.65 ERA in 54.1 innings.  For the Rams, Aaron Jones is batting .466, while German Reyes checks in at .415 with six homers.  Scott Wells and Joseph Herbert are both undefeated on the mound this year, combining to go 11-0.
 
The game between second seeded West Chester and fifth seeded Shepherd follows.  The Golden Rams, winners of 38 games this year, are led by the PSAC East Player of the Year, Joe Wendle.  Wendle is batting .401 with 15 doubles, seven triples, 12 homers, 55 RBIs and 10 steals.  Joe Gunkel is 7-1 in nine starts, while Kyle Weary has a 1.38 ERA and five saves.  Shepherd's offense is led by Nathan Minnich, who has an eye-popping .493 average, 21 homers and 70 RBIs.  Paul Hvozdovic has a team-high 10 wins and a 2.57 ERA in 101.2 innings over 16 starts.