KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team will square off with Mercyhurst University on Wednesday, May 8 at 9:30 a.m. at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pa. for the opening round of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
· All-Session Passes: $7
· PSAC Students with ID: Free
 (All tickets are general admission and available at the gate)
 
REGULAR SEASON RECAP: Kutztown finished the regular season at 31-14. This strong mark was a boosted by a 16-1 stretch from March 19 to April 6, including an 11-game winning streak that marked the program's best since 2010. Also of note, KU began the season 11-1 in the PSAC East before losing eight of the last 12. Those 12 games came against the other three Eastern Division representatives in this tournament. However, KU owned a 1-4 record in games decided by two runs or fewer, indicating the Golden Bears were a few clutch hits away from a better mark.
 
PSAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: With the second seed in the Eastern Division, the Golden Bears will look to win their first PSAC Championship since 2008. In PSAC history, KU won six conference titles in its baseball history (1966, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008). Shippensburg leads all schools with 12 titles. West Chester took the crown last year en route to winning the 2012 Division II National Championship. The Golden Rams will defend as the Eastern Division fourth seed.
 
TIMELY HITS ARE A THING OF BEAUTY, PART 1: The Golden Bears put together a stellar 16-1 stretch earlier this season in large part due to their timely hitting. Kutztown bats .329 with runners in scoring position, as opposed to .271 for its opponents. KU defeated Barton on March 20 in extras after a five-run 12th inning. Meanwhile, in PSAC play, Kutztown won three of its first five home games in walk-off fashion. All three of these conference wins occurred in comeback fashion. Of the team's 15 come-from-behind victories this season, 10 came during the 16-1 stretch.
 
TIMELY HITS ARE A THING OF BEAUTY, PART 2: The team also loves to play two-out bingo. KU plated 97 two-out RBI this season (about 2.2 runs/gm). This includes a season-high nine such RBI against Adelphi on April 3. Eight different players hit at least eight two-out RBI so far, led by 11 from a trio of player (John Dockins (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson (Frederick CC)), Brandon Martinez (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) and Kyle Stoudt (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights)). KU's opponents total 47 two-out RBI so far. KU bats .278 with two outs, while opponents are batting only .243.
 
IN-DEPTH: While Kutztown lacks a dominant statistical player, the Golden Bears sport a very deep and productive roster. Eight batters (with at least 45 AB) are hitting .300 or better, while eight post an on-base percentage of .400 or better. On the flip side, of the 19 pitchers to appear for the Golden Bears this season, 14 won at least one game. Seven pitchers with at least 11 innings of work own a 3.00 ERA or lower. Meanwhile, five pitchers (11 innings or more) own a batting average allowed under .250. The team pitches better from the bullpen, even for those who have started games. KU's batting average allowed drops from .314 to .229 when going to the 'pen.