INDIANA, Pa. - IUP head baseball coach Anthony Rebyanski has announced that six student-athletes have committed to join the Crimson Hawks baseball program beginning in the fall of 2017.

All six student-athletes hail from Pennsylvania. The Crimson Hawks add to their roster three catchers, two pitchers and one infielder.

"We have added six outstanding young men to our roster for next fall," said Rebyanski.  "Catching was the early focus of this year's recruiting class as we will graduate three of our four backstops after our 2017 campaign. We have also added some depth on the mound and in the field.

"There are a few other key components that we need to add between now and summer 2017," Rebyanski continued. "The PSAC is extremely competitive and is getting stronger each year. Our first goal is to get back to the PSAC tournament on a regular basis. With this year's team and these six student-athletes coming in next fall, we feel we are heading in the right direction."

RELATED | 2017 Schedule

IUP's 2017 seniors include Chris Calliari (Brockway, Pa./Brockway), Matt Eperesi (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Mars), Zach Chinchilla (Ambridge, Pa./Quigley Catholic), Justin Charles (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York), Scott Hess (Erie, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep), Dillon Swanger (Salisbury, Md./James Bennett) and Anthony Rigous (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North).
 

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Jake Cherry   I   C/UTL   I   6'2"   I  180 lbs   I   Bats Right   I   Throws Right
Hometown:  New Enterprise, Pennsylvania
Parents:  Lindsay and Ryan Cherry
High School:  Northern Bedford
High School Coach:  David Mcilnay
Summer Coach:  Rick Roberts
Summer Team:  Flood City Elite
Fall Coach:  Rick Roberts
Fall Team:  Flood City Elite
Intended Area of Study:  Sports Administration

Coach Rebyanski on Cherry: Jake has been on our radar since last spring, when coach Berg was coaching against his high school team. He is very athletic, which allows him to catch and also play corner outfield and first base. With this athletic ability and versatility, we look for him to become an impact player for years to come. Jake comes highly recommended from Rick Roberts at ERA and has the opportunity to be a contributor at the Division II level. 
 

Luke Heffner   I   RHP   I   6'1"   I   180 lbs   I   Bats Right   I   Throws Right
Hometown:  Douglassville, Pennsylvania
Parents:  Kelly and Tom Heffner
High School:  Daniel Boone
High School Coach:  Jason McCord
Summer Coach:  Todd Louviaux
Summer Team:  Grand Slam Bluerocks
Fall Coach:  Todd Louviaux
Fall Team:  Grand Slam Bluerocks
Intended Area of Study:  Biology

Coach Rebyanski on Heffner: We had the opportunity to see Luke at our Fall Showcase Camp in October. He has a very high ceiling and has yet to reach his max potential on the mound. Luke showed us very good command of all pitches and his excitement to join our program tells us of how dedicated this young man is going to be. His older brother Zach is currently on our roster.

 

Travis Holman   I   RHP   I   5'11"   I   170 lbs   I   Bats Right   I   Throws Right
Hometown:  Baden, Pennsylvania
Parents:  Nancy and Shawn Holman
High School:  Ambridge
High School Coach:  Shawn Holman
Summer Coach:  Shawn Holman
Summer Team:  Ambridge/Baden Legion
Fall Coach:  Rich Rowe
Fall Team:  Beaver Falls Tigers
Intended Area of Study:  Criminal Justice

Coach Rebyanski on Holman: We saw Travis at the WPIAL showcase in June along with Ed Santa's showcase in October. He is a polished pitcher with very good command of all pitches in his repertoire. He has a rich family history in baseball, which we are excited about having him join our program and continue that tradition. We look for him to continue to develop and throw significant innings in the years to come.    
 

Austin Mueller   I   C/INF   I   5"11"   I   190 lbs   I   Bats Switch   I   Throws Right
Hometown:  Breinigsville, Pennsylvania
Parents:  Jessica and Lance Mueller
High School:  Parkland
High School Coach:  Kurt Webber
Summer Coach:  Joey Worley
Summer Team:  Evoshield Canes
Fall Coach:  Joey Worley
Fall Team:  Evoshield Canes
Intended Area of Study:  Undecided/Criminal Law/Business

Coach Rebyanski on Mueller: Austin is a very athletic player who will have the opportunity to earn spots behind the plate and as a corner infielder. Offensively, he has very quick and smooth hands from both sides of the plate. His desire to learn what it takes to be a successful collegiate player is off the charts. With continued maturity, growth and development we feel that Austin is going to become an impact player in the PSAC.
 

  
Anthony Rota   I   C   I   5'10"   I   170   I   Bats Right   I   Throws Right
Hometown:  Boyertown, Pennsylvania
Parents Name:  Joy and Tony Rota
High School:  Boyertown
High School Coach:  Todd Moyer
Summer Coach:  Matt Daner and Greg Burnhard
Summer Team:  Gablesville Owls and Boyertown Bruins
Fall Coach:  Mark Helsel
Fall Team:  US Elite
Intended Area of Study:  Business

Coach Rebyanski on Rota: We saw Anthony late last summer in Pittsburgh with US Elite and he also attended our Fall Showcase Camp in October. He possesses excellent bat speed and is solid defensively behind the plate with a quick throw and release. He is very mature for his age both on and off the field which makes us feel he will be a leader at some point during his collegiate career. His high school team won the 4A championship last spring.
 

 
Colin Williams   I   INF   I   5'8"   I   165   I   Bats Right   I   Throws Right
Hometown:  Erie, Pennsylvania
Parents:  Carey Vieira and Pat Williams
High School:  Cathedral Prep
High School Coach:  David Hess
Summer Coach:  Bob Means
Summer Team:  Erie Outlaws
Fall Coach:  David Hess
Fall Team:  Cathedral Prep
Intended Area of Study:  Business

Coach Rebyanski on Williams: Colin is one of those players that practices and plays with a chip on his shoulder every day and is going to put his heart and soul into everything he does. He is a very athletic middle infielder who is sound defensively. We feel that he is going to be one of those guys other teams don't want to play against because of how he plays the game.

Up Next 
IUP opens their 2017 spring season on Thursday, February 23 at the Apprentice Builder Invitational vs. Kutztown. 

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