INDIANA, Pa. - The IUP baseball program (1-2, 0-0 PSAC West) gets back to action with another weekend trip to North Carolina to play against familiar conference foes. The Crimson Hawks square off against two PSAC East opponents in Lock Haven (2-3, 0-0 PSAC East) on Saturday and Millersville (1-2, 0-0 PSAC East) on Sunday at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, N.C.
The Crimson Hawks won a game in their three-game set at UNC Pembroke last weekend. Despite winning just one game, the Hawks outhit (.319 to .290) and outscored (22 to 21) Pembroke, putting up 13 runs on 18 hits in their game three victory.
Lock Haven has one win over a No. 13 Mount Olive squad and split a doubleheader with Virginia State. Millersville opened the season in the top-25, but fell out after losing their three-game series against Barton.
NEW FACE LEADS THE WAY
>> Veteran MLB pitcher and coach
Steve Kline was named the program's 14th head coach last summer.
>> He spent the last 15 seasons as a pitching coach in the San Francisco Giants organization, aiding pitchers such as Madison Bumgarner, Luis Castillo, Sam Coonrod, and Zack Wheeler, among others.
>> Kline appeared in 796 games over 11 seasons in the Majors with Cleveland, Montreal, St. Louis, Baltimore, and San Francisco.
HAWKS HAVE BIG OFFENSE ON OPENING WEEKEND
>> IUP hit a .319 on opening weekend, collecting 37 hits in three games.
>> Five players hit .400 or better over the weekend, including
Markus Cestra and
Torrey Roper each with .500 averages.
>> IUP had 12 extra base hits, including nine doubles.
Nick Hess slugged .833 with 7 RBI, both team-highs.
PITCHERS GETTING WORK
>> 11 pitchers combined to toss 25.0 innings last weekend.
>> Getting the starts were
Mark Edeburn,
Jeremiah Williams and
Jimmy Tooley. They combined for a 5.72 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11.0 innings of work.
>> New Orleans University transfer
Patrick Apgar picked up IUP's win in relief.
WHO'S BACK
>> The Hawks return six regular position players from 2021, including last year's leading hitter
Austin Mueller (.304 avg).
>> Also back is
Harrison Pontoli (.296),
Nick Hess (.422 slug),
Colin Williams (17 RBI),
Markus Cestra, and
Eli Glass.
WHO'S NEW
>> 18 of IUP's 34 opening day players were not on the team in 2021.
>> Among the new faces are four transfers - So. RHP
Patrick Apgar (New Orleans), Jr. OF
Torrey Roper (Bryant & Stratton), Jr. RHP
Wyatt Westendorf (Lincoln Trail College), and Jr. RHP
Ryan Berry (Frederick CC).
>> The Hawks also had 13 freshmen on the opening day roster.
