LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — There are three feet of snow on the ground, but the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is in the midst of releasing its spring sports preseason polls.
The PSAC baseball preseason rankings were released Thursday afternoon, with IUP tabbed third in the West Division behind Seton Hill and Slippery Rock.
The Crimson Hawks finished last season 17-11 in PSAC play, earning the No. 3 seed in the West. IUP went 25-27 overall. Head coach Steve Kline enters his fourth season at the helm after guiding the Crimson Hawks to a .551 winning percentage through his first three seasons.
IUP will be led by preseason all-region selection Elijah Dunn. Dunn ranks fifth in program history with 22 career home runs and is coming off a first-team All-PSAC West selection last season.
Junior Ricardo Aponte, a second-team All-PSAC West pick in 2025, is also expected to be a key contributor. Aponte hit .325 last season, led the team in runs scored, ranked second in hits and doubles, and added five home runs.
On the mound, the Crimson Hawks will look to junior Derrick Shield to lead the pitching staff. Shield threw 64 1/3 innings last season, posting a 4.20 ERA. He struck out 38 batters and led the team with 12 starts.
IUP opens the 2026 season Feb. 21 in Fairfax, Va., against Jefferson.
