BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team is set to open its 2013 Landmark Conference season with a three-game series at The Catholic University of America at Talbot Field in Washington, D.C. with a nine-inning game on Friday, March 15th at 4:00 p.m. and two seven-inning contests scheduled for Saturday beginning at 12:00 p.m.
The Greyhounds, who are 6-5 so far this season, were picked second in Landmark Conference Preseason Poll as selected by the conference head coaches. Moravian, under the direction of seventh-year head coach Paul Engelhardt (145-106), received three first-place votes, and the Greyhounds have been the top seed in the Landmark Conference Tournament, hosting the championship the last three years and winning the title in 2010. Catholic received two first-place votes in the 2013 Landmark Preseason poll and held the top spot. The Cardinals, who have won three of the five Landmark Conference titles since the conference began, enter the weekend with a 10-3 record this season.
Sophomore outfielder Matt Hanson is leading Moravian at the plate with a .429 batting average. He has team highs of 42 at-bats, 18 hits, ten RBIs, seven doubles and five stolen bases to go with nine runs scored and a pair of doubles. Freshman catcher Mike Roethke is hitting .417 with ten hits, three runs and a pair of doubles while freshman first baseman Charles Savite has a .361 batting average with 13 hits, four runs, five RBIs and a double. On the mound, Savite has a save in two appearances.
Junior second baseman Daniel Seitzinger has a .356 average with 15 hits, ten runs, five RBIs and a double for the Greyhounds, and Seitzinger is tied with Hanson at a team high 42 at-bats. Junior outfielder Joseph Connell is hitting .342 with 13 hits, six runs, seven RBIs, three doubles and a pair of triples while sophomore third baseman Ryan Luke leads Moravian with 14 RBIs and three triples to go with 12 hits, ten runs and a pair of doubles.
Sophomore shortstop Colin Case has scored a team high 13 runs, and lead leads the squad with five walks and five hit-by-pitch to go with ten hits, four stolen bases, a double, three RBIs and Moravian lone homer of the season. Freshman outfielder Cameron Leon has six hits, three runs, two doubles and three RBIs while freshman infielder Alex Bull has five hits, three runs, a double and two RBIs.
On the mound, freshman Brett Wagner and sophomore Chris Lansberry both have 1-0 records and have not allowed an earned run in two appearances. Wagner has tossed 6 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and three walks while Lansberry also has four strikeouts to go with two walks in 5 1/3 innings. Freshman Anthony Zaloga has a 1-1 record with a 3.38 ERA, two walks and a team high 11 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings.
Junior Thomas Mariano has posted a 3.57 ERA with ten strikeouts, two walks and a 1-2 record in 17 2/3 innings of work while junior Robert Solano is 1-1 on the season with a 4.42 ERA, ten strikeouts and three walks in a team high 18 1/3 innings. Junior Ben Hammel has a team high five appearances with seven strikeouts, no walks and a 1.23 ERA in 7 1/3 innings while junior Chris Soltys is 1-0 with eight strikeouts and a walk in 7 1/3 innings.
Senior catcher Mark Kalokitis leads Catholic with a .366 batting average, 13 runs, 15 hits, 11 RBIs, five doubles and one homerun. Junior Robin Mowatt is pacing the Cardinals on the mound with a 2-1 record, a save, 11 strikeouts and a 2.45 ERA in 25 2/3 innings of action.
