BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team is now slated to start the 2019 season on Tuesay, February 26 at Kean (N.J.) University after the original season opening trip to the Ty Cobb Classic in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia was cancelled due to the weather.
Head Coach Paul Engelhardt begins his 13th season with a 271-216 record, and he returns 23 players from last year's squad.
In the field, Coach Engelhardt returns nearly his entire line-up led by senior infielder/pitcher Evan Kulig, who earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team last season as a third baseman after hitting .383 with 57 hits, 27 runs, 13 doubles, a triple, 39 RBIs, 13 walks and six stolen bases to go with 27 putouts and 43 assists in the field. Junior second baseman Ian Csencsits and sophomore shortstop Michael Miceli return in the infield as well, and Csencsits, who was selected to the Landmark All-Conference First Team at second base, hit .347 last spring with 42 hits, 35 runs, seven doubles, two triples, two homers, 19 RBIs, 25 walks, 68 putouts and 97 assists while Miceli had a .367 batting average with 22 hits, 10 runs, a triple, five RBIs, two stolen bases, 19 putouts and 37 assists. Seniors Tim Heard and Joey Ferolie and junior Kole Rodrigues add depth in the infield as Heard had 10 hits, eight runs, two doubles, two triples, four RBIs, 10 putouts and 19 assists and Ferolie added four hits, two runs and a double. Rodrigues had two hits and two runs last spring
All three starting outfielders return for Moravian led by senior Austin Markowski, who was named to the Landmark All-Conference First Team after hitting .317 with 45 hits, 34 runs, 12 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 39 RBIs, 27 walks, five stolen bases, 97 putouts and an assist. Junior Carmine Palummo had a .361 average last spring with 44 hits, 32 runs, two doubles, 13 RBIs, 21 walks, 14 stolen bases, 55 putouts and four assists while senior Mike Mittl had 41 hits, 13 runs, seven doubles 27 RBIs, eight stolen bases, 68 putouts and three assists. Senior La'Ron Smith and sophomore Thomas Philipps give Coach Engelhardt experienced reserves in the outfield. Philipps contributed nine hits and a run last season while Smith is in his first year as a graduate student and had two hits, three runs, a double and an RBI last year.
Coach Engelhardt also returns experience behind the plate led with four catchers back. Senior Chase Rogers had 22 hits, 15 runs, seven doubles, a triple, two homers, 16 RBIs, 11 walks, 150 putouts and 22 assists last year while senior Steve Lazicki added six hits, a run, an RBI, 41 putouts and five assists. Senior Andrew Koenig contributed nine hits, five runs, four RBIs, 58 assists and seven assists while junior Ian Luberti had one hit, 10 putouts and three assists.
Moravian's pitching staff will be anchored by senior Rhett Jacoby, who made the Landmark All-Conference First Team last spring with a 5-3 record, a 2.48 ERA, two saves, a shutout, 57 strikeouts and just eight walks in 72.2 innings of action. Kulig posted a 2-2 mark on the mound in 10 appearances to go with 28 strikeouts and seven walks in 34.2 innings while senior Brendon Caraway made six started in 13 trips to the mound with a 1-2 mark, one save, and 25 strikeouts in 36.1 innings.
Junior Connor Morro was 1-1 on the mound in 10 appearances with 17 strikeouts in 20.1 innings of action while senior Tyler Caraway tossed 19.2 innings with 18 strikeouts. Senior Billy Roethke had a 2.40 ERA over 15.1 innings in six appearances to go with a pair of strikeouts while sophomore Kyle Serman pitched 12.2 innings with five strikeouts in nine appearances. Sophomore Rodney Berger and senior Kevin Shields each tossed nine innings last spring with Berger recording four strikeouts in eight appearances and Shields posting seven strikeouts in nine trips to the hill.
The Hounds, who have 14 seniors on the 2019 roster, have added 13 players to the roster this season that look to help the program achieve a berth in the 2019 Landmark Conference Tournament.
