BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team, which began the 2020 season with a three-game series on February 22-23 at Hampden-Sydney (Va.) College, is set for its first spring break trip to the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for eight games beginning on March 1.
Head Coach Paul Engelhardt, who is his 14th season with a 294-239-2 record, returns 22 players from last year's team that reached the Landmark Conference Championship game.
In the field, Coach Engelhardt returns a pair of All-Conference players led by senior infielder/outfielder Ian Csencsits, who was selected to the Landmark All-Conference First Team after hitting .350 last season with 57 hits, 43 runs, 22 RBIs, 10 doubles, four triples and 21 walks. Junior infielder Michael Miceli earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team last spring with 33 hits, 18 runs, 12 RBIs, three doubles, a triple and a team-high 109 assists in the field.
Joining the duo as returners in the infield are junior Brett Moyer, who had 16 hits, 18 RBIs, six runs, five doubles and a homer in 2019, sophomore David Bertolotti, who had 11 hits, six RBIs, two runs and a double, sophomore AJ Brosious, who added 11 hits, 10 RBIs, eight runs, a double and a homer, sophomore Royce Frazier, who had five hits, four runs and three RBIs, senior Kole Rodrigues, who had one hit and two RBIs and sophomore Elias Engelhardt, who added a hit, a run and an RBI.
The Hounds have four outfielders back led by senior Carmine Palummo, who had 44 hits, 25 runs, 18 RBIs, nine stolen bases, seven doubles and two triples last season. Junior Thomas Phillips added 22 hits, 15 RBIs, 12 runs and six doubles while sophomore Robert Roman had three hits, two RBIs, two doubles and a run and sophomore Devon Olsovsky had one at-bat.
Behind the plate, senior Ian Luberti had nine hits, five RBIs and four runs last season while sophomore Leo Andreoli scored one run.
Moravian brings back seven pitchers that tossed innings last season led by sophomore Eddie Olsen, who was 4-4 with a 2.93 ERA, a save and 47 strikeouts in 58.1 innings last spring. Senior Connor Morro had a 2-3 mark with two saves and 32 strikeouts in 30.2 innings while sophomore Scott Poulson was 1-1 with 24 strikeouts in 36.1 innings of action. Junior Rodney Berger recorded 10 strikeouts in 16.1 innings while junior Kyle Serman added six strikeouts in eight innings of work. Sophomore Kyle Petsch recorded four strikeouts in 4.1 innings in his first collegiate season while junior Kevin Brandt had one strikeout in four innings of action. Sophomore Owen Hannigan adds depth to the pitching staff.
The Hounds, who have five seniors on the 2020 roster, have added 14 players to the roster this season that look to help the squad earn a berth in the 2020 Landmark Conference Tournament.
