BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College baseball team begins action in the 2021 Landmark Conference Tournament on Thursday, May 13 when the fourth seeded Greyhounds host sixth seed Susquehanna University with first pitch slated for 3:00 p.m. at Gillespie Field.
The tournament will then shift to top seed The University of Scranton to finish the first weekend. The winner of the Moravian-Susquehanna game will face the Royals at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 15 while the loser will compete in the elimination game at 2:30 p.m. The winner of the two Saturday games will face-off on Sunday, May 16 at 11:00 a.m. in Scranton to see which squad will advance to next weekend's championship series at the highest remaining seed. The winner of that series on May 22-23 will receive the conference's automatic berth to the 2021 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
The tournament began on Tuesday, May 11 with Susquehanna rallying for a 5-4 win over seventh seed Drew University in the Play-In game. This weekend's other pod also begins Thursday with third seed Elizabethtown College hosting fifth seed Juniata College at 12:30 p.m. The winner of that game will play second seed The Catholic University of America at 11:00 a.m. on May 15 in Washington, D.C. with the loser going to the elimination game at 2:30 p.m. As with the Scranton Pod, the two Saturday winners will play on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. to see which team makes it to the best-of-three championship series.
The Greyhounds, under the direction of 15th-year head coach Paul Engelhardt who has a career mark of 310-257-1, have posted a 12-15 overall record this spring. Moravian recorded a 12-10 slate in the Landmark regular season, and Engelhardt has the program in the postseason for the 11th time. The Hounds enter the tournament with 220 hits, 156 runs, 37 doubles, six triples, eight home runs and 30 stolen bases in 27 contests.
Senior first baseman Brett Moyer leads Moravian with 29 hits, 19 runs, seven doubles, a triple, a homer and 27 RBIs while graduate student outfielder Carmine Palummo has 25 hits, 19 runs, a double, 12 stolen bases and eight RBIs. Sophomore designated hitter Derek Holmes has contributed 22 hits, 11 runs, a double, a triple, five stolen bases and 13 RBIs while graduate student third baseman Ian Csencsits has 21 hits, 16 runs, seven doubles, two homers and 14 RBIs. Senior outfielder Thomas Philipps has added 19 hits, nine runs, five doubles, a triple, a homer and nine RBIs while sophomore infielder Chris Pow has 16 hits, eight runs, three doubles, a homer and seven RBIs.
Junior catcher Nick Montone has contributed 15 hits, eight runs, two doubles, a triple and eight RBIs while senior infielder Michael Miceli has contributed 12 runs and 11 hits and freshman outfielder Matt Madigan has 11 hits, 12 runs, a double and six RBIs. Freshman catcher Brett Stewart has 10 hits, seven runs, two doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBIs while junior outfielder Robert Roman has 10 hits, 13 runs, double and eight RBIs.
Freshman designated hitter Cole Cherkas has contributed six hits with two runs, two doubles, a homer and four RBIs while freshman infielder Paul Croyle has six hits, six runs, three doubles, a triple and four RBIs. Sophomore infielder Mason Fisher also has six hits to go along with three runs and seven RBIs while junior third baseman David Bertolotti has five hits, three runs, a double and three RBIs. Freshman outfielder David Olsakowski has added three hits, two doubles, a homer and four RBIs while junior outfielder Elias Engelhardt has two runs and a hit. Freshmen David Ciaccio, Cullen Cooper and Connor Wengryn each have one hits and one run with Wengryn adding three RBIs and a double and Cooper driving in one run while freshman Jared Nolan has one hit and an RBI and sophomore Matt Nolan adding a run.
Junior Eddie Olsen is 4-2 on the mound for Moravian with 31 strikeouts in 32.2 innings while Ciaccio is 2-3 with 30 strikeouts in 31 innings. Senior Rodney Berger has 21 strikeouts and a 2-3 mark in 34.1 innings while junior Kyle Petsch and sophomore Garrison Koch are both 1-1 with Koch adding three strikeouts in six innings and Petsch striking out one in 5.2 innings. Freshman Cameron Cooper has a 1-0 mark with seven strikeouts in 15.2 innings while senior Kyle Serman has four saves and 19 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.
Senior Kevin Brandt is 1-2 with nine strikeouts in 16 innings of work while sophomore Tyler Valentine has five strikeouts in 11 innings of action. Sophomores AJ Gordon and Andrew Connallon each have four strikeouts with Gordon tossing six innings and Connallon pitching five innings. Junior Leo Andreoli has recorded three strikeouts in 3.2 innings while sophomore Kenny Kunzman has two strikeouts in five innings and freshman Aaron Flyte has a pair of strikeouts in 3.1 innings of action.
