FEBRUARY 24, 2017

KING'S BASEBALL TEAM TO OPEN SEASON SATURDAY VS. CLARKS SUMMIT UNIVERSITY

GPS Directions to the Berwick Field (Off Campus)
2100 Height Road
Berwick, Pa. 18603

WILKES-BARRE — The King's College baseball team will open its 2017 season on Sunday when the Monarchs host Clarks Summit University in a 12:00 noon doubleheader at Berwick High School.

Fans unable to attend can follow the game on LiveStats at:
http://www.sidearmstats.com/kings/baseball/

 

Under the leadership of 15th year head coach Jerry Greeley, King's is looking to improve on last season's 23-15 record which saw the Monarchs advanced to the four-team MAC Freedom Conference Tournament.  The Monarchs return plenty of talent in the field as King's returns eight-of-nine position player starters. King's pitching suffered key losses from last season and stands as the biggest question mark.

 

Leading the Monarchs is outfielder Tom Gibbons, the teams lone senior position player starter.  Gibbons enters his fourth year as a starter and comes off a fine 2016 season in which he batted .353 (53-150) with 12 doubles, five triples, 29 RBI and 53 runs scored. Also back is junior first-baseman Chris Rebar who earned American Baseball Coaches Association All-Region honors last season after batting .363 (49-133) with 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 37 RBI, and scored 45 runs.

 

Junior designated hitter Kyle Lupas batted a team-high .394 (52-132) with 17 doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 37 RBI. Junior outfielder Bruce Breithaupt started all 38 games last year and hit .356 (47-132) with eight doubles, two home runs, and 31 RBI. Junior outfielder Brad Wilkins posted a .338 (27-80) average with two doubles while junior third-baseman Sean Padden tallied a .307 (43-140) average with 10 doubles, seven home runs, and 43 RBI.  Sophomore shortstop Christian Pack chipped in by hitting .303 (40-132) with eight doubles and 21 RBI. Junior catcher Zack Godfrey is also back after hitting .239 (17-71) while throwing out 10-of-21 runners attempting to steal.
 

King's pitching staff lost two of its top-three hurlers from last season, including 2016 Freedom Conference "Pitcher of the Year" Andrew Fisher.  The Monarch staff will be headed by junior Nick Deno went 4-2 with a 3.63 earned run average and struck out a team-high 53 batters in 52 innings. Junior John Wickiser led the rest of the returning hurlers in appearances, pitching in 10 games with five starts, with a 6.43 earned run average. Wickiser struck out 20 batters in 35 innings of work.

Sophomore Dan Hartson pitched in seven games and was 1-2 with a 6.11 ERA in 17 innings.  Junior Antony Peacock, and sophomores Chris Lupole and Connor Agnew are the next most experienced pitchers with five appearances. Peacock had a 1-0 record with a 2.70 ERA; Agnew was 0-0 with a 2.84 ERA, while Lupole was 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA.

Other returning position players looking to contribute include senior utility Ryan Hydock who played in 11 games last season, primarily at catcher. Sophomore utility Sean Stone also played catcher last year and saw action in 13 games. Sophomore utility Sean McKee played in 17 games, primarily in the outfield. Other returning pitchers battling for an increased role include senior Connor Balloun and sophomore Kyle Marinelli. Hydock could also see time at pitcher.

Newcomers hoping to make an impact include a pair of transfer pitchers in junior Matt Hassick and sophomore Mike Armstrong.

Freshmen include outfielder Jonathan Hoyt, Pitcher/infielder Nick Kubishin, infielders Chris Neuhaus and Ethan Hasenzahl. Catchers Kyle Friebolin and Noah Adams, and pitchers Billy Neill and Cooper Johnson.