WILKES-BARRE, PA (May 2, 2019) – The King's College baseball team will look to win the program's first conference title since 2006 this weekend when the squad travels down to West Lawn, PA for the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Championships. The fourth-seeded Monarchs will take on top-seeded Misericordia in the opening game of the Championships. Second-seeded Manhattanville will take on third-seeded DeSales in the other Friday game of the double elimination tournament.
 
Event Details
Opponent: vs Misericordia University (29-10,16-5 MAC Freedom)
Date: Friday May 3, 2019
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: West Lawn, PA – Owls Field at Ted Palka Park (Directions)
Ticket Prices: Day Passes are $6 for Adults and $3 for Students
Live Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
Tournament Schedule: (Championship Central)
Friday, May 3
Game 1: No. 4 King's vs. No. 1 Misericordia (H), 3 p.m.
Game 2: No. 3 DeSales vs. No. 2 Manhattanville (H), 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 4
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner 11 a.m.
Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 3 p.m.
Game 5: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 5
Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7: (If Necessary Game), 3 p.m.
Live Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
Fan Information
 
Last Time Out: Matt Dobeck gave the Monarchs a senior day victory with his fifth walk of the day as King's scored twice in the ninth to defeat Eastern 6-5 on Monday. Dobeck drew a bases-loaded walk to end the game coming one walk shy of the Division III record. The Cougars swept Delaware Valley 8-5 and 9-1 last Saturday to conclude the regular season and earn the top seed for this weekend.
 
The Book On The Monarchs (17-17, 12-9 MAC Freedom):

• King's qualified for the MAC Freedom Tournament for the fourth straight year and are looking for their first conference title since 2006. This is the fourth consecutive year the Monarchs will face the Cougars at Owls Field with KC looking for their first postseason win over MU.
• KC went 12-9 in conference play for the second straight year winning five series. The only series losses were to Misericordia and Manhattanville with King's winning one of the three against the two top seeds.
• The Monarchs are second in the conference and 16th in the nation with a .334 team batting average while hitting 73 doubles, four triples, and 12 home runs. Defensively, they led the conference in double plays turned.
• The production starts at the top of the lineup with All-MAC Freedom selections Christian Pack and Dan Hartson. Pack leads the team with a .405 average batting second while Dan Hartson is second at .375 right behind him. Pack has 49 hits this season to give him 190 for his career and has scored 27 runs while knocking in 27.
• Hartson was named the MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week but also had a great week with his bat against Misericordia a couple weeks ago. He is Friday's probable starter on the hill after shutting down the Cougars. He has thrown complete games in three of his last four starts and held the MU to just one run on six hits after the Cougars scored 22 runs in the first two games of the season series. This season he is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in eight games with one shutout. The right fielder has hit 16 doubles this year and leads the team with 51 hits.  
• Matt Dobeck and Matt Mellinger sandwich the two seniors for the Monarchs and the two sophomores are third and fourth on the team in average. Dobeck is hitting .370 in the leadoff spot and has scored a team-high 38 runs with 13 stolen bases while Mellinger is hitting .326 with a team-leading 34 RBI. Dobeck put his name in the NCAA record books on Monday with five walks which is one shy on the Division III record in a game. He has drawn 19 this year as the leadoff hitter.
• The lineup doesn't get any easier for opposing pitchers as Kyle Friebolin has a .293 average with 14 RBI and 12 runs scored and Tyler Reynolds has hit seven home runs while raising his average to .294. The second baseman has 18 RBI and 16 runs scored.
• Senior Mike Armstrong has come on strong in his final season as the team's everyday third baseman. He is batting .378 with three doubles, a home run, 10 runs, and seven RBI. Classmate Sean McKee tore up conference pitching this year hitting .343 with 14 runs and 14 RBI in 21 MAC Freedom games.
• Noah Adams and Paul Helman have given KC great innings behind the plate in a position where the Monarchs have struggled with injuries this year. Helman is batting .300 while Adams is hitting .310. Shane Beyer returned from injury earlier this week against Eastern and is expected to see time behind the plate this weekend.
• The Monarchs have a staff ERA of 6.42 this year with 18 different pitchers seeing action. King's has a deep staff of 10 pitchers with five or more appearances this year.
• Colby Toth is Saturday's probable starter as the freshman has pitched extremely well this season with a 4-1 record and a 3.35 ERA. His only loss of the season came against Misericordia where he went toe-to-toe with Pitcher of the Year Ian McCole. Toth has allowed 46 hits in 45.2 innings and has struck out 22 with opponents hitting just .257 against him. Toth did not earn a decision against Manhattanville or DeSales when he faced them in the first two weekends of conference play. In both games he gave up three runs in four-plus innings of work.
• Alex Bruneio is the probable starter if King's reaches a third game this weekend. The sophomore has pitched well in his last three appearances stopping the bleeding with 5.2 innings of work in a 15-1 loss at Misericordia before shutting down Marywood with two innings of action and then a great performance against Eastern on Monday. He went six-plus innings against the Eagles giving up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
• Jacob Lupas and Friebolin will most likely see action on the mound this weekend out of the pen. Lupas has pitched well this year despite his 1-3 record. In 13 appearances he has a 4.96 ERA with 18 strikeouts and three three-inning saves. Friebolin has also been great out of the pen with a 4.23 ERA in 27.2 innings. The junior has started twice and picked up victories to improve to 4-2 on the year with one save.
• Other pitchers that could see action this weekend are Cooper Johnson with his 2-1 record and 6.00 ERA in 21 innings, Landon La Bar has pitched well for KC recently and is 1-1 while Brandon Moffitt has a 1.80 ERA in five innings over three appearances.

The Book On The Cougars (29-10, 16-5 MAC Freedom):

• Misericordia is looking to win their ninth consecutive conference title this weekend. The top seed is on a five-game winning streak since King's defeated them 5-1 in the final game of their three-game set a couple weeks ago.
• The Cougars won all seven of their conference series including two sweeps of Delaware Valley and FDU-Florham. MU has a lot of impressive non-conference victories this year including a 3-1 win over Arcadia and a 10-8 win at Keystone last week.
• MU has defeated King's by scores of 4-1, 6-0, and 24-7 in the last three meetings at Owls Field. The first two victories were in the opening game of the tournament while last year's meeting knocked the Monarchs out of the Championships.
• 2019 Player of the Year Kenny Jarema leads the conference with a .437 average while batting leadoff and playing shortstop. He is 22nd in the nation in batting average and sets the tone for the Cougar lineup that is 18th as a team with a .331 average to rank third in the conference. Jarema has scored 51 runs and knocked in 24 this year while stealing seven bases.
• Steve Weisensee bats third and plays right field with a .393 average knocking in a team-high 33 runs. The senior was an All-MAC First Team selection. Another senior outfielder, Parker Abate, has hit well at the top of the order with a .333 average. The center fielder has knocked in 16 runs while scoring 31.
• Billy Kerwien is hitting .321 in the middle of the lineup. The Second Team second baseman scored 19 runs and has driven in 25 this year. First baseman Tyler Holzapfel is batting .295 on the season but has done very well in conference play with a .400 average in 20 games. The junior First-Teamer has 10 doubles and 35 RBI this season.
• Misericordia's Honorable Mention at designated hitter, Brady Madden, has a .333 average in 29 games with five doubles, two triples, one home run, 24 runs scored, and 32 RBI.
• Pitching has been a great strength for the Cougars in recent years and this year is no different as they have a staff ERA of 4.00 while striking out 227 and walking just 131 in 308.1 innings.
• Ian McCole was named the Pitcher of the Year after going 8-1 this year with a 1.93 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 60.2 innings pitched. He has thrown two complete games and pitched one shutout. He most likely will be who King's will face on Friday.
• If the Cougars decided not to go with McCole, KC could also face Isaac Snyder who kept the Monarch bats off balance with a strong six innings in the first meeting this year between the two teams. Snyder gave up just two hits while walking three.
• Kyle Melahn leads a strong bullpen as the closer. The First Team senior is 3-1 with seven saves in 19 appearances and a 2.06 ERA. He has struck out 42 batters in 35 innings while giving up 25 hits and 13 walks.

The Book On The Valiants (23-16, 14-7 MAC Freedom):

• Manhattanville is the last team other than Misericordia to win a MAC Freedom title and are looking for their second in their final year in the conference. The Valiants last won in 2010 before the Cougars began their eight-year run. M'Ville lost in the 2014 Championship game 10-6.
• The Valiants have a strong lineup that is fourth in the nation with a .348 average to earn the second seed. MC took two of three from both King's and DeSales this year. Manhattanville needed a late inning rally to take both games against the Monarchs in Purchase earlier this year.
• Jeff Caulfield was named the Coach of the Year after the Valiants missed last year's tournament and were picked tied for fourth in the preseason poll.
• First Team catcher Jack Matero leads the team with a .420 average hitting 16 doubles and five home runs. The sophomore has knocked in 35 runs while scoring 34. Second baseman Peter Iannarilli was also a First Team selection after hitting .397 with 14 doubles, six home runs, 48 RBI, and 29 runs scored.
• Luke Scoggins patrols the outfield and was a First Team selection with a .378 average, 15 doubles, 33 RBI, and 42 runs scored. Scoggins was second in the conference and 12th in the nation with 35 walks.
• Hathaway Roper, Stephen Merrill, and Tyler Viscusi were also All-Conference selections for the Valiants. Rope has been a Monarch killer over the past couple years and Kings will be happy to see him leave the conference. He is batting .356 with 22 RBI and 20 runs. Merrill is also hitting .356 and adds six home runs to go with 23 runs and 31 RBI. Viscusi is a utility player who can also pitch for MC. At the plate he hit .338 as a freshman with 12 runs and eight RBI.
• Freshman Nick Carita has been the team's best pitcher this year out of the pen earning Second Team honors. In 13 appearances he is 2-1 while picking up his only loss in his first collegiate start yesterday against New England power Eastern Connecticut State. Carita has a 3.00 ERA in 21 innings with one save. The Monarchs roughed up the freshman for three run on three hits on seven pitches earlier this year.
• As a team the Valiants have thrown a lot of pitchers this year and have a team ERA of 6.39. Probable starters for MC are Abby Ciuffetelli, Justin Proteau, Viscusi or Luke Shaffer.
• Shaffer is 4-1 with a 3.76 ERA in seven games. In 26.1 innings he has given up 26 hits and struck out 17. He did not pitch against King's. Ciuffetelli is 2-2 in eight starts with a 4.24 ERA. The Monarchs scored four runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings against the freshman earlier this year.
• Proteau did not allow a run in 3.1 innings against KC this year to pick up the win in a 5-4 comeback victory. The junior allowed seven hits but kept the Monarchs off the scoreboard. This year he is 5-3 with a 4.86 ERA in 37 innings.

The Book On The Bulldogs (21-17, 14-7 MAC Freedom):

• DeSales has lost to Misericordia in the Championship game the last four years and six of the last seven. The Bulldogs have won eight MAC titles including six in the MAC Freedom but have not won since 2008 despite being in the mix every year.
• The Monarchs won two of three from DSU to start conference play back in March. The Bulldogs swept FDU-Florham, Delaware Valley, and Eastern while taking two games from Wilkes. They lost series against the other three teams playing this weekend. DeSales defeated the Monarchs 9-1 in the opener of last year's tournament.
• The Bulldogs put seven student-athletes on the All-MAC Freedom team including third baseman and Rookie of the Year Johnny Medina. Medina was joined on the First Team by junior John Poccia and seniors Charlie Barebo and Nick White.  A trio of juniors earned Second Team honors in Michael White, Sergio Diaz, and Evan Plummer.
• Nick White led the team with a .425 average and a .633 slugging percentage. The senior outfielder hit 12 doubles, two triples, and three home runs while knocking in 41 and scoring 25 times. First Baseman Sergio Diaz hit .378 with nine double and four home runs while driving in 23 and scoring 24 times.
• Outfielder Evan Plummer hit .374 with seven doubles, three triples and one home run while Charlie Barebo led the team in doubles with 19. The senior outfielder hit .363 with 33 runs scored and 33 RBI while adding one triple and three home runs.
• Medina hit .348 with eight doubles, 17 RBI, and 27 runs scored. Michael White had a .347 average with six doubles, two triples, and two home runs. The junior catcher added 21 RBI and 17 runs scored.
• As a team the Bulldogs hit .323 and were second in the conference with a .466 slugging percentage on 85 doubles, 11 triples, and 25 home runs.
• John Poccia led a pitching staff that had a 5.35 ERA in 309.1 innings. The junior went 8-1 in nine starts with a 3.65 ERA. In 61.2 innings he allowed 68 hits and struck out 48. He was the only pitcher to defeat MU's Ian McCole this year with a brilliant 8.1 inning performance where he allowed just five hits in a 1-0 victory. Against the Monarchs he lasted 4.1 innings and gave up four runs, three earned on seven hits and picked up a no decision in a game King's won 6-4.
• Will Manley and Ian Kacergis have pitched well for the Bulldogs this year. Manley, a freshman, has pitched mainly out of the bullpen and is 2-2 with a 4.22 ERA in 12 appearances including three starts. In 32 innings he has given up just 29 hits and struck out 25. He pitched twice against the Monarchs giving up no runs in five innings including a four inning save. Kacergis, the 2018 Rookie of the Year went 3-2 in seven starts with a 4.82 ERA. The Monarchs scored three runs in two innings off him before rain caused the postponement of the conference opener and the stats to be wiped out. Three of his seven starts have been complete games.
• Felix Martinez Jr. is 2-3 with a 4.98 ERA in 15 games this season including four starts. JJ Paul and Austin Kroeger add depth to the pitching staff with each appearing in 10 games. Paul is 3-2 with a 5.56 ERA while Kroeger is 1-2 out of the pen with a 6.00 ERA. Paul earned the victory in DSU's 7-4 win over the Monarchs with five innings of three-hit ball and seven strikeouts.