Westmoreland County campus clippings: Seton Hill baseball picked to win PSAC West

Maybe you’ve heard this one before …

Another outstanding season could be in store for the Seton Hill baseball team, which went 48-13 (26-2 PSAC) last season and reached the NCAA Atlantic Super Regional.

For the fourth straight year, the team is favored to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division, as evidenced by its No. 1 ranking in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Some of the top returning players for veteran coach Marc Marizzaldi include sophomore outfielder Jack Whalen (Norwin), senior outfielder Braden Durham, grad infielder Owen Sabol (Norwin), senior pitcher Michael Marinchak (Ligonier Valley) and grad infielder Jack Oberdorf (Greensburg Salem).

Oberdorf was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason First Team All-Atlantic Region selection and also was tabbed an NCBWA Preseason First Team All-American.

He hit .343 with a team-leading 15 home runs and 57 RBIs and was a D2CCA All-American honorable mention. The defending PSAC-champion Griffins are ranked No. 16 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division II Preseason Poll.

Seton Hill also checks in at No. 4 in the D2 Baseball Insider Top 25 rankings.

Baseball

Cal (Pa.): Sophomore relief pitcher Jake Kramer (Hempfield) was named to the preseason National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-Region First Team. Kramer posted six saves and went 3-0 with a 1.16 ERA in 23.1 innings as a freshman. He had a 3.6 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 17 appearances.

Softball

Seton Hill: After finishing 29-17 overall and 22-8 in the PSAC West, Seton Hill is predicted to finish second in the division this season, according to a preseason coaches’ poll.

Mercyhurst is favored ahead of the Griffins, who bring back several top players, including senior infielder Nina Grandey, senior catcher Mackenzie Zang, junior infielder Grace Paredes, senior pitcher Lauren Dellett, junior infielder Brooklyn Fukushima, junior outfielder Brooke Cleland (Penn-Trafford), grad infielder Morgan Toal and senior pitcher Logan Hartman.

Cassie Moore will begin her second season as head of Seton Hill, which went 0-2 in last year’s PSAC Tournament.

Football

Saint Vincent: Former Bearcats star return man and receiver Molayo Irefin is set to play Division I. Irefin announced he is joining the program at Maine, an FCS program that plays in the Coastal Athletic Association.

Irefin played only two games this season but was an All-Eastern College Athletic Conference First Team. He also earned All-PAC and All-Region honors, while making the D3football.com All-American Third Team. He led the PAC in kick (27.2 yards) and punt (15.8) return average. He had an 85-yard punt return touchdown, the longest in school history.

Men’s swimming

Saint Vincent: Sophomore Jacob Dzurica (Hempfield) was named the PAC Swimmer of the Week. He helped the Bearcats defeat Westminster for the first time in program history as he won the 100 backstroke (52.99 seconds), the 200 backstroke (2:02.22), and the 50 freestyle (22.04), while also swimming the backstroke leg of the winning 200 medley relay (1:38.21).

Men’s indoor track and field

Cal (Pa.): Senior Mason Jobe (Greensburg Salem) ran the second leg of the Vulcans’ 1,600-meter relay team that took first in 3 minutes, 31 seconds at the Jim Muske Invitational in Ohio.

Grove City: Senior Gabe Dunlap (Penn-Trafford) helped the 800-meter relay to a third-place finish (1:35.99) at the Jim Wuske Invitational at Mount Union.

Saint Vincent: Senior Tim Patterson won the mile and took third in the 1,000-meter run at the Muskie Meet at Muskingum. The mile time of 4 minutes, 16.79 seconds is a record for the Bullock Health and Wellness Complex.

Westminster: Grad student Ryan Beard (Franklin Regional) took 21st place in the 200-meter dash at Kent State University’s Doug Raymond Invitational. Beard’s time of 22.74 seconds is third best in the PAC so far this year.

Women’s indoor track and field

Clarion: Junior Leah Perry (Derry) tied for 12th in the high jump with a distance of 1.50 meters and was the third leg of the sixth-place 1,600-meter relay that posted a time of 4:21.18 at the Bison Open at Bucknell.

Duquesne: Senior Sadie Wetzel (Latrobe) cleared a career high of 1.70 meters in the high jump to take eighth at the Penn State National Open. Senior Hannah Seitzinger (Belle Vernon) ran a 2:10.16 in the 800-meter run, the third-fastest time in program history.

Saint Vincent: The all-sophomore 1,600-meter relay team of Lily Murphy (Hempfield), Miranda Cincotta, Cassy Lanza and Grace Scoville finished sixth at the Muskie Invitational in a time of 4:33.70. The foursome won their heat in 4:33.7, the fastest time in program history.

Freshman Caroline Kozera was named the PAC Rookie of the Week. She placed third in the 60-meter hurdles with a time 9.79 seconds at the Muskingum meet. Her time of 9.67 seconds in the preliminary round set a school record.

Seton Hill: Grad student Natasha Bernett was named the PSAC West Field Athlete of the Week. She finished second in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.79 seconds, and also was fifth in the pentathlon (3,441 points) at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier at Kent State. Senior Isabella Myles added a third-place finish in the 5K (18:18.70).

Slippery Rock: Junior Aleks Brozeski (Norwin) carded a third-place finish in the triple jump (11.12 meters), and freshman Savannah Schneck (Norwin) took fourth in the shot put (12.31 meters) at the Jim Wuske Invitational at Mount Union.

Westminster: Sophomore Abigail Painter (Ligonier Valley) was part of the 1,600-meter relay team that finished fifth at the Doug Raymond Invitational at Kent State (4 minutes, 10.68 seconds). The time is the fastest in the PAC this year.

Women’s bowling

Saint Vincent: The Bearcats went 3-0 against Division I opponents at the St. Francis (Pa.) Red Flash Invitational and took third place.