Lions look to make noise in '07

The Penn State Altoona baseball team, under the direction of 11^th year head coach Joe Piotti, has never missed the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference playoffs.  If all goes well in 2007, the squad will not only continue that streak but also seriously contend for the conference championship, which has eluded the program since 2000.  A crop of veteran returnees and talented newcomers hope to push the Lions to the top of the AMCC, a concept that is well within reach according to Piotti.

“Confidence is very high at this moment,” said the Lion skipper, whose team fell to La Roche in the first round of last year’s AMCC playoffs.  “We are looking to get off to a good start in Florida, just as we did last year. We have strengthened our weak areas, added key ingredients, and are anxious to make a run at the championship.”

The leader of the Lion charge this season will be senior shortstop Tony Petulla.  The Philipsburg-Osceola graduate began his collegiate career at Clarion before transferring to Penn State Altoona for the 2005 season.  Petulla has been the conference Player of the Year each of his two seasons at Altoona and has led the Lions and the AMCC in numerous offensive categories.  Last season, he started all 40 contests, was second in the league in batting (.406 average), cracked 56 hits, 11 doubles, and six triples.  His fielding was equally solid, tallying 99 assists and 71 putouts.  He holds Penn State Altoona records for triples, RBI’s, and slugging percentage in a season. 

Brady Waltz, Jared Swancer, and Phil Keith, who join Petulla as the squad’s lone seniors, will also heavily factor into the mix.  Waltz is the starting catcher but will also see some mound time as a starting pitcher.  Swancer is the leader of the young Altoona staff, making 13 appearances and leading the team with a 3.91 ERA a year ago.  Keith will be a utility infielder on the squad while his younger brother, Paul, will move from shortstop to 3^rd base.  He also will serve as the closer for the pitching staff with the possibility of eclipsing the starting rotation as the season unfolds.

“Our four seniors will be absolutely vital to our success,” noted Piotti.  “All of them have different strengths both on the field and off. These guys have been around a few years and are really hungry for a championship.”

            Aiding the veterans will be 13 highly skilled freshmen, some of whom will make an immediate impact.  New Jersey prospect Jimmy Moreland Jr. will start at 1^st base and have large shoes to fill replacing standout slugger Chris Scelsi.  Six or seven of the newcomers figure to crack the pitching rotation and could prove essential to a staff that finished last season with a 5.51 ERA.

            The Lions should be strong offensively, evidenced by the nearly seven runs per game they averaged in 2006.  Piotti also likes the defensive alignment, noting that some players will switch positions to sure up some holes in both the infield and outfield.

            “I think our offense overall will be solid, but we need to do a better job of hitting with runners in scoring position,” he said.  “Our bunting also has to get better. The key for us is to get runners on base for the middle of the lineup. We are better defensively this year, moving some guys around to different positions.  Our outfielders are doing a great job too; they can all cover a lot of ground.” 

            The squad will play its first double header of the season today at Shenandoah University before heading south over the spring break period.  The Lions head to Port Charlotte, Florida, from March 8-16 for a series of 10 games against teams from Ohio, Indiana, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.  Last season’s trip was the most successful ever as Altoona returned home with eight wins and two losses. 

            With practice relegated to inside the Adler Gymnasium, the team tries as hard as possible to simulate real game situations while working on fundamentals and mechanics.  AMCC foes Frostburg State, Pitt-Bradford, and La Roche finished one-two-three last year as the Lions narrowly clinched the sixth and final playoff spot before bowing out to the Redhawks in the first round.

            “The AMCC will be very competitive as always,” noted Piotti.  “We’ve made the playoffs every year, and this season should be no different.  Our players have improved from year to year, practice to practice, and everyone is hoping for big things in 2007.”