One year removed from a 19-23 overall record and Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference tournament bid, the Penn State Altoona baseball team is gearing up for what should be a promising 2009 campaign.  Despite having a few returners, the Lion roster is once again loaded with freshmen who will have to make immediate contributions if the squad hopes to reach its ultimate goals.

“The goal is always to make the playoffs and try to win the conference title,” said 13^th year head coach Joe Piotti.  “We're young, but I'm excited because the guys we have in are going to make the commitment and stick around for four years.  Right now, it’s a ‘learn as you go’ process, and that’s where our older guys come into play.”

One of those returners expected to lead by example is senior pitcher Paul Keith (Smithmill, PA/Moshannon Valley).  Keith was the ace of the Lion staff last season, sporting a 2.89 earned run average and striking out 49 batters in 53 innings of work.  He earned second team all-AMCC honors as a junior and will front a pitching staff that consists of almost all newcomers.

Senior infielder RJ Barnard (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) and sophomore first baseman Grady Luzier (Forest, PA/West Branch) started nearly every game a season ago, hitting .393 and .400, respectively.  Barnard played every game at second base, committing only 13 errors all season while swiping a team-best 10 bases.  Luzier, who garnered AMCC Honorable Mention all-conference recognition, smacked five home runs, had 37 RBI, and boasted a .600 sluggging percentage.

“Every year, we ask our returners to lead by example both on and off the field,” noted Piotti.  “We only have a few upperclassmen and a handful of sophomores who played last year, so it’s important that this happens.  Paul and Grady are our captains, and the winning attitude and desire they bring every day should rub off on the other guys.”

Eighteen freshmen, three of those transfers, are set to make their debut this season with the Lions.  Piotti expects four of five freshmen will be in the opening day lineup and is excited about the overall talent of the class.

“We have a lot of depth this year, and the competition in practice has been excellent,” noted the skipper, who guided the 2000 Lions to an AMCC Championship.  “I think we will be a better defensive squad this year, and Paul gives us a legitimate number one starter.”

One gaping hole the squad must replace is the one left by Tony Petulla, who Piotti calls the best player to ever play at Penn State Altoona.  Petulla was an anchor in the offensive lineup and played nearly every position last year as a senior.  He hit .446 and led the squad in nearly every offensive statistical category while winning first team all-conference honors for a third straight year.

Offensively, Altoona will have to improve on its .309 team batting average, which ranked seventh in the 10-team league.  The Lions were also seventh in team fielding, and their 6.56 team ERA was sixth best in the conference.  Getting better in all three areas, according to Piotti, is the key to succeeding against the top AMCC teams.

“Penn State Behrend, Frostburg State, Pitt-Bradford, and La Roche will be the class of the conference this year,” he noted.  “Obviously, we have to play mistake free baseball and get timely hitting to beat not only these teams, but any teams.  We also expect to improve our base running, which was poor last season, as well as cutting down on strikeouts.”

The 2009 schedule will undoubtedly test the Lions, especially in the non-conference with early-season trips to Shenandoah and Washington & Lee.  Altoona will head to central Florida for spring break March 6-13 and play a series of 10 games against teams from the four states.  Other non-league showdowns with St. Vincent, Waynesburg, and soon-to-be AMCC member D’Youville also highlight the schedule.

Within the league, the Lions get both Frostburg and Behrend at home but must travel to Pitt-Bradford and La Roche toward season’s end.  Altoona claimed the sixth and final playoff spot last year, bowing out to former conference school Lake Erie in the opening round.  Five of the nine conference doubleheaders will be played at the Stewart Athletic Field.

For the second straight year, Piotti will be assisted by Ryan Michaels, who primarily handles the pitchers.  Former player John Wilson, who is out of eligibility but has one more year of academic work remaining, will serve as a student-assistant coach.

“I see a lot of improvement on this team as compared to last year’s squad,” said an optimistic Piotti.  “We had a great fall season, and I expect that momentum to carry into the spring.  With the group of returners and all the talent we brought in, I think we can be right in the thick of the conference championship hunt.”