Jared Wiesen, a freshman utility player, leads the team with a .349 batting average and said that Herold was one of the first veteran players he reached out to on the team for leadership.

“He was the one who always put in extra time to talk about the game, take extra swings in the cages and put some extra effort in to help my fielding,” Wiesen said. “Shayne definitely helped guide me through the hardships of being a freshman.”

Herold started in right field for Friday’s first matchup against Mercyhurst, and drove in three runs in Gannon’s 7-4 victory. Aaron Cox pitched a complete game and struck out eight while only giving up one earned run to improve his record to 6-0.

Herold pitched a complete game in Friday’s second contest with Mercyhurst. He gave up two earned runs and struck out seven batters to remain perfect on the season with an 8-0 record. Nico Baldelli, a senior catcher, had two hits in the game and batted in four runners in the Knights’ 7-2 win. Coach Nate Cocolin said Baldelli has done a good job anchoring the batting order and has played well defensively.

“He’s our rock behind the plate,” Cocolin said. “He’s been extremely consistent and has handled our pitching staff very well all year.”

Matt Tobin, a sophomore pitcher, gave up two earned runs in six innings of work in Gannon’s 2-1 loss to Mercyhurst in Saturday’s first matchup. Mercyhurst only had two hits in the contest while Gannon had nine, but the team was unable to give Tobin run support for a win.

Matt Wilwohl, a redshirt freshman pitcher and outfielder, dropped his record to 2-5 on the season with a 4-0 loss to Mercyhurst in Saturday’s weekend finale. Wilwohl pitched four innings and gave up three earned runs. David Spaeder, a junior pitcher, came into the game as relief and pitched two shutout innings.

The Knights conclude their regular season by hosting Slippery Rock University for two games Friday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Gannon University Field. Gannon then goes on the road to Slippery Rock for two games Saturday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Cocolin said he understands the playoff implications of this weekend.

“A bad weekend, and we could be out of the playoffs,” Cocolin said. “A good one and we could win the league.”

Wiesen said the need to have a strong weekend offensively and defensively has brought the best out of the team.

“It’s natural to feel some pressure with Gannon history on the line, but I feel like the team is staying loose,” Wiesen said. “We’re meshing together more now than we have all season.”

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

Aaron Cox, a freshman pitcher and infielder, threw a complete game in Saturday’s first matchup to give the team a 3-2 victory and improve his record to 5-0 on the season. The team also relied on timely hitting in the first game from Jeff Bellanca, Mark DeVita and Bob Roach. Matt Tobin, a sophomore pitcher, said Cox’s remarkable season can be attributed to how hard he works on his game in practice.

“And what really makes the difference is his effort in the weight room,” Tobin said.

Tobin received the loss in the second game Saturday after giving up six runs in five innings. Justin Taylor, a sophomore pitcher and infielder for Cal. U., won the game 8-0, and held the Knights to only two hits in his complete-game victory, which brought his season record to 6-2.

David Spaeder, a junior pitcher, dropped the first game Sunday by the score of 7-0, and was responsible for three earned runs. Shayne Herold, a senior pitcher and outfielder, helped the club rebound with a 3-0 win in the second game Sunday.

Herold threw a complete-game shutout while only giving up three hits on senior day at Gannon University field. Coach Nate Cocolin said it was awesome to see Herold throw such a great game in front of his family, and it was even more important for the conference standings.

“It was really nice to see Herold go out and throw a game like that on senior day, and especially against a good Cal U team,” Tobin said. “He was hitting his spots and mixed his pitches up well.”

Jared Wiesen, a freshman utility player, continues to lead the team with a .337 batting average and nine RBI’s. Nico Baldelli, a senior catcher, has a .318 batting average and leads the team with 17 RBIs. Cocolin said Baldelli’s batting position has put him in a good spot drive in runners this season.

“Players have been doing a great job getting on base before Baldelli,” Cocolin said. “But his confidence at the plate with runners in scoring position has made the difference.”

The Knights continue PSAC action this weekend with four games against Mercyhurst. The Knights host Mercyhurst Friday at 1 and 3 p.m. for a doubleheader at Gannon University Field. Gannon will also take on the Lakers Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m. in a doubleheader at Mercyhurst Baseball Field.

Gannon is 11-5 in PSAC play while Mercyhurst is 13-7. Cocolin said that the crosstown rivalry would be more evident because of the proximity to each other in the standings.

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

The Knights defeated Mansfield University in both games of their doubleheader Friday by respective scores of 5-4 and 5-1, thanks to late-inning heroics from Shayne Herold, Michael Tomko and Jared Wiesen.

The Knights rounded out their weekend by dropping their final two games. The team lost an away game at Mansfield Saturday, 6-4, and dropped its Sunday matchup to Division I Canisius College, 9-3.

Coach Nate Cocolin said it was a great experience playing talented teams that are not in Gannon’s conference, and even having the ability to play a Division I team. Cocolin said there was a difference in the physical appearance of Division I players because they looked a little bigger and stronger, but Cocolin was pleased with the team’s effort.

“When it comes to baseball ability, we are right there with them,” Cocolin said.

Herold, a senior pitcher and outfielder, remains the ace of the pitching staff while recording a 6-0 record and a 0.98 ERA. Lou Downey, a junior infielder, said Herold is such a dynamic hurler because he is able to locate all six of his pitches with consistency.

“Shane is a very intelligent pitcher who knows when to pitch for contact and when he needs a swing and miss,” Downey said. “This enables him to keep a low pitch count and go deep into games.”

Jared Wiesen, a freshman utility player with a .349 batting average, has led Gannon’s offensive attack. Wiesen has only been held hitless in four of the team’s 28 games.

“He’s one of the most consistent hitters I’ve played with and that’s a testament to his hard work in practice,” Downey said. “He doesn’t waste a swing.”

The Knights have also relied on timely hitting from Jeff Bellanca, Mark DeVita, Nico Baldelli and the powerful bat of Aaron Cox to solidify the offense.

The Knights take on the California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans in four separate games this weekend. The Knights start with an away doubleheader Friday and come home to finish the weekend with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Knights are 9-3 in PSAC action this season and will be truly tested when they take the field against the Vulcans, who are also 9-3 in PSAC play. Cocolin said he is looking forward to this weekend to see how the team fares against other schools in the conference.

“To be successful this weekend we will be looking to have big innings against their strong pitching staff,” Cocolin said. “Big innings are when we are able to put up three or more runs.”

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

In minor league baseball, however, it’s a little bit different.

The battle for any minor league baseball team is to provide a winning product on the field for its fan base while developing players to become productive major leaguers.

The Erie SeaWolves, the current class AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, are not immune to this problem.

The SeaWolves have had many successful major leaguers come through the doors in 19 seasons at Jerry Uht Park. Count Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander, a five-time All-Star and 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner among them.

The SeaWolves have also had winning teams that made postseason appearances. Most recently, the 2007 team went 81-59 and won the Eastern League Southern Division Title.

Erie has also had its share of struggles. Since 2007, the SeaWolves have only registered one winning record.

So why is it so hard to maintain success in the minor leagues?

The goal for players and coaches who are in the minor leagues is to earn their way to the major leagues. SeaWolves players who sustain success in the Eastern League may be moved up to the Tigers’ class AAA affiliate Toledo long before the season is over.

Players could have a great first few months of the season and could be moved up by June or July. It’s difficult to maintain any success as a team when the roster is more fluid than water. Another reason is that players who have success are often traded to other teams in packages with other successful minor leaguers, referred to prospects at the time, to acquire major league talent.

The Tigers are known for doing this in recent years. Last season, the Tigers traded away SeaWolves starting catcher Rob Brantly to the Marlins as a package for Major Leaguers Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante at the MLB trade deadline at the end of July, which helped propel the Tigers all the way to the World Series.

These factors make it difficult for the SeaWolves to have winning seasons.

The 2013 version of the Erie SeaWolves looks to be promising, however.

There’s a good mix of veteran players with young, talented prospects. Fan favorites such as outfielder Jamie Johnson and second baseman Brandon Douglas return to the club. Some of the highly touted prospects that join them include catcher James McCann who was the Tigers’ No. 1 draft pick in 2011, Daniel Fields, the No. 7 prospect in the Tigers Organization according to MLB.com, and Tyler Collins who is the No. 6 Prospect in the Tigers organization according to Baseball America.

Only time will tell whether this team will have the opportunity to gel together and build the chemistry needed to win games or if it will be ripped apart by the powers that be.

Seawolves Manager Chris Cron stated it best.

“Managing in the minor leagues is about the development of players more so than winning.”

ZACK BORLAND

borland006@knights.gannon.edu

Coach Nate Cocolin said the strong start could be credited to playing a tough schedule on the team’s spring training trip to Florida. Cocolin said the baseball team has relied on consistent pitching and defensive play to obtain victories.

“Our defensive play has been a big part of our wins this season,” Cocolin said. “We didn’t have an error all weekend.”

Gannon won three of its four games over the weekend against the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Shayne Herold, a senior pitcher, recorded his fifth win of the season along with his third save over the weekend while recording a .91 ERA on the year. Cocolin said Herold has been a dynamic pitcher for the team because of his ability to start and finish games.

“He has an above average fastball with above average control,” Cocolin said.

Offensive production for the baseball club has been led by timely batting by Mark DeVita, a redshirt freshman infielder who leads the team with a .345 batting average. Nico Baldelli, redshirt-senior catcher, has also swung the bat well with a .333 batting average and 16 runs batted in.

Cocolin said Jeff Bellanca, a sophomore utility player, has played well defensively all the while maintaining a .317 batting average.

“He is a very versatile player,” Cocolin said while talking about Bellanca. “He has played first base, designated hitter, outfield and catcher for the team this season.”

Bellanca said he enjoys playing different positions and it gives him a chance to get out on the field wherever he is needed. Bellanca said the team’s pitching has been strong and led the team to many victories

“Our pitching this year has been great and I have confidence that they are going to pitch good enough to give us the win,” Bellanca said. “I’m going into this weekend with the same confidence against Mansfield staff.”

Aaron Cox, freshman infielder and pitcher, is 4-0 on the season with a 2.12 ERA. Cox has pitched dominantly and leads the team with five homeruns. Cox’s previous 23 innings have been shutout baseball.

“It’s great to have a player that can have a strong starting pitching performance and help us out offensively as well,” Bellanca said

Gannon takes on Mansfield University this weekend in a home-and-home series with two doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

2012 season: 25-23 record (14-10 PSAC); second in PSAC West. The Knights reached the PSAC conference tournament where they lost to Kutztown University, 5-4, and Slippery Rock University 3-2.

Key Players lost (2012 statistics): OF Michael Brosius, started 42 games, hit .291 while scoring 29 runs; C Evan Baglieri, started all 48 games, hit .298, 38 RBIs were second on team; INF Tim Lipp, started every game, was second on team with .315 batting average, knocked in 31 runs; OF Kyle Harpster, started 39 games while hitting .250; RHP Paul McKenna, 7-5 record, 3.23 ERA, 75 1/3 innings pitched, 57 strikeouts; RHP Landon Wahl, 7-7 record, 3.94 ERA, 64 innings pitched, 36 strikeouts, five saves; LHP Mark Carlozzi, 2-3 record, 6.35 ERA, 28 1/3 innings pitched, 13 strikeouts.

Starting Lineup (2013 statistics through 12 games):

C — Nico Baldelli, senior (.286 batting average, one home run, 4 RBIs)

1B/DH — Jeff Bellanca, sophomore (.303 average, 6 runs)/ Aaron Cox, freshman (.265 average, two home runs, 6 RBIs)

2B — Eric Bradley, senior (.130 average, .943 fielding percentage)

3B — Jared Wiesen, freshman (.440 average, 4 RBIs)

SS — Bob Roach, sophomore (.333 average, 3 runs)/ Mark DeVita, redshirt freshman (.267 average)

LF — Michael Tomko, senior (.306 average, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs)

CF — Dylan Schwegler, senior (.147 average, 6 RBIs)

RF — Shayne Herold, senior (.316 average, 1.000 fielding percentage)

Starting Rotation:

RHP — David Spaeder, junior (1-1 record, 8.31 ERA, 17 1/3 innings pitched, 6 strikeouts)

LHP — Matt Tobin, sophomore (2-0, 3.55, 12 2/3, 7)

RHP — Phil Cacchione, sophomore (0-2, 6.40, 12 2/3, 4)

RHP — Matt Wilwohl, sophomore (0-2, 3.75, 12, 7)

Key Games (opponents’ 2013 Records):

Calfornia University of Pennsylvania (13-3) — Away: April 19; Home: April 21

Slippery Rock (11-4) — Home: May 3; Away: May 4

Mercyhurst (11-7 overall) — Home: April 26; Away: April 27

*All dates are double-headers

Outlook:

The Gannon baseball team will try to build on a historic 2012 season, in which the Knights achieved their first winning record since 1985 and reached postseason play for the first time since 1970.

So far this season, Gannon has broken even, going 6-6 at the Russ-Matt Invitational at Winter Haven, Fla., earlier this month.

Coach Nate Cocolin said his team had to shake off rust in Florida.

“We got off to a slow start, but have since showed signs of improvement,” Cocolin said. “It’s always hard for us having to practice in the gym, in the gym, in the gym and then go out on the field.”

Since then, the Knights, who open PSAC play with a road double-header at Clarion Friday, have had two non-conference doubleheaders postponed due to bad weather.

The Knights have stuggled at the plate this season. Gannon ranks 10th out of 14 teams with a .280 team batting average.

Gannon has received valuable contributions from underclassmen. Sophomores Jeff Bellanca and Bob Roach are hitting over .300, while freshman Jared Wiesen leads the team in hitting, having gone 11-for-25.

The rotation also received somewhat of a face-lift this season after the losing its ace, Paul McKenna, to graduation. The Knights return experienced starters Matt Tobin and David Spaeder as well as Phil Cacchoine, who worked mostly out of the bullpen.

After the Knights got a taste of the postseason last year, Cocolin said the team wants to replicate its performance.

“I think we have to go back to the playoffs again this season,” he said. “We have to get off to a good start in the PSAC and be consistent.”

All of the American League divisional races have two teams in contention to win their respective division. The Oakland Athletics are the team with the toughest route to win their division and they are only five games back.

The AL East is a tight race primarily between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees have been able to overcome adversity and injuries through the leadership and play of Derek Jeter, despite his age. The Orioles have many young talented players who have been molded by veteran leadership to put them in a position to make a title run.

The AL Central is a close duel between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. The White Sox have benefitted from a well-balanced pitching staff with the help of Cy Young-contender Chris Sale. Sale has tallied 17 wins this year with a 2.86 ERA. The big bats of Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn have been leading the scoring effort of the Sox. The Detroit Tigers offense has been led by Miguel Cabrera with a .331 batting average and 42 home runs on the season.

The AL West has been dominated by the Texas Rangers for the majority of the season but the Oakland Athletics have been playing well and have shortened the gap. The Rangers have been led by the offensive performance of Josh Hamilton with 43 home runs this season. Oakland’s resurgence has been led by a total team effort from both the pitching staff and young hitters.

The NL divisional races have been determined for the teams leading their respective divisions, but the wild card race has yet to be decided.

The Washington Nationals have clinched a playoff berth from the NL East despite the shutting-down of ace Stephen Strasburg after a 15-win season. The 20 wins from Gio Gonzalez and comeback year from Adam La Roche have propelled the Nationals to their first playoff berth since 1933.

The NL Central has been dominated by the Cincinnati Reds despite the injury to their star, Joey Votto. Johnny Cueto has led the pitching staff with a 2.84 ERA and 18 wins. The flame-throwing, Aroldis Chapman, has helped the bullpen with 35 saves.

The NL West has been clinched by the San Francisco Giants despite the poor year from Cy Young winning pitcher, Tim Lincecum. Lincecum has a dismal record of 10-14 this year. Angel Pagan and Buster Posey’s bats have picked up following the suspension of Melky Cabrera.

Baltimore and Oakland would be the AL wild-card teams if the season ended today. The streaking Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays are looking to make a push to enter the postseason if they can string together a few more wins.

The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals would be the NL wild-card teams if the season ended today. The Milwaukee Brewers and Dodgers are both 3.5 games back and would almost need to win out to have a chance at the postseason.

It is going to be an interesting end to the season and more story lines will unfold. The hunt for October has almost drawn to a close and the excitement of postseason baseball is ready to begin.

CONNOR SONDEL

sondel001@knights.gannon.edu

Up until now though, it’s never been the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference finals.

With four games left in their season, the Knights have already clinched their first ever postseason appearance and look to capture the No. 1 seed in the PSAC tournament heading into their season-ending series against crosstown rival Mercyhurst University.

And according to junior slugger Michael Tomko, they wouldn’t have the schedule work out any other way.

“It’s a big intercity rivalry,” said Tomko, who leads Gannon in home runs and RBIs. “We don’t want to play anyone else when it comes to a game of this magnitude.”

Gannon (13-7 PSAC) is in a first-place tie with the Lakers for the top spot in the PSAC West. Both teams are two games ahead of California (Pa) University and three games ahead of Slippery Rock University.

With four games left and a 24-18 overall record the Knights clinched their first .500 season for the first time since 1985. Their 24 victories also beat that same 1985 team’s total of 23 for most in program history.

“It’s special. This is something we’ve been talking about since we got here,” said coach Nate Cocolin, who took over in 2007. “It’s a chance for this class to put a stamp on themselves.”

While the .500 season is an accomplishment to Cocolin, whose team went 8-36 in his first year, it serves little more than a consolation prize for those taking the field.

“A .500 season is nice,” Tomko said. “But a PSAC Championship is what we want.”

However, if, like Cocolin says, playoff success means sealing a stamp on their class, then these Knights just spent 44 cents in California (Pa.) over the weekend. Gannon, which had a 1-11 all-time record against the Vulcans since entering the PSAC in 2009, took three of four games from Cal and knocked them out of first place in the PSAC West. After sweeping the home series by a combined total of two runs, The Knights traveled south where it rebounded to win the night cap 7-4 after getting shutout 4-0 in game one.

“We’re just going into every game with the same mentality,” Tomko said. “We think we’re going to win.”

The 6-foot-4, 205 pound senior went 4-11 against the Vulcans and knocked in three RBIs while senior Evan Baglieri, who has batted behind Tomko for the majority of the year, proved to be the catalyst that the Knights needed, going 6-13 from the plate while driving in five RBIs.

While Gannon relied on quality, not quantity with its hits, its pitching staff made sure that game was in reach more often than not. Seniors Landon Wahl, who earned two victories during the series, and Paul McKenna, who picked up the other win, limited one of the PSAC’s better hitting team to under its average of five runs per game in each game.

“We pitched it real well and we competed at the plate. Our pitchers held them down and made it tough for them to score.”

While the Knights were happy with to come away with the wins, the historic aspect of the trip wasn’t lost on Cocolin either. It not only started to reverse a terrible all-time record against Cal but also put Gannon in a position to make a deep late season run.

“It was huge. It set us up to reach all of our goals. We clinched a .500 season, a playoff berth and a chance for a No. 1 seed.”

ZACK McDERMOTT

mcdermot002@knights.gannon.edu

In fact the junior slugger, who leads Gannon’s team in seven offensive categories, wasn’t even born.

However, he and the rest of the 21-17 Knights are trying to reach .500 at the season’s end for the first time since 1985 and earn their first postseason berth in school history.

They’re not trying to rewrite history; they’re trying to write a first draft.

Gannon gets its chance when it takes on California and Mercyhurst universities in the upcoming weekends. Both teams that are tied with the Knights for first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West division –

“This is probably the biggest series this program has ever had,” said Tomko, who, at .357, boasts the 17th best batting average in the PSAC.

And that might not be an understatement. Just four years removed from an 8-36 season, Gannon has a legitimate shot of not only making the playoffs but earning the West division’s top seed.

Tied with Mercyhurst and Cal with a 10-6 PSAC record, the Knights sit two games ahead of fourth-place Slippery Rock University. The top four teams from each division make the postseason.

Despite being consistent dance partners with sub-.500 records, coach Nate Cocolin said that this season’s success isn’t a surprise to anyone.

“When we first got here we sat down and make goals and this we looked at this year as the year we could reach these goals,” Cocolin said. “It’d be nice to see them get what they’ve been working for.”

Gannon’s record, which is seven games above .500 this late in the season for the first time program history, wasn’t aided by any recent endeavors. The Knights have lost seven of their last 11, including three straight to No.17 Seton Hill University.

Although the games against Seton Hill haven’t resulted in wins, they have ended with excitement. The Griffons won two of three in their final at bat in extra innings and narrowly edged out the Knights out 8-6 at Gannon University Field.

“We gave them everything they could handle,” Cocolin said. “It was a statement of where we are. We’re playing well, pitching well and playing good defense.”

Although the bats have lagged at times in the Gannon lineup, they’ve been able to stay afloat because of their work on the mound. The Knights, one of the best pitching teams in the conference, posted the fourth best ERA in the PSAC.

The workhorse of Gannon’s staff, Paul McKenna, has gone 6-3 in nine appearances with a 3.54 ERA and six complete games. The team’s closer, Landon Wahl, has kept leads safe when asked. The senior has a appeared in a staff-high 15 games while earning a 5-4 record with five saves.

No matter how McKenna and Wahl pitch, or how many moonshots come from the barrel of Tomko’s bat, one thing is for certain – it’s going to take a team effort the Knights to come out of the upcoming weekends with a .500 record, let alone with a playoff spot.

“We need to take it slow, take it game by game,” Tomko said. “Anything less than the playoffs is a disappointment.”

ZACK McDERMOTT

mcdermot002@knights.gannon.edu

Gannon scored 47 runs while sweeping a four-game series Clarion University over the weekend, which resulted in the Knights grabbing sole possession of first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s Western Division.

“We’ve really been putting together quality at-bats, which have led to some real good innings,” coach Nate Cocolin said. “Any time you get two or three runs in an inning, we consider that a good inning, and we’ve been doing that a lot recently.”

The Knights, who carry an overall record of 16-10 and 6-2 in the PSAC West, have found their stroke at the plate.

Gannon’s sweep over Clarion (5-11 overall, 4-4 PSAC West) consisted of 15-10 and 4-3 wins Friday, before the Knights turned around and registered 8-2 and 20-4 victories Sunday at Gannon University Field.

Gannon also swept a double-header against non-conference Alderson-Broaddus College Tuesday at Gannon University Field. The Knights won by scores of 5-3 and 5-4.

Junior first baseman Terry Carson had a walk-off hit in the seventh inning to give the Knights the nightcap.

But the Knights’ offensive hot streak hasn’t happened without persistence, according to Cocolin.

“Patience is a word for it, but a lot of hard work has certainly gone into it as well,” he said. “A lot of guys have come in and worked on their own time to get their repetitions in, so it hasn’t been that they’re just waiting for it to come around as much as it is working toward it.”

Gannon failed to reach double-digit runs in any of the season’s first 16 games, during which time they scored 50 runs. Since opening PSAC West play against Slippery Rock University on March 17, the Knights have exploded for 20 runs on two separate occasions and added a 15-spot in the last two weeks. In all, Gannon has scored 81 runs

And the Knights are hoping to hear the ping sound a few more times.

“Everything’s clicking obviously for me and the team right now,” Evan Baglieri, senior third baseman, said. “We have a great group of guys and we all work hard together to make each other better.”

The 47 runs on 52 hits in the Clarion series marked the first time since at least 1999 that the Knights have scored as many runs in a four-game series.

And the Knights have to look no further than the heart of their order for the culprits.

Hitting in the second, third and fourth hole, senior shortstop Tim Lipp, junior outfielder Michael Tomko and Baglieri batted a combined .558 in the Clarion series in which they drove in 29 runs and crossed the plate 16 times.

These Knights reached their summit Sunday, when they went off for a video-game-like 11-for-13 with nine runs and 15 RBIs.

Baglieri provided the timeliest offense in the nightcap of Friday’s doubleheader, when his walk-off two-out single over the shortstop’s head capped a seventh-inning rally.

“They were pitching me a lot of off-speed all day so I was sitting on it for that at-bat and luckily the pitcher left one up and I got enough of it to win the game,” said Baglieri, who leads the team in hits, RBIs and ranks second as of Tuesday with a .375 batting average.

Gannon’s pitching staff has also found some success recently. The Knights rank second in the PSAC West with a 3.99 team ERA, and have enjoyed contributions throughout their balanced rotation.

Senior ace Paul McKenna has a 5-1 record with a 3.15 ERA, while freshman Matt Tobin has contributed with a 2-2 mark and 1.88 ERA.

“(Pitching) is what kept us together when we went 7-5 in our Florida trip, it certainly wasn’t our offense,” Cocolin said. “But now that our offense has come around, the game plan for our pitching staff is a lot less stressful.

“Our pitching staff doesn’t want our team to be known as just an offensive team, and our offense doesn’t want us to be known just as a pitching team, so there’s so good friendly competition going on.”

The first-place Knights return to the diamond Friday against Lock Haven University (3-5, 7-15-1), with the double-header beginning at 1 p.m.

JOE CUNEO

cuneo001@knights.gannon.edu