Baseball set to host first playoff game in school history

GREENSBURG, PA- Fresh off a 20-17 record that locked up the first winning season in the history of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg baseball program has earned another first, the first home playoff game in the history of the program.

The Bobcats , the AMCC Tournament three seed will host visiting number six seed Mt. Aloysius College on Saturday, May 5^th, 2012 at 10:00 AM in the AMCC Playoffs first round best of three series.

Pitt-Greensburg rides a hot offense heading into the 2012 AMCC playoffs.  UPG as a team leads the AMCC in slugging percentage (.518), on base percentage (.418), runs scored (299), hits (373), runs batted in (284), doubles (87), home runs (35) and total bases (587).

The Bobcats are ranked second nationally in all of division III in home runs (35), home runs per game (0.95) and slugging percentage (.518).  Dylin Brooks (Ardara, PA/Norwin) ranks 19^th nationally with 1.31 runs per game.  Pitt-Greensburg’s leadoff man has scored a team high 42 runs this season and enters the playoffs with a team best .393 batting average.

After Brooks, eight different players have at least one home run while senior Bryan Colish (Erie, PA/Cathedral Prep.)  leads the AMCC with nine home runs and also ranks 15^th nationally amongst all division III hitters.  Colish one of only two seniors on the 2012 squad will graduate from Pitt-Greensburg with the career records for batting average, slugging percentage, doubles and home runs.  This year Colish is hitting .365 with 46 hits, 14 doubles and a triple to go along with his nine home runs.  He scored 42 runs and is a perfect 4-4 in stolen base attempts.

Pitt-Greensburg’s offensive line-up is deep and full of power.  Four other Bobcats have at least five home runs this season and junior’s Garrett Herald (Grove City, PA/Grove City) and Gio Schiano (Uniontown, Pa/Uniontown) have six home runs each.

Herald broke the Pitt-Greensburg single season record with 54 hits and 47 RBI.  His 54 hits rank third in the conference while his 47 RBIs lead the AMCC.

On the mound the Bobcats will rely on juniors Andy Cornell (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) and Jeramy Kopacko (Brownsville, PA/Brownsville).  Cornell a two time AMCC Pitcher of the Week honoree is 4-0 with a 4.01 ERA.  In 12 appearances, mostly out of the bullpen he has walked just eight in 33.2 innings.  Kopacko is 3-3 with a team leading 3.86 ERA.  He has thrown two complete games and has struck out 34 batters in 42 innings of work.

Fellow junior Matt Kloos (Seven Fields, PA/Seneca Valley) leads the team in wins with a 5-1 record, saves with two and innings pitched, working 43.1 innings.  He has a 5.61 ERA but was has been very good down the stretch.  In the final week of the regular season he picked up two wins and a save all coming out of the bullpen.

In other AMCC playoff action Penn State Altoona will host Pitt-Bradford in the other best of three series, while number one seeded La Roche College and number two seeded Penn State Behrend earn first round byes.  La Roche will host the AMCC final four double elimination tournament which is set to begin on Thursday, May 10^th.