Poised for big season, Seton Hill baseball accepts cruel fate of emotional year

Tanner Froelich said his team’s “why” is greater than any other team’s when it comes to the disappointment felt by the cancellation of the college baseball season, the evil work of the debilitating coronavirus.

“We had such a great start to the year,” said Froelich, a redshirt freshman catcher for Seton Hill. “Our team was playing for much more than ourselves. We were playing for ‘Mac.’ This team was closer to each other than any other team I have been on in my life. With the combination of our brotherhood and our ‘why,’ we were on our way to good things.”

The sudden elimination of the Division II season by the NCAA — all divisions at all levels followed suit and spring sports were wiped out — took Seton Hill players aback.

And it spoiled the brewing chemistry between first-year contributors and already proven players.

The Griffins (9-4) were 13 games into a promising season when the pandemic took hold. They showed power and potential.

“We were excited and optimistic about this season, and I think it showed in the way we started,” Griffins coach Marc Marizzaldi said. “We opened with a three-game road sweep (in South Carolina), hitting eight home runs on the weekend.”

A sluggish few games at home followed, but Seton Hill traveled to Florida where it went 5-2 before the season was called. One win was against defending national champion Tampa.

“Mac,” is Maclean Maund, the late freshmen pitcher who was killed in a car accident in January. The Penn-Trafford grad was expected to contribute right away.

He likely would have joined other first-year players who made an impact, albeit in a small sample size of play.

The group included three other freshmen: third baseman Jack Oberdorf (Greensburg Salem), shortstop Owen Sabol (Norwin) and pitcher Kevin Vaupel (South Park).

Froelich, a Plum product, was hitting .333 with three home runs and 12 RBIs.

“We, as a team, have endured a lot and felt this year was going to be a special one,” Oberdorf said. “Not getting to see it play out hurts but leaves us determined for next year and the years to come. Right now, everyone in the country is in the same boat.”

Add some transfers to the mix of fresh faces: junior outfielder Derek Orndorff (Connellsville) moved in from Penn State, and sophomore pitcher Nash Bryan migrated from Wheeling.

Orndorff has 13 hits and 12 runs, and Bryan had surrendered just two earned runs.

“Sadly, I think Maclean Maund would have been a really big piece for us, too, on the mound,” Marizzaldi said. The Griffins dedicated the season, no matter its length, to Maund.

“We had outstanding leadership and team chemistry this year,” Marizzaldi said. “Lineup-wise, we returned a lot of experienced players, combined with some impactful newcomers. More than anything, this group really cared about one another.”

Seton Hill had its streak of nine consecutive NCAA Tournament trips snapped last season, and a bid for three straight PSAC titles was foiled. But Marizzaldi was confident this group would rebound.

“This year’s team was very motivated to get us back to, or exceed our typical standards,” the coach said.

Marizzaldi has kept in touch with his players through Zoom meetings over the internet.

A surprise guest recently joined the virtual gathering.

“Clint Hurdle joined our whole team for about an hour Zoom call last week,” Marizzaldi said. “It was awesome.”

Alumni also have participated, discussing career paths with players.

The NCAA has granted a fifth year of athletic eligibility to seniors who lost their final chance to play. At Seton Hill, standout designated hitter Tommy Pellis (Greensburg Central Catholic) and outfielder Carl Turner plan to take advantage of the extra time. Eight others will graduate and not return next season.

Pellis was a tough out early on. He was hitting a team-best .431 (22 for 51) with three home runs, 14 runs and 15 RBIs.

Other local WPIAL products also were in line for big years. Junior Jordan Fiedor (Hempfield) had a .391 average; sophomore Isaiah DiAndreth (Hempfield) was hitting .377 with 10 runs; and junior right-hander Jared Kollar (Latrobe) was 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA and a team-leading 31 strikeouts in 23 innings.

“We definitely had a special team this year,” Pellis said.

As for Pellis’ decision to return? It was a no-brainer.

“Being granted the extra year of eligibility made it an easy decision for me,” Pellis said. “That was just an opportunity to keep playing the game I love.”