Westmoreland campus clippings: Seton Hill baseball tabbed preseason No. 1 in PSAC West

Elevated expectations for Seton Hill baseball: What else is new?

The perennially-contending Griffins were picked to finish first in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division for the third straight season.

Seton Hill finished 33-19-1 last season and went 2-2 in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional.

Three players, senior third baseman Jack Oberdorf (Greensburg Salem), senior shortstop Owen Sabol (Norwin) and grad student pitcher Caiden Wood were named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-Region team. All three were honorable mention picks.

Oberdorf led the Griffins with a .357 average, hits (65), runs (43), home runs (11) and RBIs (41). He also had eight doubles and two triples.

Sabol, who had a team-best 15 stolen bases, hit .298 last season with 17 doubles, a triple, five homers and 26 RBIs.

Wood was 7-2 out of the bullpen with a 3.91 ERA in 48 1/3 innings. He struck out 57 and walked 16.

Seton Hill opens the season Feb. 18 and 19 with a three-game series against Findlay.

Men’s volleyball

Penn State: Senior opposite hitter John Kerr (Derry) continues to have a career season for the Nittany Lions. In 22 sets played, he has a team-high 91 kills and a .406 attack percentage.

Kerr, a recent American Volleyball Coaches Association National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Player of the Week award recipient, also has 27 digs and 19 blocks.

Another Derry connection exists in the program: Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik is a Derry native.

St. Francis (Pa.): Junior outside hitter Joey Ferragonio (Norwin) had a season-high nine kills and six digs but the Red Flash fell to North Greenville, 3-2. In 16 sets played, Ferragonio is hitting .615.

Thiel: Sophomore JC Govannucci (Norwin) had a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs in a 3-1 loss to Penn State Behrend. Freshman Tyler Hussey (Norwin) had six kills for the Tomcats in a 3-0 loss to Mount Union.

Men’s basketball

Delaware State: Senior forward Brandon Stone (Southmoreland) scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench in an 88-85 overtime win over South Carolina State that broke his team’s 15-game losing streak.

Stone added 12 points and eight rebounds in a 64-62 win against Morgan State.

Lehigh: Senior guard Reed Fenton (Latrobe) has appeared in 20 games this season and is averaging 4.6 points.

Pitt-Greensburg: Senior guard JoJo France erupted for a career-high 39 points as the Bobcats raced past Mount Aloysius, 104-70.

France made 12 of 16 shots, including 6 of 12 3-pointers and 9 of 10 free throws, all in 28 minutes.

Junior Reggie Priah added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and junior Octavius Hardy had 11 points and 10 rebounds for UPG.

The Bobcats (8-11, 4-4 AMCC) followed that effort with a 69-62 victory over Alfred State as freshman Armend Karpuzi had 14 points, senior Jaylen Williams added 11 and junior Reggie Priah contributed 10.

Saint Vincent: Jaden Gales continued his torrid freshman season for the Bearcats, pumping in a career-best 35 points — the most by an SVC scorer since 2014 — as Saint Vincent downed Washington & Jefferson, 101-93.

Gales, who made 14 of 19 shots, also grabbed 11 rebounds for the Bearcats (12-8, 8-7 PAC).

Sophomore Mike Iuzzolino added 24 points, including six 3-pointers, and junior Osyon Jones had 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Seton Hill: Junior guard Sean Dillon (24 points), senior Jimmy Moon (20) and senior Drew Green (11) all scored in double figures to power the Griffins past Gannon, 89-74.

Dillon also had seven assists and five rebounds, while Moon made 6 of 10 3-pointers.

West Liberty: Junior Bryce Butler (Latrobe) produced 20 points, 10 rebounds and four rebounds across 24 minutes as the 22nd-ranked Hilltoppers downed Davis & Elkins, 104-69.

It was Butler’s sixth double-double of the season.

WCCC: Will Toye, a freshman guard, neted 22 points as the Wolfpack registered its first win of the season, 77-70 over CCAC.

Women’s basketball

Chatham: Freshman Alyssa Laukus (Norwin) had 15 points and six rebounds to lead Chatham to a 63-57 victory over Bethany. She was named the PAC Rookie of the Week.

Grove City: Senior guard Megan Kallock (Greensburg Salem) had 16 points as Grove City defeated Franciscan, 82-71. She added 13 points in a 71-51 win over Westminster.

Kallock was leading the team in scoring at 17.7 points per game.

Illinois-Springfield: Freshman Brianna Zajicek (Norwin) is averaging 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds and has scored in double figures 15 times in her first season with UIS. She transferred from Alderson Broaddus.

Mercyhurst: Freshman forward Bailey Kuhns (Greensburg Central Catholic) had 10 points and three rebounds as the Lakers toppled Clartion, 78-43.

Pitt-Greensburg: Senior Sidney McCully had 17 points, and sophomore Melina Maietta (Greensburg Central Catholic) added 15 as UPG defeated Mount Aloysius, 72-36.

Freshman Chloe Lukondi (Norwin) chipped in nine points in the win.

Maietta then went for 28 points and connected on seven 3-pointers — tying her school record also shared by Kelsey Oddis (Burrell) — in a 65-61 win over Alfred State.

Lukondi and freshman Tiana Morocco (Derry) scored 10 apiece.

Saint Vincent: Another strong all-around effort carried the Bearcats to their 11th straight victory, a 57-53 win over No. 23 Washington & Jefferson.

Junior guard Emily Cavacini had a game-best 21 points, including four 3-pointers, and senior forward Madison Weber had 19 points and 11 rebounds for SVC (15-3, 13-2).

The Presidents had won 16 in a row.

Weber had 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists, senior Ella Marconi tossed in 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, junior Lizzie Bender scored 12, and sophomore Emily Thompson had 10 in an 81-49 victory over Waynesburg.

Weber was named the PAC Player of the Week.

Seton Hill: The Griffins scored a PSAC upset with an 87-72 victory over No. 22 Gannon as five players scored in double figures.

Junior Christiane Frye led the way with 21 points, graduate Alie Seto added 18, senior Courtney Tomas 17, freshman Helene Cowan 14, and freshman Hallie Cowan 11.

The Griffins shot 50% from the field (27 for 54).

Westminster: Sophomore Mackenzie Powell (Penn-Trafford) had eight points and three rebounds in a 71-51 loss to Grove City.

WCCC: Sophomore Chloe Willochell (Latrobe) had a career-high 31 points and 17 rebounds in a 57-36 win over CCAC.