Westmoreland County campus clippings: Penn-Trafford grad Tyler Horvat earns PAC honors

One of the most versatile players in all of Division III baseball, Tyler Horvat has been the ultimate dual-threat player for Washington & Jefferson.

The senior pitcher and outfielder earned two major awards from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference because of the respect he demands. The Penn-Trafford alum was named player and pitcher of the year.

W&J won a fourth straight conference title and moved on to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Horvat won a PAC-best 11 games during the regular season, tying him for the most in Division III. He had a 3.29 ERA and struck out 82 in a workmanlike 90 1/3 innings.

His 29 wins (3 losses) are a school record.

With a bat in his hands, Horvat tied for the league lead with 65 hits and stole more bases than any PAC player (27).

He was hitting .392 with 48 runs, six triples and a 1.041 OPS.

The Presidents (32-13) were battling to hang around at the NCAA Division III Tournament after an opening loss to Misericordia.

Baseball

Allegheny: Senior second baseman Sullivan Schueltz (Ligonier Valley) was named to the All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference Second Team.

Schueltz had a breakout season for the Gators in his first year as a starter, putting up career highs in hits (42), runs (33), RBIs (25) and steals (8).

He led the team with a .362 batting average.

Grove City: Junior second baseman Luca Baccari (Penn-Trafford) was an All-PAC honorable mention selection.

Baccari hit .257 with four triples and 31 RBIs.

Mercyhurst: Sophomore pitcher Jake Bazala (Norwin) threw 4 2/3 innings of strong middle relief as the Lakers clipped Seton Hill, 8-6, in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional.

Luke Jackson hit a walk-off grand slam for Mercyhurst, who was the home team on the Griffins’ home turf.

The loss sent the stunned Griffins into an elimination game.

Bazala struck out eight and walked two while allowing two hits.

Pitt-Greensburg: A reflection of a bright future for the Bobcats, freshmen Nate Mankoski, Ben Aftanas and James Domer were all named to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference First Team.

Domer was named the conference newcomer of the year.

Mankoski pitched three complete games and had a program-record 1.06 ERA, while Aftanas hit .371 with 25 RBIs and 43 runs, and Domer set team single-season records for hits (68), triples (6), and RBIs (56). He batted .439.

Saint Vincent: Junior first baseman Billy Perroz (Kiski Area), senior outfielder Jordan Sabol (Penn-Trafford) and grad pitcher Mike Klingensmith (Franklin Regional) were named to the All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference First Team.

Perroz hit .427 and set single-season SVC records with 63 hits and 17 doubles. He hit seven home runs and drove in 40 runs. He hit safely in 34 of 40 games.

Sabol, an all-conference pick for the third straight season, batted .352 with four doubles, two homers, 24 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. He did not make an error in center field.

Sabol made the PAC all-tournament team.

Klingensmith went 6-2 with a conference-best 2.98 ERA and he struck out 31 in 49 innings while walking 15.

He, too, made all tournament.

Seton Hill: Freshman Jack Whalen (Norwin) is having quite a debut season for the Griffins.

Some say he was steal of a recruit.

Whalen is proving that every time he swipes a base. He recently reached 46 steals to set a PSAC and team record for stolen bases in a season.

Grad student Logan Vietmeier also set a single-season record by reaching 23 doubles.

The Griffins, who beat Mercyhurst twice in the Atlantic Regional Sunday, collected more postseason honors, this time from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Senior third baseman Jack Oberdorf (Greensburg Salem) and sophomore pitcher Blake Barker were named to the all-region first team, while senior Kevin Vaupel and juniors Aidan Layton and Brandon Bergert, as well as senior catcher Vincenzo Rauso and Whalen made the second team.

Softball

Marist: Senior pitcher Kiley Myers (Latrobe) was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region Second Team.

Myers, the MAAC Championship Most Outstanding Player, won six straight decisions, including three straight in the conference playoffs.

She went 8-1 with a 1.60 ERA during the regular season for the Red Foxes, who reached the NCAA Tournament.

Penn State: Fifth-year pitcher Bailey Parshall (Belle Vernon) was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region First Team.

It was the second straight all-region honor for Parshall, who became the Nittany Lions’ all-time strikeout leader, while also setting program marks for shutouts and appearances. She finished this season 17-9 with a 1.54 ERA, 176 strikeouts, and 28 walks over 168 1/3 innings.

Pitt-Greensburg: Senior second baseman Kayla Santucci was named to the All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference First Team.

Santucci batted .325 with 13 RBIs and 14 runs in 31 games.

Saint Vincent: Junior Alex Dillner (Norwin) was named to the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Region VII Third Team.

The outfielder hit .398 with eight home runs, eight doubles, 26 RBIs and 23 runs. She had a team-high eight doubles.