DUBOIS, Pa. — The 2018 Small College World Series Champion Penn State DuBois baseball team is ready to take the field again for a short “fall ball” season. They’ll kick things off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16, as they play host to Jamestown Community College in a doubleheader at Showers Field.
Coming off of a championship year having lost three star players to graduation, head coach Tom Calliari is still confident his team will come out strong.
“People might ask how you can beat last year,” Calliari said. “I think we are in an extremely good spot with our program. We’ve developed a lot, and I think we have the depth to overcome the losses of our strong players. We’ll be able to compete at a high level all year long.”
Calliari said the recruitment of six new strong players will bring considerable talent to his dugout. These including Zane Morgan, a Clearfield native who’s transferring in from Juniata College and joining his twin brother Thayne on the DuBois team.
“Zane will be a very impactful player,” Calliari said. “We can rely on him to move around and play a lot of different positions. I’m excited to get a proven athlete who will help in a lot of different ways.”
Jake Sorbera, a pitcher from Clearfield also brings new blood to the team. Calliari said of Sorbera, “I’m really excited about him. He’s a strike thrower. Very reliable on the mound. Very consistent.”
Another Clearfield recruit is Seth Bumbarger, on first base. “Seth is very good defensively, and really very capable,” said Calliari.
Adam Armstrong is a left-handed pitcher from Bellefonte, about whom the coach commented, “He’s pitched in a lot of big games for his high school. He played on the championship Bellefonte Raiders team. His competitiveness will play a major role.”
The coach then recalled scouting out his next recruit, Isaac Stouffer, of Punxsutawney. “I saw him pitch this summer and he has the potential to be dominating in college," said Calliari. "We lost two amazing pitchers last year, but Isaac could be one of those guys.”
Trevor Hanna of Central Mountain, Calliari said, will go to work in the infield. “He’s versatile; a very good player and will add a lot of depth. He can pitch, too. He’s going to be very good for us moving forward."
As the team looks to match last year’s success with this new lineup, the coach remains cautiously optimistic.
“Being the champions, we have a target on our backs. We could make or break another team’s season by whether they beat us or not,” Calliari said. “We drop a game, it’s not just another game anymore. We are defending a title, and we have to work even harder than last year. Preparation and work ethic in the off-season will determine our season.”
DuBois secured the championship in the United States Collegiate Athletics Association (USCAA) Small College World Series on Thursday, May 17, at Showers Field. DuBois now holds the distinction of being only the second team in any sport in the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) to bring home a USCAA national championship. The first was the 2015 Penn State Beaver women's basketball team.
The Penn State DuBois Nittany Lions ended their winning regular season 31-11, and claimed a 17-1 conference record in the PSUAC. They were 4-1 in the Small College World Series. For a full schedule, and more, visit http://psuduboisathletics.com/sports/bsb/index.