Feb. 20, 2008

Erie, Pa. - The Lakers enter 2008--its final season in the GLIAC--looking to take the next step.

The Lakers are coming off back-to-back seasons of at least 30 wins and two-straight GLIAC tournament appearances. In 2007 alone, six players were named all-conference, two Lakers earned all-region mention, and outfielder David Lough became the first All-American since 1998. Lough and pitcher Brian Espersen were then selected in the 2007 MLB draft in June.

While the Lakers suffered the early departure of Lough and Espersen, expectations couldn't be higher. Four all-conference players return from last year's squad, and Joe Spano, entering his ninth year at the helm, has his team poised to finish its 13-year GLIAC membership with a bang.

OUTFIELD
Lough's production leaves some big shoes to fill in center field, but the Lakers have an experienced corps of outfielders. Scott Monzel returns to the lineup after sitting out 2007 with a medical red-shirt, and he started 47 games in 2006. His return gives the team three full-time starters.

Two-time all-conference selection Joe Luli will man right field, and Trey Bennett will patrol left field after starting 47 games, batting .307 and swiping 18 bases as a freshman. Mount Union transfer Greg Turk adds depth to the outfield. He could also see some innings at first base and gives Mercyhurst a lefty option.

INFIELD
Three starters return from 2007, including All-GLIAC shortstop Dan Bertolini, who enters his fourth year as the starter. He will also serve as one of the team's four captains in 2008. Last season, Bertolini started all 52 games and hit .335 with 31 RBIs.

Sophomore Adam Gray will be the fulltime starter at second after taking over mid-way through his freshman season. Look for Gray to see some innings on the mound, as well, as he went 3-0 on the hill in 2007.

Jamie Walczak appears to be set at third after having a breakout season in 2007. Walczak is one of the best athletes on the team and should hit near the top of the order.

Versatile freshman Jon Keppler will likely see innings in the middle infield, as well. According to coaches, Keppler had a good fall, and he comes from a strong Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin program that finished as the OHSAA Division II runner-up last year. Freshman Craig Denman provides depth in the infield and is capable of playing several positions. Denman, an All-WPIAL selection at Blackhawk, is athletic and has shown steady improvement since the start of the year.

Senior Jeff Stoll will be a regular at first base. He battled injuries all last season, but was still able to make 41 starts and hit .312. Stoll should hit in the middle of the order and will also serve as one of the team captains. Senior Josh Schmidt and red-shirt sophomore John Blike back up Stoll at first. Both Schmidt and Blike batted over .300 last season and will earn their share starts at designated hitter.

CATCHER
There will be some new faces behind the plate in 2008 after starting catchers Sean Weyant and Brian Zacour graduated. Both players served as captains and not only provided leadership but a steady defensive presence. Cleveland State transfer Joe Furner is in position to fill that void. He made 23 starts last yaer, and is a good catch and throw backstop but displayed his offensive prowess during the fall.

Sophomore Adam Schlessel returns and should contend for some starts after playing in 11 games in 2007. He has strong arm and is a hard worker and shown a great deal of improvement in the offseason. Freshman D.J. Haurin, a standout baseball and football player at Canfield High School, may be the most athletic. He hit .361 while leading his team to the OHSAA Division II State Championship last year and will provide depth during his freshman season.

STARTING PITCHING
The Lakers return four conference starters to the rotation in 2008. Red-shirt sophomore Steve Grife is ready to pick up where he left off. He did not allow a run in his final three regular season starts. Senior Eric Drobotij is the veteran of the staff. He has been a four-year conference starter and was named All-GLIAC in 2005.

Junior John Mang has also been a rotation regular in his first two seasons and led the team in ERA in 2006. Senior Wes Craig had a solid junior campaign, going 5-1 with a win over national power Grand Valley State. Also look for second year players Adam Gray and Kevin Henry to have an impact after being successful in limited action in '07.

Newcomers Trey Archer and Nick Gillung will also look to crack the rotation this season. Archer is a transfer from Division I Xavier and made one appearance last year. As a senior at Wadsworth High School, he posted a 15-4 record and a 2.00 ERA. Gillung comes from Punxsutawney High School where he helped the team to a PIAA AAA State Championship in 2007. Last year he set a school record for strikeouts in a season with 80.

BULLPEN
The bullpen is led by senior captain Jim Ludwig. Ludwig was an All-GLIAC pick and broke the school record for single-season appearances last year. The Lakers will also rely on senior captain John Morris returning to form as a go-to-guy after an injury-plagued 2007 campaign. Morris is a two-time All-GLIAC selection and owns the Mercyhurst single season save record.

Junior Ryan Schreiber also returns after a breakout year in 2007. He was 3-2 and second on the team in appearances. Junior Chad Ditcher is back and could be a key lefty out of the pen. Other returnees include Andy Sindoni and Rusty Gardner. Newcomers to watch are Abram Rak, Thurman Schaetzle and Cory Smith.

Rak is coming off shoulder surgery but was the N.Y. Player of the Year in 2006. Schaetzle comes from a successful Mercyhurst Prep program and he posted a career record of 14-3 and an ERA of 2.94.

THE SCHEDULE The Lakers open 2008 with a challenging non-conference schedule in Florida. They start with a three-game series against nationally ranked Lynn. The Lakers also have games against Concordia-St. Paul, which won 30 games last year, and C.W. Post, which contended for a regional bid.

The trip is highlighted by two games against Division I opponents St. Bonaventure and Mt. St. Mary's. Mercyhurst finishes the trip with a match-up against 2007 regional finalist Bryant.

The GLIAC slate has its pitfalls, as well. Grand Valley and Ashland were both nationally ranked in the 2008 preseason poll, and Saginaw Valley reached the NCAA regional last year.

Friday's game at Lynn is slated to start at 2:30 p.m., and can be followed with Gametracker.