With baseball season right around the corner, the Shippensburg University baseball team is gearing up to begin the 2014 season when it hits the road and travels to Wilson, N.C., and Belmont, N.C.
The Raiders have been ranked No. 1 in the Atlantic Division and No. 10 among Division II teams.
The Raiders are coming off an Atlantic Region Championship season, as well as an appearance in the NCAA Division II College World Series.The Raiders finished the season 32–23 overall and 11-13 in the PSAC.
Even though the Raiders did not win the division last year, the Atlantic Region championship and their appearance in the Division II College World Series has propelled SU to the top of the divison and makes it the favorite in the PSAC East.
Newly named First-Team All American Pat Kregeloh is returning for his senior season and will be a big part of the Raiders this year.
Kregeloh finished last season with a .355 batting average while leading the team with nine homeruns and 60 RBI.
Along with the bat, Kregeloh will also continue to be a part of the pitching staff of the Raiders.
Kregeloh was 9–5 on the season with a 3.47 ERA in 93 innings.
Kregeloh is going to be the Raiders’ ace come the start of the 2014 season.
Cal Hogan, also entering his senior season, hit .312 on the season with 59 hits, which placed him sixth on the team.
Two of the three top pitchers on the team are returning for the 2014 season. Senior Shawn Patterson who posted a 4.27 ERA last season in 65 innings pitched. In 12 starts, Patterson went 5–4 on the season.
SU was scheduled to begin the season on Feb. 15-16 with games at Barton College along with Belmont Abbey College but due to inclement weather the games have been canceled and will not be made up.
The Raiders begin the regular season and PSAC play on March 1 when they travel to California University of Pennsylvania to play a three-game series.
The first home game for SU is on March 8, with a double header against Slippery Rock followed by a four-game series with Le Moyne College on March 14-16.
SU kicks off PSAC East play when they host Mansfield University for a double-header on March 21.
SU has a lot of young talent this season but they are more than prepared for a challenge.
The Raiders have been working hard this offseason and have used outdoor practice as much as possible despite the tough winter weather.
Head coach Matt Jones and the rest of the SU squad hope to repeat last season’s playoff magic as they defend its regional title.
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