SLIPPERY ROCK, PA – West Chester withstood a 3 hour, 13 minute rain delay and a valiant comeback bid from East Stroudsburg to take the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship Game, 12-11, Saturday afternoon at Jack Critchfield Park.
West Chester (43-7) earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament as a result of its victory Saturday over East Stroudsburg (41-12). It is the ninth conference title for the Golden Rams and the first for head coach
Mike LaRosa at his alma mater.
"These guys battled through a 15-inning game, three rain delays, including a three-hour one in the championship game, had to come from behind in three of the four wins, handle late nights and early mornings, yet nothing phased them," LaRosa said. "They play the game the right way all the time, and I'm glad that they were rewarded for their efforts. The PSAC is such a tough conference, and I'm just proud of the way our guys handled themselves all week. We will enjoy this one today, and then it's on to the next stage."
West Chester will take a 10-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament next week where the Golden Rams, who were the No. 1 ranked team in the Atlantic Region this past week, are expected to be hosting a portion of the regional at Serpico Stadium. The NCAA D2 Baseball Selection Show will air Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
Senior left-fielder,
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) was named the tournament's most valuable player (MVP) hitting .444 for the week, including going 5-for-6 Saturday in the championship game. He had eight hits, walked five times, knocked in five runs and stole four bases in the PSAC Tournament.
"I just want to do whatever it takes to help this team win," Kaleck said afterwards. "This team has a lot of grit and a lot of heart. We are comfortable being uncomfortable. We just focus on every inning and winning that inning."
The Golden Rams jumped out in front 9-2 with an 8-run fourth inning that was interrupted by that long rain delay. The difference stood at 12-4 when East Stroudsburg plated six runs to make it a 12-10 ballgame, showing that resilience they displayed against Indiana (Pa.) in the first game of the tournament back on Wednesday. The Warriors hit a leadoff home run in the top of the ninth to pull within one. However,
Drew Simpson (Hockessin, Del./Delaware Military Academy) retired the next three batters – the last on a flyout to Kaleck – to secure the team's first conference title in eight years.
The Golden Rams sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth, scoring four runs before the delay and four more when the game resumed.
Anthony Boccio (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) and
Casey Vaughan (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) each had two-run singles while
Zack Miles (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn), Kaleck and
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) hit RBI singles as well.
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) walked with the bases loaded to push another run across.
"We had a lot thrown at us this week," Kaleck continued. "From rain delays, to extra innings, we worked through it all like we have all year. We got mercy-ruled in last year's championship game, so it was very rewarding to back here and get this win today."
Kaleck doubled in a run, and Boccio and Szestowicki had RBI singles in the seventh as West Chester added three more to make it 12-4.
Kaleck finished the day 5-for-6 with three RBI while Boccio went 3-for-5 with three RBI as well.
Evan Profy (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman) went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Eight of the nine batters in West Chester's order rapped out a base hit.
David Ferguson (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) picked up his second win of the tournament to improve to 5-0 on the year. He relieved starter
Joe Sperone (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) after the long delay. He was one of six pitchers used in the championship game by the Golden Rams. He gave up one run on two hits in two innings of work. He struck out one and did not walk a batter. Simpson pitched the ninth for his second save of the season. He allowed a home run to Shanley Wall, East Stroudsburg's third of the day, but got two flyouts and a ground out from the next three batters to end the game.
NOTES: West Chester won its ninth PSAC Championship in the sport of baseball and its first since 2016 … the nine conference titles is now the second most by any school in the PSAC … it is head coach
Mike LaRosa's first conference title as manager, or player, for the Golden Rams … he coached West Chester to the conference final a year ago – losing to Seton Hill – and played in the conference final his senior year in 2005 when West Chester lost to Kutztown in the championship game … West Chester finished the tournament a perfect 4-0, marking just the third time that the Golden Rams maneuvered the conference tournament undefeated since 1983 (1983, 2009, 2024) … no tournament was played when WCU won in 1959, 1962 or 1964 … Kaleck joins former Golden Rams Drew Diehl (2016), Josh Heyne (2012) and Matt Cotellese (2009) as the most recent MVP's of their respective PSAC Tournaments … MVPs from the two championship squads in the 1980s and the three prior to the 1970s could not be researched … Kaleck's five hits in the game was one shy of the school record of six, which was done twice ... coupled with the softball team's PSAC Championship last week, West Chester becomes the first school to win both baseball and softball conference titles since Shippensburg in 2003.
