LOCK HAVEN, Pa.- The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) released its baseball preseason poll on Thursday afternoon. West Chester was picked to finish atop the PSAC East with three of eight first-place votes.
In 2024, West Chester (43-9) claimed its ninth PSAC Crown and earned the top seed in the Atlantic Regional for the second time in three years before falling to Charleston (W.V.) and eventual Regional Champion Indiana (Pa.) (IUP) in the NCAA Tournament to bring the season to its conclusion.
West Chester was picked to finish atop the Eastern Division standings, followed by Millersville in second with three first-place votes of its own and East Stroudsburg in third with a pair of first-place votes. Shippensburg and Shepherd rounded out the top five, while Kutztown, Bloomsburg, and Mansfield claimed spots six through eight.
In the Western Division, IUP led the way with four first-place votes, followed by Slippery Rock in second with three and Seton Hill in third with one. California and Gannon rounded out the top five, while Pitt-Johnstown, Clarion, and Lock Haven claimed the final three spots in the poll.
Offensively, West Chester returns two of its top five bats from a year ago.
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and
Avery Spencer (
Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) return to the lineup following seasons that saw them bat .354 and .343, respectively. Spencer ended the season with 47 RBI, which was second-best on the team, while Szestowicki belted five home runs, which was also second-best on the team.
On the mound, the Golden Rams return a pair of weekend starters in
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) and
Nick Noga (Avondale, Pa./Avon Grove), along with several important bullpen arms, including lefty
Gannon Kadlecik (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) and
Kyle Lazer (Havertown, Pa./Bonner & Prendie).
West Chester will also look forward to the continued development of
Drew Simpson (Hockessin, Del./Delaware Military Academy), who enjoyed a tremendous rookie season, while also looking for a return to form from
David Ferguson (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East).
Costa finished the 2024 season with a staff-best record of 8-3 and a 3.41 ERA with 73 strikeouts throughout 71.1 innings of work, including three complete game efforts. For his part, Noga was 6-1 a year ago with a 3.69 ERA, while Simpson also posted a record of 6-1 with a 4.31 ERA in 19 appearances, including six starts.
Lazer led the staff in saves last year, finishing with four, while Kadlecik and Simpson each registered two to tie for second on the staff in this category.
2025 PSAC Baseball Preseason Polls (# of first-place votes in parentheses)
Eastern Division
1. West Chester (3)
2. Millersville (3)
3. East Stroudsburg (2)
4. Shippensburg
5. Shepherd
6. Kutztown
7. Bloomsburg
8. Mansfield
Western Division
1. IUP (4)
2. Slippery Rock (3)
3. Seton Hill (1)
4. California
5. Gannon
6. Pitt-Johnstown
7. Clarion
8. Lock Haven
West Chester will open its 2025 season on February 22
nd with a doubleheader against 2024 NCAA Tournament foe Charleston (W.V.) beginning at 12 p.m. A full preview of the 2025 Golden Rams will be available on wcupagoldenrams.com in mid-February.
