Full Rankings
GREENSBORO, N.C.- The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) released its Division II baseball preseason poll on Tuesday morning and West Chester (43-9) was ranked ninth in the first rankings of the 2025 season.
Ranked 12
th in the NCBWA and DIIBaseball.com polls released earlier this month, West Chester is also the PSAC East preseason favorite after claiming its ninth PSAC Championship a year ago. West Chester also earned the top seed in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournament for the second time in three years last May.
West Chester is one of two PSAC teams to appear in the Preseason top-30 as 2024 Atlantic Regional Champion, Indiana (Pa.) (IUP) is the lone other to appear, checking in at 14
th in the preseason rankings. PSAC East rivals Millersville and East Stroudsburg are both listed among the teams receiving votes as well as Seton Hill and Slippery Rock.
Offensively, West Chester returns three of its top five bats from a year ago, including NCBWA Atlantic Region Player of the Year and consensus First Team All-Region pick
Anthony Boccio (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville). In his first season with the Golden Rams a year ago, Boccio batted a team-best .400 (62-of-155) with 18 extra-base hits, including 18 doubles, five triples, and three home runs, while driving in 48 runs and scoring 59 more. He authored a 20-game hitting streak and a 20-game on base streak, while also ending the season on an 11-game on base streak, with 18 multi-hit and 12 multi-RBI games. Named the PSAC East Player of the Year, Boccio carried a batting average north of .500 into the final weekend of March and never saw his average dip below .400 during the 2024 season.
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and
Avery Spencer (
Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) also 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.
