Pennsylvania College of Technology has secured the fourth seed in the United East Conference (UE) baseball playoffs. The Wildcats, sporting an 11-5 conference record and an 18-16 overall record, are set to host fifth-seeded Cairn University at Bowman Field. The series, which will start on Friday at 11 a.m., could extend to Saturday should a third game be necessary. The series winner will progress to a four-team, double-elimination tournament scheduled for May 9-11 to decide the conference champion and the NCAA Division III qualifier.
Penn College’s baseball coach, Chris Howard, expressed pride in his team’s accomplishments this season. “(During the regular season), we showed some flashes of being a really strong all-around team but had some slipups here and there that hurt us. However, we are still a really young team, and the fact that we came back this year and put together a season to get us back in the postseason with a No. 4 ranking is something that we can be proud of,” Howard said.
Since joining the NCAA in 2014, Howard’s teams have reached the playoffs consistently, except for 2016 and last year. They claimed a championship title in 2015 and secured second-place finishes in 2017, 2018, and 2023. Howard acknowledges the unique nature of playoff baseball: “Playoff season is something completely different from the regular season. The teams that are successful in the postseason are the teams that get hot when it counts. I like what our guys have done this season, and I’m looking forward to watching them compete in the postseason,” he stated.
The first round of the UE playoffs saw No. 10 Penn State Berks upset No. 7 Lancaster Bible College with a 10-4 victory, while No. 9 Wilson College overcame No. 8 St. Elizabeth University, 9-5. In the next round, Wilson will face top-seeded Keystone College, and Penn State Berks will take on No. 2 Penn State Harrisburg. Additionally, No. 6 Penn State Abington is set to play against No. 3 St. Mary’s (Md.) College.
Throughout the United East games, the Wildcats have outscored their opponents 171-117. Their pitching staff holds a 6.77 ERA, in contrast to their opponents’ 9.40, and they possess a slight fielding edge with a .968 percentage compared to .942 by their rivals, committing 19 errors to their opponents’ 33.
On the offensive side, sophomore Shawn Townsend of Hatboro leads the team with a .429 batting average. He is followed by other key players such as senior Nathan Gustkey, sophomore Dallas Griess, and freshman Levi Purnell, who spearheads the home run tally with five.
Freshman pitcher Dillon Gallagher leads the team’s pitching staff with a 4.08 ERA, supported by sophomore Griffin Vollman and junior Parker White. “Pitching will determine how far we go this postseason. Our offense has been pretty stellar, but as is every year, if we want to win a championship, our pitching and defense have to be rock solid,” Howard said.
Penn College’s performance against potential playoff opponents includes victories over Wilson and Penn State Berks. However, they have split games with Penn State Abington and suffered losses to Keystone. As the playoffs approach, Coach Howard emphasizes the importance of confidence and a robust defensive strategy for his team.
