MANSFIELD – The Mansfield University baseball team will open its 145th season of play Friday, February 24 when the Mountaineers take on Bluefield State College at Stevens Field in Greer, South Carolina.

The Mountaineers are again under the direction of head coach Harry Hillson who enters his 26th season at the helm of the program. With 789 wins throughout his tenure at Mansfield, Hillson currently ranks 11th amongst active Division II head coaches for most career victories.

Hillson has established an excellence on the baseball diamond at Mansfield guiding his teams to nine PSAC Eastern Division titles, five Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships, three NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships and an NCAA National runner-up in 1992. The Mountaineers have appeared in two of the past three PSAC Championship playoffs after missing last season with a 22-18 record.

Alongside Hillson will be a fresh face in the dugout as assistant coach Andy Chalot enters his first season with the Mountaineers. Chalot comes to Mansfield after serving a two seasons as the assistant at West Virginia Tech and will serve as the Mountaineer pitching coach.

Hillson and Chalot will direct a Mansfield squad that, even though it contains 16 newcomers, is still laden with upperclassmen and veteran leadership.
“This year's team has a higher maturity level then we've had in a long time” explained Hillson. “We'll go as far as our seniors will take us”

While Mountaineer baseball is known for its hitting prowess, this season's pitching staff could be the strength of the team. Hillson, who returns four of the top six starters from last season along with the 2011 saves leader, has a significant number of new faces in the rotation.

Leading the charge will be junior Joe Candelmo (Orefield/Parkland) who returns after winning a team-high six games in 2011 and posting the 18th lowest ERA in the conference at 3.90. He will be joined in the top of the rotation by Danny Brown (Hueytown,AL/Hueytown), a junior College transfer from Jefferson State in Alabama. Brown earned 2nd Team All-ACCC honors in Alabama last year and is a hard-throwing righty who possesses a punishing breaking ball.

“We should have a chance to win every time they (Candelmo and Brown) pitch” explained Hillson.

Rounding out the weekend starters are two six-foot-three seniors in Mike Martin (Stevensville/Wyalusing) and Andy Young (James Creek/Huntingdon). Both have three years of experience as starters as well as coming out of the bullpen. Martin, a hard-throwing lefty has appeared in 23 games over the last three years while Young is a reliable righty who made 10 appearances last season and has appeared in 35 games over his career. In addition to starting, Young is also penciled in as the closer where he saved two games last year.

Other starters on the mound include Curtis Harpster (Mill Hall/Central Mountain), a Junior College transfer from Allegany College in Maryland, and sophomore Dave Forbes (Lombardy,ONT/Perth & District) who transferred to Mansfield from the University of British Colombia in Canada. Harpster, who won 11 games last season at Allegany, owns what coaches call the “best breaking stuff on the team” while Forbes throws “with a ton of movement.”

Juniors Craig Cymerman (Pittsford,NY/Pitts-Sunderland) and Joel Worthington (Montgomery/Montgomery), who made a combined 16 appearances last season, both come into 2012 fully recovered after suffering injuries last season and will look to work out of the bullpen. Seniors Aaric Ross (Pine City,NY/Corning West) and Eric Conway (Auburn,NY/Auburn) will provide veteran relief for the Mounties while Phillip Bain (Quakertown/Quakertown) and Steven Hopwood (Ambler/Wissahickon) add depth.

The Mountaineer pitching staff will be in good hands with junior Conor Thompson (Syracuse,NY/West Genesee) handling the Mansfield hurlers from behind the plate. Thompson, a junior college transfer from Onondaga Community College, is a smart defensive catcher who displays solid leadership.

Junior Ernie Ruch (Orefield/Northwestern) will back-up Thompson when not serving as designated Hitter. Last season, Ruch went on an absolute tear in the second half of the season, recording a team-high batting average of .412 while being named both PSAC East Player of the Week and NCBWA Hitter of the Week in early May. Freshman Dave Glueck (Bangor/Bangor) will provide depth at the catcher position.

After being named Carolina-Virginia League Summer Collegiate League Offensive Player of the Year in the summer, senior Brian Milliman (Groton,NY/Lansing) will start at first base and is expected to have a big season batting in the middle of the Mountaineer lineup. Sophomore Mitch Iseneker (Sherrill,NY/VVS) will back up Milliman when not playing in the outfield.

Junior Joel Worthington, who is primarily a pitcher, and freshman Jordan Miller (Chesepeake,VA/Grassfield) will vie for starting role at second base this season. Worthington, who won four games in nine appearances on the mound last season, is too good of a hitter to keep out of the line-up.

Jon Taddeo (Williamsport/Williamsport) is slated to be the opening day starter at shortstop and will look for a comeback season after struggling from the plate at times last season. In his freshman campaign, Taddeo hit .338 in 48 starts while recording 47 hits, six home runs, four doubles and two triples. Freshman Jeremy Mapstone (Manilius,NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) will back up Taddeo while also putting in time on the mound.

Starting on the hot corner will be junior college transfer Matt Fisher (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) who comes to Mansfield after playing two seasons at Jefferson State in Alabama. Standing at an intimidating six-foot-four, Fisher is a strong and physical athlete who has the tools be one of the premier players in the conference. Backing up Miller is freshman Anthony Renz (Danville/Danville) who has a good bat and will also see time at first base.

Stephen Stopper (Williamsport/Loyalsock), a Division I transfer from Rider, will occupy left field for the Mounties. Stopper, who was named to all-state honors at Loyalsock, is a solid hitter and fielder.

Junior Dylan Woodworth (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin) will be an everyday starter at center in 2012 and bat in the middle of the Mountie line-up while Jon Moser (East Petersburg/Hempfield), who is a quality left-handed hitter, will start in right.

Iseneker will fill in the gaps in the outfield when needed and can also play infield while senior Levi Weiskopff (Mansfield/Mansfield), a power hitter, will play in the outfield when not serving as designated hitter. Mike Strong (Corning,NY/Addison), a speedster on the base paths, and Devin Warmack (Utica,NY/TR Proctor) will add depth at outfield.

Mansfield opens the season with four games in Greer, South Carolina before traveling to Flemington, New Jersey for four more on March 3-4.

The Mountaineers will travel to central Florida for their annual spring break trip, playing 11 games from March 9-14.