JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
Messiah College won the MAC baseball championship a few weeks back. And the Falcons are heading to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time since 2005 later this week. Betcha didn’t know 11 former L-L League players are on Messiah’s roster — and that a 12th L-L League product is the team’s head coach. Here’s my story from Monday’s New Era. Read on …
Talk about a pipeline.
When Messiah College’s baseball team, fresh off winning its third MAC Commonwealth championship, opens play in the NCAA Division III playoffs on Wednesday, 11 Lancaster-Lebanon League alums will be in uniform and on the field for the Falcons.
A 12th L-L League alum on Messiah’s roster also just happens to be the Falcons’ head coach.
Former Donegal standout Bryan Engle took over the program this season, and what a season it’s been for Messiah.
The Falcons will bring a 27-16 record into their Mid-Atlantic Regional opener against Penn State-Behrend (34-10) in the eight-team double-elimination tournament.
Messiah is the No. 5 seed; PSU-Behrend is the No. 4 seed. That game is set for 10 a.m. in Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, N.J.
The other teams in the regional are host Kean (35-9), the No. 1 seed and reigning Division III national champ; Rowan (30-12), the No. 2 seed; College of New Jersey (28-10), the No. 3 seed; DeSales (24-18-1), the No. 6 seed; Keystone (30-10), the No. 7 seed; and Gwynedd-Mercy (21-18), the No. 8 seed.
Messiah earned an automatic bid when it won the MAC Commonwealth title two weekends ago with a win over Elizabethtown in the final game.
The 27 victories are one shy of the single-season school record, set in 2005. That’s also the last time Messiah won the conference crown and advanced to the NCAA playoffs.
When the Falcons take the field Wednesday, they will have a distinct L-L League flavor.
Nine of Messiah’s players are Lancaster County natives – and five of those guys are in the Falcons’ starting lineup, including Messiah’s entire starting outfield:
Penn Manor grad Sheldon Witmer, who helped the Comets win the state title in 2005, starts in right and also pitches. He’s batting .368 with five homers and 30 RBIs, and he’s 6-1 on the mound.
Warwick grad Jordan Zimmerman starts in center. He’s batting .276 with nine doubles, a homer and 25 RBIs.
And Ephrata grad Ben Snyder starts in left. He’s batting .276 with seven doubles and 17 RBIs.
“I have such an appreciation for L-L League baseball, having played in the league in high school and having grown up around it,” Engle said. “When you can recruit players from that league, you know you’re getting good players because they understand fundamentals and how to play the game.
“You know what kind of talent you’re getting because they play good baseball in the L-L League – Section 1 through Section 4.”
There are also two Lancaster County natives in Messiah’s infield, and both are Conestoga Valley grads:
Adam Ranck, who starts at third, is batting .293 with four doubles and 29 RBIs, and Jon Shenk, who starts at second, is batting .394 with eight RBIs.
Three of Messiah’s top four starting pitchers are L-L League alums: Witmer, CV grad Jeremy Stoltzfus and Elco grad Travis Thome.
Stoltzfus earned the win in the MAC Commonwealth clincher against Elizabethtown, pitching a complete game in Messiah’s 7-3 win. E-town had beaten Messiah 2-0 earlier in the day in the double-elimination tournament, setting up the winner-takes-all finale.
Stoltzfus, who is 4-4 with a 6.34 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings, was making his first start against a conference foe this season, and he delivered.
“Gutsy performance by Jeremy,” Engle noted.
Three other Lancaster County natives are reserves on Engle’s bench, including Ephrata grad Jonny Ebersole (.302, 15 RBIs), Garden Spot grad Jordan Snader (.188) and Lancaster Mennonite grad D.J. Weaver (.111).
And Annville-Cleona grad Jordan Wenger has chipped in with one hit off the bench this season.
“Messiah is located less than an hour from Lancaster County,” Engle said. “So we’re sort of close to home for those guys, and their parents can come and watch them play. And travel. So it’s a nice draw recruiting-wise. And fortunately, we’ve had some L-L League guys come here and come through for us.”
At least one more L-L League product is on the way: CV senior pitcher Zach Adams has made a verbal commitment to play for Messiah next year, keeping the pipeline flowing.
