EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Frostburg State Baseball team is set to face Millersville on the second day of the NCAA Regional Tournament in an elimination game held on Friday morning.
How They Got Here
Frostburg enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed with a 37-15 overall record, having fallen short in the Mountain East Conference Tournament in their quest for a conference championship, after winning the conference North Division in the regular season for the third consecutive year. FSU fell in the opening round of regional play, dropping their first game to East Stroudsburg with a 3-1 score.
Millersville sits with a 37-15 overall record as well, holding the No. 3 seed in the region. The Marauders come into the matchup on a six-game losing streak, having dropped their four-game series with West Chester, the number one seed in the region, to conclude their regular season, before falling in the opening round of the PSAC tournament to IUP in a close 6-5 score, and falling to No. 6 Seton Hill in their opening game of regional tournament competition, being shutout 5-0.
The Matchup
Both teams have met twice previously before, with Millersville holding the 2-0 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams have faced off in the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons, with MU coming out on top with dominate wins of 17-10 and 21-4.
The Players
The Bobcats have strong suits all over the field, starting with MEC Player of the Year, senior Ethan Kiple, who leads both Frostburg and the MEC in runs (57), while batting .379 for 66 hits and 17 doubles, and continuing to lead the team in home runs (18) and RBI (58). Frostburg also sports the MEC Freshman of the Year and All-MEC Honorable Mention, Ryan Bouma, who put up excellent numbers in his first collegiate season, showing a .358 batting average for 58 hits and four home runs, while leading the team and the conference with 19 doubles. Bouma has also scored 34 runs, knocked 48 RBI, and drew 31 walks. Throughout their offensive lineup, FSU had four players receive All-MEC honors, with juniors Cy Probst (.320 batting average, 33 hits, eight doubles, 14 runs, 16 RBI), Danny Estrada (.345 batting average, 57 hits, six doubles, five home runs, 50 runs, 39 RBI), and Randy Steen (.370 batting average, a team-high 67 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 41 runs, 42 RBI) being named to the All-MEC First Team, while junior Mikey Guy (a team-high .380 batting average, 65 hits, 13 doubles, seven home runs, 50 runs, 42 RBI) was named to the All-MEC Second Team.
From the mound, junior Patrick Bauer earned a spot on the All-MEC First Team with a team-best and conference-best ERA of 1.79, for the second best in all of Division II. Bauer holds a 6-2 record with 50.1 innings pitched, while leading the team in strikeouts with 51 and leading both Frostburg and the MEC in opposing batting average with .188. Senior Max Proctor (All-MEC Second Team) and junior Jacob McDonald (All-MEC Honorable Mention) round out the honors for starting Bobcat pitchers with the former posting a 3.79 ERA and a 6-1 record, throwing 59.1 innings, capturing a complete game shutout and 44 strikeouts on the season, while the latter tossed 65.1 innings with a 4.27 ERA, striking out 49 with a record of 8-2 for most wins on the team, and tying for the most wins in the conference. Kiple, a relief pitcher as well, earned All-MEC Second team honors from the bump with 14 appearances for 18 innings pitched, picking up a win, five saves, and 20 strikeouts.
Millersville is a well-rounded team, having seven players named to the All-PSAC East First and Second Teams. Starting out offensively, MU is led by Jeff Sabater, an All-PSAC First Team selection, who leads the team in batting average (.374) and hits (65), while being credited with 34 runs, 28 RBI, and 57 stolen bases. Right behind him, also earning a spot on the All-PSAC First Team, is Mark McNelly, who leads the team in runs with 45, while putting up a .365 batting average on 54 hits, 14 doubles, and four homers, while capturing 38 RBI. Rounding out the All-PSAC First Team honors for the Marauders are Keegan Soltis and Cole Houser, with the former holding a .317 batting average on 45 hits, seven doubles, and three home runs, while going for 32 runs and 22 RBI, as the latter sits with a .321 batting average on the year off 36 hits, nine doubles, and four homers, while picking up 23 runs and 21 RBI as well. To finish out the offense for Millersville, Sam Morrison earned a spot on the All-PSAC Second Team off a strong .353 batting average on 59 hits, seven doubles, and four bombs, while being credited with 39 runs and 37 RBI.
On the bump, MU sports two All-PSAC First Team honorees, both being starting pitchers. Alex Mykut leads the team in ERA with a 1.86, to go along with a 9-2 record in 13 appearances and 77.1 innings pitched, as well as 82 strikeouts, four complete games, a shutout, and a team-best opposing batting average of .197. Carson Kulina is right there with him with a 3.07 ERA in 16 appearances and 85 innings pitched for five complete games and one shutout as well, leading the team with 96 strikeouts, while showing a .266 opposing batting average.
The Rest of the Field
The top seven teams in the region received bids to the Tournament, which will feature two pods hosted by two schools. West Chester, the region's one seed, will host the first pod with four seed Charleston (WV) and five seed Indiana (Pa.). Two seed East Stroudsburg will host the second pod, which includes Frostburg, three seed Millersville, and six seed Seton Hill (Pa.). Each pod will feature a double elimination bracket, as the winners of each pod will play each other in the Super Regional.
From the first pod, IUP defeated Charleston (WV) 19-7 in the opening game, with the Golden Eagles staying alive in their elimination game against West Chester, coming back for the 7-3 victory. IUP and WCU will now face off at 1 PM, with the Golden Rams fighting to stay alive. Frostburg will see Millersville in the first elimination game of pod two at 11 AM, as East Stroudsburg will battle Seton Hill in the 2 PM game as both secured the win on opening day.
2024 NCAA Division II Baseball Regional Championship
Thursday, May 16
#2 East Stroudsburg vs #7 Frostburg State – ESU wins 3-1
#3 Millersville vs #6 Seton Hill – SHU wins 5-0
Friday, May 17
#3 Millersville vs #7 Frostburg State – 11 a.m.
#2 East Stroudsburg vs #6 Seton Hill – 2 p.m.
Saturday, May 18
Winner of FSU/MU vs Loser of ESU/SHU – 11 a.m.
Winner of ESU/SHU vs Game 5 Winner – 2 p.m.
