The Saint Vincent Athletic Department has announced that the Bearcat baseball team’s Monday, March 4, doubleheader against Hilbert College will take place in LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida, the winter/spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The first game will begin at 10 a.m..

“We are thrilled to have an opportunity to play at a ballpark with such a long, rich history,” said SVC head coach Mick Janosko. “The fact that it’s the Pirates’ spring training home makes it even better.”

The team travels to Florida annually during spring break to get the season underway under fair weather conditions.

Saint Vincent’s 2019 season will begin on Sunday, March 3, in Auburndale, Florida, against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Hilbert games in Bradenton will be the team’s only doubleheader for the week. In all, the Bearcats will play seven varsity games in Florida before returning home to Latrobe.

The Saint Vincent baseball team visited Pirate City back in 2006, as the team squared off against Pirate prospects on one of the complex’s auxiliary fields. This will be the Bearcats’ first opportunity to play at LECOM Park, and the games will count as official NCAA competition, as this year’s games are against another collegiate program.

“A lot of Pirate fans, including our Saint Vincent alumni, make their way to Florida during spring training. We hope to see a lot of them at LECOM Park that day, supporting our Bearcat team,” said Coach Janosko. “This should be an experience that our players will never forget. We are very grateful to the Pirates for this opportunity.”

Local fans and area snowbirds are welcome to attend the games at LECOM Park.

Who’s Coming as of 2/24:

Bethel Park Hawks
Bulldogs Baseball
Delmont
Fallowfield Vipers
Fayette Force
Faywest Panthers
Hempfield Spartans
Liberty Boro
Mars Baseball
Mt Pleasant
Norwin Pal Bombers
Pa Zombies
Pittsburgh Stars
Redtails Baseball Gold
Redtails Baseball Red
Shaler Thunder
Team All American
Thomas Jefferson
Titans Baseball
TLG
Woodland Hills

The Bearcat baseball team, behind a complete game from Jimmy Malone, defeated top-seeded Washington & Jefferson in the first round of the PAC Playoffs by a score of 4-2.

Saint Vincent, seeded #4 in the tournament, scored three times in the top of the 5th inning to erase a 2-1 deficit, and Malone did the rest, throwing a 110-pitch complete game. He scattered 10 hits, walked none, and struck out two.

Tanner Yard was hit by a pitch to start the game, then moved to second when Matt Morrone reached on an error. However, the Bearcats were unable to advance the runners and the game remained scoreless after half an inning.

The Presidents got a leadoff single in the bottom of the first, but SVC starter Jimmy Malone picked the runner off of first base.

In the second, SVC once again put two runners on base, as Brady Duricko singled and Parker Janosko drew a walk, but W&J’s Ben Marsico once again got out of the inning, keeping the game scoreless.

The bottom of the second was nearly a repeat of the first, as W&J had a baserunner erased by a Malone pickoff.

Saint Vincent got on the board in the top of the third, as Stone Holtzman led off with a triple, and Bobby Finn drove him home with a single.

However, the lead would not last long, as a leadoff home run by Dave Dalesandro in the bottom of the third tied the game, 1-1. An inning later, three straight singles by the hosts gave the Presidents a 2-1 lead.

The Bearcats battled back in the top of the fifth inning. Yard reached on an infield single to lead off, moving to second on an errant throw. Holtzman then laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Yard to third. Morrone followed with an apparent double that scored Yard to tie the game, but an appeal resulted in Morrone being called out for missing first base. Finn then hit a book-rule double that bounced over the fence in left field, and Kilkeary singled him home, putting SVC in front, 3-2. A single by Duricko put runners at first and second, and Ramon Milke drove home the Bearcats’ fourth run of the game with a single.

Malone (5-2) allowed baserunners in each of innings 5 through 8, but kept W&J off the board, then got a 1-2-3 ninth inning to end the game.

The Bearcats now advance in the winner’s bracket and will face #2-seed Thomas More College on Friday (May 11) at 12Noon.

GREENWOOD, Ind. (MAY 10) – Saint Vincent junior first baseman Bobby Finn was named to the Academic All-District team by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). 

Finn was recognized for his strong work both academically and athletically. The Venetia, Pa. product was honored on the NCAA Division III District 4 (PA) team that included three recipients from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. 

The Peters Township graduate holds a 3.76 cumulative grade point average as an Accounting major at Saint Vincent. On the field, Finn has put together an exceptional spring season. He ranks as one of the top hitters in the PAC. 

Finn leads the PAC in home runs (9), while also ranking first in slugging percentage (.729). The junior also ranks third in RBI (37), fourth in batting average (.383) and fifth in total bases (78). Finn is also strong defensively as he has compiled a .996 fielding percentage at first base. Finn slugged three home runs in a 16-11 game two victory at Waynesburg back on April 14. That total match the single-game school record. 

To be eligible for the award, voted on by Sports Information Directors, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative 3.30 GPA or higher and must be at least a sophomore athletically at their institution. For a complete look at this year’s honorees, click here.

GREENVILLE, Pa. (May 15) – The Saint Vincent baseball team had three student-athletes honored on the All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference Teams as well as another being listed on the Sportsmanship Team, when the league released the honorees Tuesday afternoon.