Local grad steps in at SS for TJU
The Thomas Jefferson University baseball team had a hole to fill at shortstop this season and redshirt freshman Chris Smith has not only filled the spot but has been outstanding on offense and defense for the Rams.
Smith, a 6-foot, 185-pounder from Reading (Exeter Township), leads the team in hitting with a .367 average. He has 58 hits in 58 at-bats with four doubles, three triples, two home runs,33 runs scored and 26 runs batted in. He’s also stolen six bases. In the field, he’s made 13 errors on 172 chances (.924) with nine double plays.
“As a first-year player, Chris has been a valuable addition to our team,” coach Pat Horvath said. “He has seamlessly transitioned to college baseball and has become a force at the top of our lineup and he handles the duties as our starting shortstop.”
Smith has had at least one hit in 35 of the 43 games he’s played. He was 8-for-12 with seven runs scored and five runs batted in when the Rams took a doubleheader from Caldwell on April 14 in Philadelphia and was 4-for-8 with a double, home run, three runs batted in and five runs scored in a doubleheader sweep of Concordia on April 21 in Bronxville, N.Y. Jefferson is 16-27 overall and 13-16 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference after a dropping a league doubleheader – 3-2 and 4-3 – to Pace on April 28 in Waterbury, Conn.
“We look forward to watching Chris grow as a collegiate player with us over the next few years,” Horvath said.
BEKAH SLATTERY (DANIEL BOONE) » The junior was named PSAC Central Division Pitcher of the Week on April 23 after posting a 4-0 record the previous week for the Lock Haven softball team. She scattered 18 hits in the four games, allowed just six earned runs and fanned 24 batters in 27 innings. On the season, the left-hander is 16-4 with four saves with a 1.24 earned run average. In 25 games and 19 starts, she has pitched 141.1 innings and given up 90 hits and 36 runs, 25 earned, with 37 walks and 184 strikeouts. The Bald
Eagles, ranked first in the Atlantic Division, are 3410 overall and 20-0 in the league after 4-0 and 2-1 victories over Mansfield last Saturday. Slattery won the opener with a 2-hitter and got the save in the nightcap. DRAKE KOCH (EXETER) » The junior right-hander is a weekend starter for the Misericordia baseball team, the Cougars 26-10 overall and 16-4 in MAC Freedom play after sweeping FDUFlorham in a league doubleheader on April 28 in Dallas. Koch has a 4-0 record
with a 3.40 earned run average and was 3-0 starting Saturday games in April. He picked up victories over Eastern (17-1 on April 7, DeSales (7-3) on April 14 and Manhattanville (8-4) on April 21. In nine games with six starts, he’s worked 39.2 innings and given up 40 hits and 18 runs, 15 earned with 11 walks and a teamhigh 45 strikeouts.
BRODY WAGNER (GOVERNOR MIFFLIN) » The 6-foot-1 senior earned North Atlantic Conference honors in both singles and doubles for his play with the Castleton men’s tennis team. He earned second-team singles with an 8-1 record playing third, fourth and fifth singles at different times during the season. He also earned second-team in doubles, teaming up with senior Trevor Hanna of Whitehorse, Yukon to post an 8-1 record at No. 2 doubles to help the Spartans go 7-5 overall and 2-3 in NAC play during the regular season.
STEPH SIEVERS (DANIEL BOONE) » The junior has had a big month of April throwing the javelin for the Penn State women’s track team. At the Virginia Challenge on April 20-21 in Charlottesville, Va. she finished first out of 14 throwers with a toss of 159 feet. On April 14-15, Sievers finished second at the Bison Open Classic in Lewisburg with a 162 foot, 1 inch effort which was a personal record and ranks fifth on the Big Ten Conference performance list. She kicked off the month by finishing second at the LSU Battle on the Bayou on April 7 in Baton Rouge, La, with a heave of 153 feet, 5 inches. Sievers finished ninth in the Big Ten meet last year with a toss of 141 feet, 3 inches. PATRICK CAUSA (BERKS CATHOLIC) » The 5-foot-10, 185-pound junior shortstop belted a two-run home run to lead the Mount St. Mary’s baseball team to a 7-0 Northeast Conference victory over Sacred Heart on April 27 in Emmitsburg, Md. The Mount blanked the Pioneers 7-0 on April 28 as well to go 15-23 overall and 9-10 in NEC play. Causa is hitting .281 (38-for-135) with 13 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 23 runs scored and 30 runs batted in. At shortstop, he’s made 10 errors on 146 chances (.932) with 12 double plays. ROSS PILLIOD (BERKS CATHOLIC) » The 6-foot-1 junior finished tied for 15th to help the St. Joseph’s men’s golf team finish fourth out of 13 teams as the Navy Spring Invitational on April 14-15 in Annapolis, Md. He totaled 155 on rounds of 76 and 79. Pilliod is averaging 74.52 for 25 rounds and 10 matches. He had his best match when he finished second at the Collegiate Invitational last Oct. 1-2 in Apalachin, N.Y. with a four-under-par 140 on rounds of
70 and 70, his lowest scores for the year.
TAYLOR DIMMERLING (BERKS CATHOLIC) » The 5-foot-1 freshman midfielder earned Colonial States Athletic Conference honorable mention for her plays with the Cabrini women’s lacrosse team which finished the regular season 10-7 and on top of the CSAC with an 8-0 record. Dimmerling played in 17 games with 16 starts and had 21 goals and 10 assists for 31 points along with 27 ground balls, three draw controls and 11 caused turnovers. She had two goals and an assist in her first collegiate game, a 1715 victory over Ursinus on Feb. 20 in Radnor.
EMILY GILBERT (BOYERTOWN) » The Alvernia junior was named Middle Atlantic Conference Golfer of the Week for the fourth time this season on April 23 and she also earned MAC Women’s Golfer of the Year for the second straight season after she captured her second straight MAC Championship medalist honors and led the Golden Wolves to the team title April 2122 in Hershey. Gilbert shot rounds of 79 and 85 for a 164 total to win by eight strokes. She opened the final round with a double bogey seven on the first hole but had a birdie and three pars on the back nine to win going away.