GREENVILLE, Pa. - The 2014 Thiel College baseball team will look noticeably different than the 2013 squad that went to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament for the first time since 2009. The Tomcats have 12 first-year players on the roster, along with 19 returners, in attempt to replace the production they lost from the eight seniors that graduated.
 
"Overall, with the class we lost, we're going to be young and inexperienced," 15^th-year head coach Joe Schaly explained. "I feel confident that at each position we have talent, and that this sophomore class is ready to carry the load. Our success is determined by the consistency of our young guys."
 
The pitching staff will return sophomores Matt Elko (Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire) and Parker Meyers (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park). Elko finished last year with a 5-2 record, a 4.67 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 34.2 innings while Meyers went 2-2 with a team-high three saves in 14 appearances.
 
"Elko has been our best starter since the start of the offseason," Schaly stated. "He and Meyers need to step up to pick up the slack left by Nick Rossmiller (Butler, Pa./Butler) and Cody Northcott (Cochranton, Pa./Cochranton)'s departure."
 
Sophomores Pat Duncan (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North), Jaden Nozicka (Portage, Mich./Portage Central) and Riley Schwertz (Zelienople, Pa./Freedom) join Elko and Meyers as a few of the top returners on the pitching staff. Duncan made nine appearances and one start as a freshman, while Nozicka made two starts in seven appearances after his freshman season was cut short due to injury. Schwertz set a Thiel single-season record last year by appearing in 17 games, ending his freshman campaign with two saves in 22.2 innings pitched.
 
"Schwertz may move to the front end this year, unlike last season when he was coming out of the bullpen mostly," Schaly said. "Jaden made it into the rotation last year as a freshman but a hip injury in March 2013 limited him from that point forward."
 
Also vying for time on the mound, either as starting pitchers or relievers, will be junior Kyle Mohr (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep), sophomore Alex Yoder (Canton, Ohio/St. Thomas Aquinas) and freshmen Kevin Forrester (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan), Patrick Fitzpatrick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin), and Jared Hensler (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield).
 
 In the outfield, senior captain Nick Schiavoni (Boiling Spring, Pa./Trinity) returns after receiving honorable mention All-PAC laurels last season. Schiavoni started all 42 games for the Tomcats in 2013, hitting .321 with 13 doubles and 23 RBIs.
 
"Nick is our only starter back in the outfield," Schaly remarked. "We expect him to be one of our most consistent guys in our lineup, day in and day out."
 
Joining Schiavoni in the outfield is junior Trent Mosely. Mosely saw considerable action at third base last season, and will move to one of the corner outfield positions after hitting four home runs, two triples and six doubles as a sophomore. The third starter in the outfield has yet to be determined, but Schaly expects sophomores Sam Passafiume (Medina, Ohio/Medina), Bryan Mitchell (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan), Brandon Gelet (Wyano, Pa./Yough) and freshman Austin Van Hoy (Ocean Side, Calif./Ocean Side) to compete for playing time and provide depth for the Blue and Gold.
 
At first base, sophomore Trent Smith (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) will look to begin the season as an everyday starter after splitting time with Rossmiller last season. Smith played in 32 games, notching 33 hits in 105 plate appearances, while making just one error in the field. He could also see time at third base. Backing up Smith at first is Passifume and senior Michael Guarascio (Aliquippa, Pa./Center).
 
At shortstop, the Tomcats return honorable mention All-PAC honoree Cody Trinch (Franklin, Pa./Franklin). Trinch started 41 of the team's 42 games at shortstop, batting .309.  He smacked 47 hits, four of which were for extra bases, and scored 13 runs while driving in 11. In the field, he recorded a team-best 117 assists and turned 22 double plays.
 
"Trinch has started almost every game at shortstop since coming to Thiel," said Schaly. "He has improved a lot defensively from last year to this year and is a possible leadoff hitter for us."
 
Joining Trinch in the infield will be sophomores Josh Doody (Grove City, Pa. /Grove City) and Brian Genco (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville). Doody appeared in just seven games a year ago but can play both second base and catcher, while Genco is capable of playing both middle infield positions as well as third base.
 
"(Doody) is going to see a lot of time at second base and hit in the middle of the lineup," Schaly stated. "Genco is going to start at third. He came to Thiel as an outfielder, and his offense has improved to the point we expect him to play everyday."
 
Along with Doody seeing some time at catcher, Thiel will rely on returning honorable mention All-PAC honoree, sophomore Dan Koller (Euclid, Ohio/Lake Catholic) behind the dish. Koller hit .266 while throwing out 23-of-44 would-be base stealers. The 44 stolen base attempts against were the second most in the PAC, and his 21 stolen bases against were the second lowest total in the conference.
 
"With Koller and Doody, we've got two very good catchers," Schaly said. "They both work extremely hard, and we can go with either of them and be very strong behind the plate."
 
The coaching staff for Thiel welcomes several new faces in 2014. Beau Smith was added as a full-time assistant coach, and Matt DeSalvo and Bill Patterson were added as volunteer assistant coaches. Smith comes to Thiel by way of Mount Union, where he played for four years and was a student assistant coach last season. DeSalvo holds the NCAA Division III record for career wins (53) and strikeouts in a career (603) and parlayed that success into a stint at the major league level with the New York Yankees.  Patterson comes to the Tomcats by way of Commodore Perry High School, where he coached baseball for five years.
 
"There aren't many DIII coaching staffs in the country that have the collection of knowledge that this group has," Schaly quipped.
 
The Tomcats will begin their 2014 season by traveling to Fort Meyers, Fla. to take part in the Gene Cusic Classic over spring break (March 2-8). The Tomcats will return home on March 14 for their home opener against John Carroll University. The first game of the doubleheader begins at 2 p.m.