LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Millersville’s Bren Taylor and Slippery Rock’s Luke Trueman headline a dynamic class of major award winners and were voted as 2023 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Baseball Athletes of the Year in their respective divisions, as the 2023 PSAC Baseball All-Conference Teams and major award winners were announced.
In the West, Trueman’s Athlete of the Year award is complimented by Mercyhurst’s Jarrett Heilman as Pitcher of the Year, Seton Hill’s Jack Whalen as Freshman of the Year, and Seton Hill’s Marc Marizzaldi as Coach of the Year.
In the East, Taylor is joined by additional major award winners Chase Nowak of East Stroudsburg (Pitcher of the Year), West Chester’s Julian Costa (Freshman of the Year), and Millersville’s Jon Shehan (Coach of the Year.)
All-conference teams and major award winners are determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
WESTERN DIVISION
Slippery Rock’s Luke Trueman put together an incredible two-way season at both the plate and on the pitching mound to win the Western Division Athlete of the Year award. At the plate, Trueman hit .381 (fifth-best in the PSAC) with 27 runs scored, 35 RBIs, and league-best-tying totals of 19 doubles and 11 home runs. On the mound, his ERA of 1.98 was second-lowest in the PSAC with a record of 7-3 with six complete games, two shutouts, and 77.1 innings pitched (the second-most in the league.) His strikeout total of 69 was also in the conference’s top five.
The Western Division Pitcher of the Year award went to Mercyhurst’s Jarrett Heilman, who absolutely baffled hitters to the tune of a 1.38 ERA (third-lowest in all of Division II), a 6-2 record, and six complete games in 11 starts. His four shutouts was also the most in the conference. Heilman tossed 65 innings and struck out 64 batters.
Seton Hill newcomer Jack Whalen takes home the West’s Freshman of the Year award after batting .343 this spring with 48 runs scored (fifth-most in the PSAC), 58 hits, 12 doubles, and 18 RBIs. Whalen also led the conference in stolen bases, totaling 40 this spring—and was only caught four times.
Seton Hill head coach Marc Marrizzaldi earns his third career PSAC West Coach of the Year award after guiding the Griffins to a 26-2 conference record (40-10 overall) and the No. 1 seed from the West for the upcoming PSAC Tournament. As a team, Seton Hill had the highest batting average (.315) and total hits (481) in the conference, and, in all of Division II, logged the third-lowest team ERA (3.31.) The Griffins’ fielding percentage of .981 is also third-best in the nation and the team’s strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.75 is the best in all of Division II.
EASTERN DIVISION
Millersville outfielder Bren Taylor becomes just the fifth player in PSAC history to be named Athlete of the Year twice, as he also earned the award for the 2021 season. Taylor was one of just two players in the conference to hit above .400, logging a PSAC-best .411 batting average with 50 runs scored (third-most in the conference), 74 hits (most in the PSAC), 14 doubles, four home runs, and 43 RBIs. His on-base percentage of .505 was tied for the best in the league. Bren struck out just eight times in 2023, the lowest total in the league among batters with more than 140 at-bats.
Chase Nowak of East Stroudsburg was voted the Eastern Division Pitcher of the Year after completing an impressive campaign with a record of 8-3, one of only three conference pitchers to get to the eight-win threshold. His ERA of 2.31 is fifth-lowest in the PSAC and his 70 innings pitched is fourth-most. Nowak struck out 72 batters, also the fourth-best total in the conference, and opposing batters hit just .212 when facing him, the fifth-best mark in the league.
The Eastern Division Freshman of the Year, Julian Costa, carries a record of 5-1 with two complete games and an ERA of 2.35, sixth-best in the PSAC. Opposing batters hit only .201 against him, the second-best mark in the conference. Costa also hit .310 at the plate in 71 at-bats, adding 20 runs scored, 13 RBIs, seven doubles, and two home runs.
Millersville head coach Jon Shehan once again led his Marauders to the No. 1 seed in the East after a 21-3 conference record (40-7 overall) to win his sixth career PSAC East Coach of the Year award. The team’s combined batting average of .306 is third-best in the conference and the team’s ERA (3.14) is second-lowest in all of Division II. Millersville enters this year’s PSAC Tournament having won 14 of its last 15 games.
Find a complete list of the 2023 Baseball All-Conference Teams and Major Awards below.
PSAC WEST
Athlete of the Year – Luke Trueman, Slippery Rock
Pitcher of the Year – Jarrett Heilman, Mercyhurst
Freshman of the Year – Jack Whalen, Seton Hill
Coach of the Year – Marc Marizzaldi, Seton Hill
FIRST TEAM
| POS. | NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL |
| Catcher | Vincenzo Rauso | Seton Hill | Sr. | Gibsonia, PA / Pittsburgh Central Catholic/Alderson Broaddus |
| First Base | Ian Hess* | Gannon | R-Sr. | Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan |
| Second Base | Santino Marra | California (Pa.) | So. | Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands |
| Shortstop | Scott McManamon | Clarion | Sr. | Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin |
| Third Base | Jack Oberdorf^ | Seton Hill | Sr. | Greensburg, PA / Greensburg Salem |
| Infielder | Harrison Pontoli^ | IUP | Sr. | Beaver, Pa. / Beaver Area |
| Outfielder | Dylan Broderick* | Pitt-Johnstown | R-Sr. | State College, Pa. / Saint Joseph’s Catholic |
| Outfielder | Brandon Wetherholt | Gannon | Gr. | Gibsonia, Pa. / Mars Area |
| Outfielder | Jack Whalen | Seton Hill | Fr. | North Huntingdon, PA / Norwin |
| Starting Pitcher | Brandon Bergert | Seton Hill | Jr. | Canton, OH / Glenoak |
| Starting Pitcher | Jarrett Heilman | Mercyhurst | Jr. | Freeport, Pa. / Freeport Area High School |
| Starting Pitcher | Jeremiah Williams | IUP | Sr. | Chicago, Ill. / TF North |
| Relief Pitcher | Blake Barker | Seton Hill | So. | Chardon, OH / Chardon |
| Utility | Luke Trueman^ | Slippery Rock | Sr. | McCandless, Pa. / North Allegheny |
| Designated Hitter | Markus Cestra* | IUP | 5th | Pittsburgh, Pa. / Plum Senior |
SECOND TEAM
| POS. | NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL |
| Catcher | Justin Stewart^ | California (Pa.) | Sr. | Butler, Pa. / Butler |
| First Base | Logan Vietmeier | Seton Hill | Gr. | Pittsburgh, PA / Montour/Marietta |
| Second Base | – | – | – | – |
| Shortstop | Owen Sabol | Seton Hill | Sr. | Irwin, PA / Norwin |
| Third Base | Jake Ansell | Pitt-Johnstown | R-Sr. | Connellsville, PA Connellsville |
| Outfielder | Ryan Callahan | California (Pa.) | So. | Bexley, Ohio / Bexley |
| Outfielder | Eric Chorba | Mercyhurst | So. | North Huntingdon, Pa. / Norwin High School |
| Outfielder | Alex Robenolt* | Slippery Rock | R-Sr. | Danville, Pa. Danville |
| Starting Pitcher | Roman Gill | California (Pa.) | So. | Aliquippa, Pa. / Hopewell |
| Starting Pitcher | Jon McCullough | Seton Hill | Jr. | Cranberry Twp, PA / Seneca Valley |
| Starting Pitcher | Kevin Vaupel | Seton Hill | Sr. | Pittsburgh, PA / South Park |
| Relief Pitcher | Jake Kramer | California (Pa.) | Fr. | Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield |
| Utility | Zachary Kourous | Mercyhurst | Fr. | Toronto, Ont. / Earl Haig Secondary School |
| Designated Hitter | Braden Durham | Seton Hill | Sr. | Toledo, OH / St Francis DeSales/SC Upstate |
PSAC EAST
Athlete of the Year – Bren Taylor, Millersville
Pitcher of the Year – Chase Nowak, East Stroudsburg
Freshman of the Year – Julian Costa, West Chester
Coach of the Year – Jon Shehan, Millersville
FIRST TEAM
| POS. | NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL |
| Catcher | John DeMucci | West Chester | Sr. | Swarthmore, PA / Msgr. Bonner & Prendie/LaSalle |
| First Base | Ross Mulhall^ | Shepherd | Sr. | Morgantown, WV / University / Gardner-Webb |
| Second Base | Jimmy Losh* | Millersville | Gr. | New Cumberland, Pa. / Cedar Cliff |
| Shortstop | Thomas Caufield* | Millersville | R-Sr. | West Chester, Pa. / Henderson |
| Third Base | Joe Kaleck | West Chester | R-Jr. | Southampton, PA / Neshaminy |
| Infielder | Gavin Troutman | Lock Haven | Sr. | Boyertown, Pa. / Oley Valley |
| Outfielder | Mike Kelly^ | East Stroudsburg | R-Jr. | Limerick, Pa. / Pope John Paul II (Kutztown) |
| Outfielder | Eli Riley | Bloomsburg | Jr. | Harrisburg, Pa. / Mercersburg Academy / Lackawanna College |
| Outfielder | Bren Taylor** | Millersville | Sr. | Hallam, Pa. / Eastern York |
| Starting Pitcher | Carson Kulina | Millersville | Gr. | Hummelstown, Pa. / Lower Dauphin |
| Starting Pitcher | Chase Nowak* | East Stroudsburg | Gr. | Wilkes-Barre, Pa. / James M. Coughlin |
| Starting Pitcher | Tom Reisinger | East Stroudsburg | Jr. | Kulpmont, Pa. / Mount Carmel |
| Relief Pitcher | Nick McAuliffe | East Stroudsburg | Jr. | Phillipsburg, N.J. / Phillipsburg (New Orleans) |
| Utility | Gavin Moretski^ | Kutztown | Sr. | Harleysville, Pa. / La Salle College H.S. |
| Designated Hitter | Cameron Hubbard | East Stroudsburg | Jr. | Easton, Pa. / Easton (Lehigh) |
SECOND TEAM
| POS. | NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL |
| Catcher | Brandon Ernst | Bloomsburg | Sr. | Limerick, Pa. / Spring Ford / Lackawanna College |
| First Base | Dansby Keenen | Bloomsburg | Jr. | Cleveland Heights, Oh. / Benedictine / Lackawanna Coll. |
| Second Base | Brady Ebbert | Bloomsburg | Fr. | Etters, Pa. / Red Land |
| Shortstop | – | – | – | – |
| Third Base | Connor Dewees | Shepherd | Gr. | Red Lion, Pa. / Red Lion |
| Outfielder | Justin Byler | Shippensburg | Gr. | Lititz, Pa. / Warwick (Delaware/Louisburg) |
| Outfielder | Sam Daggers | Shepherd | R-So. | Galloway, N.J. / Absegami / Rowan Gloucester CC |
| Outfielder | Ethan Martini | Kutztown | Jr. | Trevose, Pa. / Father Judge |
| Starting Pitcher | Austin Lewis | Mansfield | So. | Altoona, Pa. / Bishop Guifoyle |
| Starting Pitcher | Jared Marshman | Bloomsburg | Gr. | Berwick, Pa. / Berwick |
| Starting Pitcher | Jake Skrocki | Kutztown | R-Jr. | Royersford, Pa. / Spring-Ford |
| Relief Pitcher | Austin LaBarre | Shippensburg | Jr. | Nazareth, Pa. / Pen Argyl |
| Utility | Mike Heckman | Shippensburg | Fr. | Lititz, Pa. / Manheim Township |
| Designated Hitter | Wyatt Metzger | Bloomsburg | Jr. | Selinsgrove, Pa. / Selinsgrove Area |
*Indicates previous first-team selection
^Indicates previous second-team selection
