2000 Player Profiles



Link to view 2001 Baseball Photos



Brett Reynolds

No. 17 Shortstop Senior

Philadelphia, Pa. - All-star shortstop who broke two school hitting records last season . . . has started at shortstop in 136 straight games over three years . . . acrobatic fielder who makes difficult plays look easy. Has .353 career batting average with 152 hits in 431 at-bats . . . needs 54 hits to break school career record of 205 . . . also within 29 runs of school career mark.

Junior: Made All-NCAA North Atlantic Region and All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference first teams . . . led PSAC East with .421 batting average . . . set school marks with 77 hits and 17 doubles . . . hit safely in 43 games with a 17-game hitting streak . . . went 4 for 4 in a win over Mansfield and 4 for 5 with double and triple against Kutztown . . . named team's outstanding player.

Sophomore: Batted .301 which was second on the team . . . also was second in runs scored with 27 . . . started year with 2 for 2 game in 4-3 win over West Virginia State . . . was 3 for 4 in victory at Bloomsburg . . . had four hits against King's

Freshman: Made fine collegiate debut by going 2 for 3 and driving in winning run against the College of New Jersey in opener . . . posted .304 batting average.

Two-time All-City and All-Public shortstop for Northeast High School . . . earned Philadelphia Player of the Year honors . . . three-year starter for Carpenter Cup All-Stars . . . undefeated in wrestling with 20-0 record as senior . . . won city wrestling title . . . also earned all-star honors as defensive back and wingback in football . . . majoring in Physical Education Teacher Certification.

Tadgh LaBar

No. 5 Second Baseman Junior

Hope, N.J. - Power-hitting second baseman who helps form an all-star double play combination . . . made both All-NCAA North Atlantic Region and All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference first teams to join shortstop Brett Reynolds on both squads. Serves as team's leadoff hitter . . . will drive the ball with authority to all fields . . . one of the team's fastest players and had 14 stolen bases last year . . . tireless worker who has increased his strength every season.

Sophomore: Set school record with 59 runs scored and batted .365 . . . led team in extra-base hits with ten doubles and a conference-leading eight triples and five homers . . . had .578 slugging percentage . . . hit safely in team-leading 45 games . . . will carry seven-game hitting streak into 2001 season . . . had one 12-game hitting streak . . . went 4 for 5 in away game at Shippensburg . . . was 3 for 5 in three other contests.

Freshman: Started every game as a freshman . . . drove in 17 runs which was fourth high on the team from ninth spot in batting order . . . also scored 13 runs . . . finished season with a flurry by going 3 for 5 with two runs scored in next-to-last game against Allentown and 2 for 2 in finale against Binghamton. Two-time All-Skyland Conference first team shortstop for Belvidere High School . . . also made All-Conference in basketball and soccer . . . named Express-Times Soccer Player of Year in 1997 . . . chosen the school’s Senior Male Athlete of the Year . . . both his mother and grandmother attended ESU . . . first name is pronounced Tad . . . attended St. Joseph's University for a year . . . majoring in Elementary Education.

Mike Zimorowicz

No. 13 Pitcher Junior

Scranton, Pa. - Team's top returning pitcher . . . has won 11 games over last two seasons including 6-5 mark last year . . . keeps hitters guessing with 89 mph fast ball and great knuckle curve . . . varies speeds and uses sinker effectively to get strikeouts and groundballs.

Fired no-hitter in 9-0 win over Bloomsburg last year . . . allowed only three balls to be hit to the outfield . . . also hurled six-hit shutout against Kutztown. Had remarkable season as freshman with 5-1 record and 1.96 earned-run average which was 16th in final NCAA Division II statistics . . . came within one out of a no-hitter against West Chester before settling for one-hitter in 14-2 win . . . hurled another one-hitter over West Chester in 5-0 shutout . . . pitched six shutout innings in victory over Scranton. Two-year pitcher for West Scranton High School . . . made All-Lackawanna League team . . . majoring in Physical Education Teacher Certification.

Matt Harmic

No. 21 Outfielder Senior

Brockway, Pa. – Will take over in centerfield this season after starting in rightfield last season . . . considered legitimate pro prospect . . . has the entire package of speed, arm, bat and power. Hampered by hamstring injury midway through last season which dropped his batting average from the .370s to a final .329 . . . had 53 hits in 161 at-bats . . . tied for team lead in runs-batted-in with 39 . . . scored 35 runs . . . belted 12 doubles, three triples and four homers and had a .516 slugging average . . . stole 15 bases in 17 attempts. Went 4 for 8 with a homer and five RBIs in a doubleheader against Mount Vernon . . . was 3 for 4 with four runs scored in win over Lock Haven and 3 for 4 with two RBIs in victory over Bloomsburg. Transfer student who played on PSAC Western Division championship Slippery Rock teams which posted records of 36-14-1 two years ago and 34-14-1 in 1998 . . . hit game-winning grand slam homer as a sophomore at Builders' Invitational Tournament in Virginia.

Made All-League team as shortstop for Brockway High School . . . also pitched and won school's first PIAA state game . . . helped team to two District IX championships . . . named league's MVP in soccer . . . member of three District IX soccer championship squads . . . named Tri-County and school's Athlete of the Year . . . majoring in Business Management.

Steven Harris

No. 2 Outfielder Junior

Sewell, N.J. – Returning starter being moved from first base to leftfield . . . runs well and takes good routes to the ball . . . played in 48 of the 53 games last season . . . batted .261 with 31 hits in 119 at-bats . . . was 3 for 3 with a double and two runs-batted-in in 5-2 home win over Bloomsburg . . . went 3 for 5 with three RBIs in 18-8 romp over Lock Haven. Lefty batter capable of posting a much higher hitting average according to coaching staff . . . can hit the ball to all fields . . . attented East Carolina and Delaware with hopes of playing football before entering ESU. Four-year baseball player at Washington Township High School . . . played first base . . . also competed as quarterback on highly-successful football team . . . earned All-Conference second team honors . . . led team to New Jersey state championship and 10-1 record in junior year and conference title and 8-2 record as senior . . . backup quarterback on the ESU football team last fall after red-shirting in 1999 . . . majoring in Sport Management.

Anthony Piazza

No. 27 Outfielder Junior

Glen Gardner, N.J. – Starting centerfielder last season . . . belted game-winning single in seventh inning of 6-5 season finale win over Shippensburg which enabled team to finish with winning record . . . also had game-winning single in 6-4 victory over Bowie State. Batted .322 and tied for team lead in both runs-batted-in with 39 and home runs with five . . . hit two homers and drove in four runs in win over West Chester. Possesses good speed and athletic ability . . . working on becoming more consistent at the plate . . . will play in the outfield or serve as the designated hitter.

Put up big numbers in 1999 for Mercer County Community College as starting centerfielder . . . earned honors as four-year centerfielder at Voorhees High School . . . chosen on New Jersey Group 2 first team . . . also made All-Area and All-Skyline Conference first teams . . . helped team to Group 2 Sectional State title in senior year . . . majoring in Business Management with a concentration in Accounting.

Joe Sobeski

No. 25 Catcher Sophomore

Duryea, Pa. – One of conference's premier catchers . . . rock-solid receiver and heavy hitter . . . has great presence behind the plate and at bat . . . hit .379 last season which was second on the team . . . had 50 hits in 132 at-bats with 14 doubles, two triples and two homers. Belted two game-winning hits against Kutztown with eighth-inning single in 11-10 win and three-run, seventh-inning homer in 6-3 victory . . . has improved his ability to hit to all fields since since last season . . . works out with many major leaguers, including pitcher Andy Ashby during the off-season.

Two-time All-Scholastic player for Pittston High School . . . batted over .400 and finished in the top five in the Wyoming Valley Conference in all categories for two years . . . served as team captain . . . named to the inaugural Times-Leader Dream Team as senior . . . competed in Citizen's Voice Senior All-Star Classic . . . played in 1997 Junior Olympics . . . also starred on American Legion team coached by former ESU player Ron Musto . . . helped team to three league playoffs, two championship games and one regional tournament . . . major is undecided.

Craig Whitten

No. 29 Pitcher Junior

Lansdale, Pa. - Two-year pitcher . . . started five games last season and relieved in three others . . . posted 3-2 record . . . went six innings and allowed only two earned runs in 5-2 win over Franklin Pierce . . . fired two-hit shutout ball for five innings to gain win against Philadelphia. Relieved 2/3 of an inning and was pitcher of record when team rallied for five runs in seventh inning to beat Shippensburg, 6-5, in season finale.

Big, strong righthander who has the attributes to be a closer . . . throws hard and has a good slider . . . hides the ball well and batters don't get good swings when he is at his best . . . has shown flashes of brilliance during career but must become more consistent. Named team’s most valuable player as a pitcher for Lansdale Catholic High School . . . served as team captain . . . fired career-high 16 strikeouts against top-ranked Phoenixville . . . majoring in Physical Education Teacher Certification.

Ryan Conrad

No. 15 Infielder Sophomore

Pleasantville, N.Y. – Versatile player who can help the team in many ways . . . will be backup shortstop and third baseman and also could see service as an outfielder.

Played in 44 games last season and started 34 of them mainly in leftfield and as a designated hitter . . . batted just under .300 at .295 with 28 hits in 95 at-bats . . . belted eight doubles and one triple . . . stole eight bases in nine tries. Had two perfect games at bat . . . went 2 for 2 with two walks in a win over Mary Washington . . . was 3 for 3 with a double in a victory over Philadelphia . . . has worked on his balance at the plate and should improve his batting average . . . has good fielding ability.

Two-time All-League player as a middle infielder for Westlake High School . . . set school record for participating in the most double plays . . . captained squad to 20-6 record and both sectional and league championships as senior . . . also starred in basketball . . . majoring in Political Science

Ryan Hatfield

No. 22 Third Baseman Sophomore

Pottstown, Pa. – Coming off outstanding freshman season . . . opened as team's designated hitter . . . saw action at first base and centerfield before becoming starting third baseman midway through the season. Batted .321 with 43 hits in 134 at-bats . . . . belted six doubles, four triples and four homers . . . also walked 24 times . . . ended season by going 4 for 5 with a triple and a homer in a doubleheader against Scranton and 4 for 7 in a twinbill against Shippensburg.

Solid fielder who charges the ball well and has good lateral movement . . . possesses strong arm . . . lefthanded hitter with great bat speed. . . pound for pound could be team's top power hitter . . . blasted balls out of the deepest parks last year.

Chosen on All-PAC 10 team as infielder for Owen J. Roberts High School . . . made All-Area second team . . . played on league championship squad . . . also member of American Legion team which won league title three years . . . attended Montgomery County Community College one year . . . majoring in Sport Management.

Gordy Kocher

No. 23 Pitcher Sophomore

Northampton, Pa. – Pitched in 11 games and made ten starts last year as a freshman . . . posted 3-3 record and had best earned-run average of the regulars at 2.31 . . . hurled complete-game victory and struck out seven in 7-3 win over Franklin Pierce . . . also gained wins over New Jersey Tech and Scranton . . . struck out 38 batters in 36 1/2 innings. Should be even more effective this year . . . has improved his mechanics and has increased his velocity since last season . . . throws in the upper 80s. . . has best breaking ball on the staff.

Led Lehigh Valley in strikeouts as a pitcher for Northampton High School . . . made All-Conference . . . helped team to district championship and most wins in the school's history at 25-4 as a junior . . . team finished as runner-up in districts in senior year . . . attended Northampton Community College but did not play baseball . . . majoring in Health and Physical Education Teacher Certification.

Ryan Amey

No. 19 Pitcher Freshman

Bethlehem, Pa. -Promising new pitcher with good mechanics and control . . . not overpowering but changes speeds well and knows how to handle himself on the mound . . . attended Kutztown but did not play last year. Pitched on an Emmaus High School team which finished with a 20-2 record and won the East Penn Conference championship . . . had a 0.82 earned run average . . . combined on a no-hitter against Southern Lehigh . . . pitched for the Lehigh Valley Carpenter Cup team . . . majoring in Business Management

Matt DelGiudice

No. 7 Pitcher-Infielder Junior

Tannersville, Pa. – Member of Lafayette baseball team last two years . . . pitched in nine games as a freshman and three last season . . . deceptive pitcher who changes speeds and angles well . . . has great movement on his deliveries . . . keeps hitters off-balance . . . seen as reliever or spot starter.

Chosen as the team MVP as pitcher and infielder for Pocono Mountain High School . . . gained All-Mountain Valley Conference honors at shortstop . . . also was chosen on All-Conference team as quarterback in football . . . majoring in Health and Physical Education.

Nick Farkas

No. 16 Outfielder Freshman

Walnutport, Pa. - Big, strong newcomer with great power . . . pounded balls nearly to the fence in deep left-centerfield during fall practice . . . possesses great work ethic . . . lifts weights and gets into the batting cage regularly . . . should have a great future in ESU program.

Two-year starting outfielder for Northampton High School . . . chosen on the All-Mountain Valley Conference team . . . also named to the All-Area team by the Allentown Morning Call . . . chosen as the 2000 Babe Ruth League Hitter of the Year . . . majoring in Elementary Education.

Troy Hayes

No. 10 Pitcher Freshman

Marshalls Creek, Pa. - Freshman hurler who will gain experience this season . . . has good command of three main pitches . . . working hard to increase strength and to improve velocity on fast ball . . . will see relief action and be a spot starter.

Lettered two years as a pitcher and second baseman for East Stroudsburg High School . . . played on a team last season which posted one of school's best records in recent years with a 15-7 mark . . . .team gained a berth in the PIAA District 11 playoffs . . . majoring in Health and Physical Education Teacher Certification.

Eric Lenz

No. 4 Catcher Freshman

Hazleton, Pa. - Strong defensive catcher . . . doesn't make mistakes behind the plate . . . has good arm . . . will keep pitchers in the game . . . expected to see action when starter Joe Sobeski needs rest.

Two-year catcher for Hazleton High School . . . named the team's top defensive player as a senior in 1998 . . . played on teams which competed for district championship in back-to-back years . . . also member of squad which won Wyoming Valley Conference title and posted a 18-3 record in 1997 . . . majoring in Health and Physical Education Teacher Certification.

Len Makarczyk

No. 26 Pitcher Junior

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. - Team's lone lefthanded pitcher . . . has good size at 6-3 and throws from different angles . . . especially tough on lefthanded hitters . . . has good velocity and effective slider.

Chosen on All-State and All-Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference teams two straight years as pitcher for Luzerne County Community College . . . named team's MVP . . . made All-Scholastic team for Hanover Area High School . . . led entire conference in strikeouts with school-record 93 and posted 7-2 record as senior . . . majoring in Computer Science.

Blake Martin

No. 12 Outfielder Sophomore

Cresco, Pa. - Transfer from Moravian College where played in eight games and started one as an outfielder last season . . . walked four times and had one stolen base . . . consistent contact hitter who runs well . . . sound defensively and may see reserve duty in the outfield . . . also may handle some pinch-running duties.

Two-year centerfielder for Pocono Mountain High School . . . chosen on the All-Mountain Valley Con-ference team . . . . also played one year as point guard for basketball team . . . majoring in Business Management.

Jason Ryan

No. 20 Pitcher Junior

Queensburg, N.Y. - Should move right into starting rotation as an experienced newcomer to the staff . . . throws consistently in the 86-88 miles per hour range . . . has outstanding changeup and control.

Compiled 8-2 pitching record last season for Schenectady Community College team . . . member of team which gained a berth in the Junior College World Series in 1999 . . . . made the All-Mountain Valley Conference junior college squad . . . pitched four years for Glen Falls High School and made the All-Foothills Council first team . . . majoring in Psychology.

Danny Supey

No. 28 Pitcher Freshman

Exeter Twp., Pa. – Top freshman recruit who is well prepared to enjoy excellent college career . . . already throws hard and with size and strength is projected to reach 90 miles per hour some day . . . has effective breaking ball and changeup . . . extremely coachable. Saw action as pitcher, first baseman and outfielder as a four-year player at Wyoming Area High School . . . chosen as the first team pitcher on the Wyoming Valley Conference all-star team last season . . . named MVP of the Star of Stars Tournament . . . coached by former ESU player Ron Musto . . .major undecided.

PJ Worsnick

No. 8 Outfielder, Catcher Junior

Scranton, Pa. - Seen as potential starter in rightfield . . . heady player who gets a great jump on the ball and runs down many potential hits into the gap . . . has strong arm . . . also can see action at catcher if needed . . . lefthanded hitter with line drive swing.

Batted .333 over two seasons at Lackawanna County College . . . . earned Sportsman of the Year Award . . . lettered four years at West Scranton High School . . . made Lackawanna League all-star team . . . member of a league championship team one year . . . majoring in Sociology-Criminal Justice Administration.

Bryan Yagel

No. 24 First Baseman Junior

Sunbury, Pa. - Powerful lefthanded batter who will start at first base . . . got everyone's attention by belting balls into the trees in rightfield during the fall . . . solid defensive player with good hands.

MVP for Penn State-Wilkes Barre team coached by former ESU player Jerry Greeley . . . two-time All-Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference selection . . . chosen on All-State first team last season . . . made the All-Susquehanna Valley League team as a first baseman for Shikellamy High School . . . majoring in Environmental Sciences.