Published: May 15, 2008 12:13 am      

UPJ wants more this time around

Call this one a do-over, a second chance, or, as Pitt-Johnstown baseball coach Todd Williams sees it, an opportunity.

The Mountain Cats (35-17-1) will host a major event at Point Stadium for the second time this month, as the NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional comes to Johnstown today through Sunday. Williams is hoping Part II unfolds more favorably than Part I.

Two weekends ago, UPJ dropped both of its games in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament at the Point.

The host team batted an uncharacteristic .188 (13-for-69) and had a soaring 6.50 ERA (13 earned runs, 18 innings) as a 10-game winning streak ended with a thud. Those numbers were a significant contrast to UPJ’s regular-season .321 team batting average and 4.86 ERA.

“That should be our driving motivation for vindication, redemption, whatever you want to call it,” said Williams, whose Cats play WVIAC rival Concord (35-13) at 7 p.m. “We need to prove we can play the way we played all year. The way our year went, that’s not the way we played in the WVIAC Tournament. But it’s going to be really tough. All six teams are tough. These are the best six teams in the region and there are no weak spots.”

The top six teams in the North Atlantic region will be in Johnstown.

Top-seeded West Chester (41-14) will play No. 6 Kutztown (30-24) in a PSAC battle. WVIAC champion and second-seeded West Virginia State (36-12) will play No. 5 Shippensburg (34-23), a team that includes Richland graduate and AAABA Tournament veteran Tim Freshour, an all-PSAC West selection.

Williams said he’s leaning towards starting senior David Huey against third-seeded Concord.

“He started out for us the last time we were at regionals two years ago at West Virginia State,” said Williams, whose Cats are seeded fourth. “The kids are all going to have the first-night jitters. They’re going to be pumped up. They have to maintain control. If you put somebody in who doesn’t have that experience, it might be tougher.”

UPJ is 5-6 against the regional field this season, including an 0-2 mark against Concord. The Cats went 3-2 against West Virginia State and lost two games to Shippensburg.

Other key UPJ players are outfielder Adam Plummer (.401 average), designated hitter-infielder Dan DelSignore (.354) and first baseman Matt Hanley (.345), shortstop Matt Petrowsky (.342) and third baseman Josh Campanella (.387).

Huey is 6-2 with a 4.53 ERA. Other key pitchers are Eric Faint (2-1, 2.50 ERA, eight saves), Chuck Boring (3-3, 4.54) and Jon Moore (6-1, 3.66).

“They’ve really worked hard since that tournament,” Williams said. “They’ve looked like they need no motivation at all. I expect a 110-percent effort. Even if it doesn’t go good for us, to get to this point is a tribute to them. It’s a tribute to the school. This is their reward for doing well all year.

“There are 215 teams in Division II and only 48 are playing this weekend. After this weekend, only eight are going to be playing. The competition is very fierce. We belong in there. We just have to take it to the next level now.”