Philadelphia, Pa. - (2/20/2020) – "The CACC Championship is in sight," proclaimed Head Coach Robert Spratt. A model of consistency and success, Chestnut Hill College is primed for their tenth straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Baseball Championship Tournament appearance. "We have come close on several occasions. We have produced some great teams and had a lot of success. We have everything we need to get it done. It's time to execute!"
 
Receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II (DII) East Region Poll (4/22, 4/29) and ranking 10^th in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) DII East Region Poll (4/22, 4/29), Chestnut Hill College surpassed the program record for CACC wins in a single season (2018; 18) in 2019. With a 27-21 overall record and a 21-11 league standing, the Griffins finished the regular season in a tie for second place in the CACC South Division and earned their ninth straight CACC Baseball Championship Tournament appearance. Unfortunately, the Griffins exited postseason play on May 4 with a 6-4 opening-round loss to #2N Dominican College. In the end, the Scarlet and Gold sported a 27-22 overall record.
 
Chestnut Hill College returns four out of their five All-CACC performers from 2019 as senior infielder Ameir Uzzell (Levittown, Pa.) (2^nd Team), junior pitcher Billy Bethel (Yardley, Pa.) (1^st Team), junior outfielder John Contoudis (Jenkintown, Pa.) (2^nd Team), and junior first baseman/pitcher Andrew Dietz (Warrington, Pa.) (2^nd Team) are among 25 tenured Griffins to appear on the 2020 roster. Joined by junior infielder Jared Healey (Philadelphia, Pa.), Uzzell, Bethel, and Dietz retain their captain duties for the upcoming season.
 
On the mound, Bethel headlines a deep pitching staff that have kept the Griffins' opponents uncomfortable in the batter's box. He sported a 7-4 record, a 4.44 earned run average (ERA), and a 79/15 strikeout/walk (K/BB) ratio after accumulating 75.0 innings in 2019. Dietz was also a part of the rotation last season, he will look to improve from his 4-3 record (49.1 innings), 6.20 ERA, and 41/29 K/BB numbers. Other returnees to the Scarlet and Gold starting rotation include fellow juniors, Thomas Hughes (Phoenixville, Pa.), Will Shaffer (Sicklerville, N.J.), and Pat Woltemate (Philadelphia, Pa.). Hughes finished 2019 with a 4-3 mark after allowing 19 earned runs on 42 hits and 29 walks over 51.2 innings of work. Meanwhile, Shaffer was 2-3 with a 4.57 ERA over 45.1 innings. Woltemate only made three starts (11 appearances) as a sophomore as he compiled a 1-1 and a 6.07 ERA over 29.2 innings.

The back end of the Griffin pitching staff is headlined by senior Jerry Mangan (Wayne, Pa.), who owned a 6-4 record, two saves, a 6.09 ERA, and a 27/17 K/BB after 34.0 innings of relief in 2019. He will be complimented by senior Zach Szumigala (Fairless Hills, Pa.), juniors; Justin Anderosky (Warrington, Pa.) and Grant Schwartz (Delta, Pa.), sophomores; Dan Rockenbach (Holland, Pa.), Quinn Danna (Phoenixville, Pa.), Jordan DeChurch (Marlton, N.J.), transfer Corbin Dunnuck (Mohnton, Pa./Southern Union State Community College), and Brian Egolf (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Eddie Salkowski (Riverside, N.J.), and freshmen; Bradley Buzzard (Summit Hill, Pa.), Sean Cocuzza (Atco, N.J.), Mike Kiefer (Blue Point, N.Y.), Dylan Jackson (Levittown, Pa.), and Jake McCafferty (Pittsgrove, N.J.). Buzzard can dial it up on the speed gun and will compete with Kiefer and Cocuzza for innings this spring.
 
The Chestnut Hill College starting lineup is likely to include several familiar faces, starting with Uzzell, Contoudis, Dietz, and Healey. Uzzell, who primarily played at third base in 2019, will take over the shortstop position for his senior campaign. He recorded the 100^th hit of his collegiate career in a 10-3, game-two victory at Concordia College on April 7, 2019, and was the program's second player to be named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) DII East Region Hitter of the Week (4/16/2019) after contributing to 21 (10 runs, 11 runs-batted-in (RBI)) Griffin runs during a 4-2 stretch that saw him post a .615 (16-for-26)/.630/.885 (BA/OBP/SLG) slash line. At season's end, Uzzell owned the program's all-time, single-season marks in at-bats (197) and hits (71); while leading the team in stolen bases (27-of-40, .900), he sported a .360 (71-for-197)/.408/.457 slash line that produced a team-high 45 runs and 31 RBI. Contoudis contributed a .326 (57-for-175)/.375/.469 slash line to record 44 runs and 39 RBI. He stole 24 bases (24-of-32, .750) and set an all-time, single-season record for sacrifice flies with seven. Dietz offered a .315 (53-for-168)/.352/.458 slash line to score 25 runs and bat-in 34. Healey – who moves to second base in 2020 - finished 2019 with a .343 (59-for-172)/.417/.430 slash line that created 39 runs and 29 RBI. He drew a team-high 22 walks and stole 19 bases (19-of-25, .760).
 
Also likely to appear in the starting lineup are senior catcher/first baseman/third baseman Thomas Spratt (Doylestown, Pa.), juniors; catcher/outfielder Sam Barletta (Royersford, Pa.) and outfielder/first baseman Michael Perugini (Tamarac, Fla.), and sophomore utility Luke LeBeau (Pittsfield, Mass.). Barletta – who will serve as the Griffins' primary catcher - stole a dozen bases (12-of-19, .632), while totaling 25 runs and 29 RBI with a .278 (44-for-158)/.358/.430 slash line. LeBeau began his collegiate career at second base, but will likely move around the diamond in 2020. He contributed 25 runs and 29 RBI with a .289 (41-for-142)/.381/.359 slash line. Perugini came on strong during the second half of the 2019 campaign. He found a home in left field and played an important role in the Griffin lineup with a .333 (25-for-75)/.448/.427 slash line and 10 (10-for-11, .909) stolen bases that resulted in 27 runs scored and 15 RBI. Meanwhile, the multifaceted, Spratt batted .302 (13-for-43) in limited at-bats last year.
 
Deeper than in past years, the Chestnut Hill College bench will provide several key contributors to the Griffins' success in 2020. Among those returning are senior infielder Patrick Meenan (Oreland, Pa.), Szumigala (OF) a bounty of sophomores; first basemen Nick Sondon (Miami, Fla.) and Salkowski, and outfielders Jonas Baker (Delran, N.J.) (2B), Josh Roach (Berlin, N.J.), and Danna. Newcomers include Dunnuck (OF/1B) and a horde of freshmen; Buzzard (OF), Jackson (OF), second baseman/shortstop Nick Delacruz (South Brunswick, N.J.), infielder Sean Gledhill (Horsham, Pa.), outfielder RJ Huth (Fairless Hills, Pa.), outfielder Mike Orensky (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.), catcher/first baseman/outfielder Jack Pogyor (Yardley, Pa.), catcher Josh Polon (Bridgewater, N.J.), outfielder Lucas Quinlan (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.), catcher/second baseman/outfielder Enrico Saviano (Middle Village, N.Y.), utility Greg Sylvester (Trevose, Pa.), and infielder Jack Tone (Bridgewater, N.J.). In addition to a big fastball, Buzzard has shown solid fielding skills and is expected to contribute to the Chestnut Hill College outfield as well. Dunnuck and Pogyor are versatile fielders who can also provide some pop off the bench. Meanwhile, Meenan and Delacruz will compete for time in the middle infield.
 
Chestnut Hill College opens their 2020 season on Saturday, February 29, when they meet Bentley University in Santaluces, Florida, for a noon (12:00 p.m.) doubleheader.