There were high hopes for the Penn State Altoona baseball program as it entered the 2020 season. After reaching the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship game a year earlier, the Lions returned most of their starters and were poised to make another deep run into the conference tournament.

But, like most other things, the Lions' plans were derailed by a global pandemic.

Penn State Altoona had played just nine games last spring before its season was halted on March 13, during the latter stages of its annual trip to compete in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. In the days that followed, the remainder of the Lions' season was officially cancelled, and the team had to put its aspirations on hold for a year.

Now, the Penn State Altoona baseball team is ready for another shot at an AMCC title as it enters its 2021 season. Despite losing key members of the team from last season, the Lions have still retained a significant portion of their roster while injecting some new talent into the lineup.

Leading the way for the Lions' returning bats are senior shortstop Hunter Breon (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs), senior first baseman Catcher Cumming (Altoona, PA/Altoona), and sophomore outfielder Jared Ennis (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South).

Breon and Cumming were each noted as "Players to Watch" for the Lions this season in the AMCC's annual preseason poll, in which Penn State Altoona was picked to finish third in the conference standings this year. Breon was also voted the AMCC's 2021 co-Preseason Player of the Year.

In the team's last full season, 2019, Breon was second in the AMCC in stolen bases (19), sixth in hits (54), and eighth in runs scored (42) and walks (25) while hitting .344 with a .430 on-base percentage and .459 slugging percentage. Cumming finished the 2019 campaign ranked fifth in the AMCC in runs batted in (40), sixth in home runs (6), and 10th in slugging percentage (.547), and he compiled a .317 batting average and .415 on-base percentage. Meanwhile, in seven games as a freshman last season, Ennis hit .263 and posted a .417 on-base percentage.

"Although we lost a lot of starters from last season, we still have three of our top four hitters in our lineup returning in Hunter, Catcher, and Jared," said Penn State Altoona head coach RJ Barnard, who is entering his fifth season in his position. "Hunter and Catcher are COVID seniors and are going to have to take the reigns as our team captains and being leaders, both on the field and in the dugout."

A pair of juniors, catcher Richard Carey (Milton, DE/Cape Henlopen) and middle infielder Grant King (Wingate, PA/Bald Eagle), are also expected to see regular appearances in the Lions' batting order. Carey got off to a hot start at the plate last spring, going 10-for-15 with four runs scored and three RBI in five games before the season was cut short. King holds a .323 batting average in 16 career games and will ascend into a more prominent role in his third season with the Lions.

Additionally, four newcomers are projected to get significant numbers of at-bats for the Lions this year: freshman outfielders Grayson McClain (Mount Union, PA/Mount Union) and Anthony Iannizzi (Leesburg, VA/Heritage), freshman third baseman Jake Hillard (State College, PA/State College), and sophomore outfielder Quinten Moslak (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola).

"Breon will lead off for the fifth consecutive season. McClain will start the season in the two hole, where he gives us great speed at the top of the order and a left-handed bat. Ennis and Cumming will once again look to anchor down the three or four hole," explained Barnard. "Hillard will be in the five hole, and returners Carey and King will also find their way into the starting lineup. Moslak and Iannizzi will compete for playing time in the outfield."

In addition to making impacts with their bats, Barnard anticipates these players to perform well in the field.

"We expect Breon and King to be one of the better defensive middle infield duos in the conference, and Hillard and Cumming are both solid at the corners," he said. "Our outfield will have much better speed than in years past, and we expect them to cover a lot of ground while roaming the outfield."

Meanwhile, the Lions' pitching staff will be led by four experienced hurlers: senior right-handed pitchers Tyler Manger (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst) and Hunter Johnson (Shippensburg, PA/Shippensburg), junior righty Austin Miller (Orbisonia, PA/Southern Huntingdon), and sophomore righty Alex Kitko (Houtzdale, PA/Moshannon Valley).

While Manger's last appearance was a start that ended in him pitching a complete game victory, 30 of his 31 career appearances have been in relief. Manger has compiled a 3.78 career earned run average while recording seven wins and five saves. Johnson returned to the pitching staff last spring following a season-ending injury the previous year. In his career, he has logged 37 innings of work in 22 relief appearances.

Miller has split time as both a starter and reliever, tossing 44 1/3 innings over 14 career appearances. Kitko made two appearances on the mound for the Lions in his brief freshman campaign last spring, including making one start.

In addition to those four returners, freshman right-handed pitchers Cameron Dubbs (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra), Adam Wildasin (Hershey, PA/Hershey), Jake Bradish (Latrobe, PA/Greater Latrobe), and Kyle Glass (Imler, PA/Claysburg-Kimmel) will also have the opportunity to see regular innings on the mound.

"Manger and Kitko will be the anchors of our staff and will be relied on to see big game innings in conference. Johnson and Miller both provide experience on the back end of our bullpen," said Barnard. "Dubbs, Wildasin, Bradish, and Glass are newcomers who will need to be significant parts of our pitching staff."

Penn State Altoona baseball is scheduled to open its 2021 season on Thursday, March 11 in a doubleheader at Marywood University, which will start at 12:00 p.m. AMCC play gets underway in late March.

However, between the ongoing pandemic and often-unpredictable spring weather, the 2021 season could be like no other that the Penn State Altoona baseball program has experienced. But, unlike last spring, the Lions have the opportunity to compete, and they aren't taking that for granted.

"After all college and high schools lost their spring seasons last year, the guys are hungrier than ever to step foot on the field. While we expect some rust early in the season, the guys have been working hard and will continue to get better," said Barnard. "We are expecting challenges throughout the season with COVID, constant rescheduling of games, and a congested schedule, but it's an issue that all teams across the country will deal with. Whenever we get the opportunity to play, we will be ready."