The Penn State Altoona baseball team enters its 2023 season looking to take the next step. The Lions went 17-21 overall last season, including an 8-8 record within the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference that placed the team sixth in the regular season standings. Heading into this season, the Lions were predicted to finish in fourth place in the conference, according to the results of the AMCC's preseason coaches' poll.

Penn State Altoona features a strong and experienced core of players, with the team's 36-player roster including 23 returners from last season. Head coach RJ Barnard, who is entering his seventh year at the helm of the program, knows that experience will be key to compete among the top teams in the AMCC this spring.

"The top four teams in our conference all bring back a lot of guys," said Barnard. "For us, almost every major contributor from last season is back, and we will need those guys to improve from last season and get some contributions from some freshmen to be able to make a run this season."

The Lions have leaned on their offense in recent seasons, and this year's lineup should continue to be a strength of the team. Regular contributors in the batting order will include senior catchers Richard Carey (Milton, DE/Cape Henlopen) and Timothy Richard (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone), junior utility player Jake Hillard (State College, PA/State College), junior outfielders Anthony Iannizzi (Leesburg, VA/Heritage) and Grayson McClain (Mount Union, PA/Mount Union), sophomore outfielder Garrett Alauzen (Pittsburgh, PA/Chartiers Valley), sophomore infielders Grant Barberich (Leesburg, VA/Heritage), Corey Chamberlain (Claysburg, PA/Claysburg-Kimmel), Fred Guarino IV (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro), and Alex Hlivia (Pennsylvania Furnace, PA/State College), and freshman Jonathan Rauch (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin).

Out of that group, Carey, Hillard, and Alauzen lead the way, as each player earned a spot on the AMCC All-Conference team last spring. Carey was a first-team selection after ranking fourth in the conference in batting average (.393), sixth in slugging percentage (.598), 11th in doubles (10) and extra-base hits (15), 12th in hits (44), triples (2), and total bases (67), 13th in home runs (3), and 14th in runs batted in (26). Hillard was a second-team All-AMCC pick, leading the league in doubles (14) last season, tying for second in extra-base hits (22), and ranking third in total bases (91), fourth in home runs (7), fifth in hits (54) and slugging percentage (.623), and 11th in batting average (.370). Alauzen took third-team All-AMCC honors last year, and he finished 12th in the conference in runs scored (31), 19th in batting average (.330), 21st in home runs (2), 22nd in hits (38), 25th in on-base percentage (.398), and 27th in stolen bases (5).

"Our lineup will be very similar to last season. McClain will once again lead off. He has a niche for seeing a lot of pitches and just getting on base. Carey, Alauzen, Hillard, and Chamberlain will, more often than not, lock down two through five in the lineup," said Barnard. "Guarino, Barberich, and Rauch will split time between first base and designated hitter, and Hlivia, Iannizzi, and Richard are other starters who return and will be contributors again this season."

Barnard also highlights a trio of freshmen left-handed batters who he expects to make impacts in the lineup this season as first-year players: first baseman Rauch, second baseman Zach Ingold (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin), and outfielder Brian Chelli (West Hartford, CT/Hall).

"Rauch, Ingold, and Chelli will give us some options from the left side of the plate," Barnard explained. "Rauch should get plenty of opportunities between first base and DH, and Ingold led the team in hitting this fall. Chelli will provide another left-handed-hitting outfielder, which should help at the lefty-friendly Stewart Athletic Field."

On the pitching mound, Penn State Altoona will be led by senior right-hander Alex Kitko (Houtzdale, PA/Moshannon Valley), junior right-hander Tristin Lockett (Mifflin County, PA/Mifflin County), sophomore right-hander Eli Wiles (Kittanning, PA/Armstrong), and sophomore left-hander Sam Homan (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle).

Kitko was second on the team in innings pitched (41 2/3) last season, going 3-2 with a 5.40 earned run average, one complete game, and one save. In the AMCC, he ranked 11th in ERA, 14th in wins, 18th in appearances (11), 21st in strikeouts per nine innings (5.4), 22nd in innings pitched, and 30th in strikeouts (25). Lockett tossed the third-most innings on the team last year with 38, and he ranked fifth in the AMCC in strikeouts per nine (9.71), 14th in total strikeouts (41), 18th in ERA (6.63), and 21st in opponent batting average (.241). Wiles compiled a 3-3 record last year while throwing 30 2/3 innings, and he finished 14th in the conference in wins, 24th in strikeouts (30), 25th in appearances (10), and 31st in opponent batting average (.264). Homan put together a 2-3 record while pitching 25 1/3 innings for the Lions, and he ranked 18th in the AMCC in strikeouts (35) and 25th in wins while averaging 12.43 per nine.

"Kyle Glass, who led the team in innings the past two seasons, had labrum surgery this winter, so some other returners will have to step up," Barnard stated. "Wiles, Lockett, Kitko, and Homan, who all made a significant amount of starts last season, all return. Freshman Bryant Allison (Alexandria, PA/Juniata Valley) will also make some starts this season."

Penn State Altoona baseball will open its season on the road Friday, February 24, facing Bridgewater College (Va.) in a doubleheader of nine-inning games starting at 11 a.m. After that, the Lions will make their annual journey south to compete in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, taking on six different opponents for a total of 10 games from March 4-11. Following that week, the team returns to Pennsylvania to resume its regional schedule and gets AMCC play underway in late March.

Barnard notes several dates on the team's schedule that will be particularly significant this season.

"Obviously, the Florida trip is always circled on our calendars. A good spring trip will help build momentum coming back north for conference play," said Barnard. "In addition to that, our road doubleheader against our rival and defending champ Mount Aloysius (Sat. Apr. 8) will be a big one, along with playing up at Alfred State (Sat. Apr. 1), as they have knocked us out of the playoffs the past few years. Behrend will be the big home doubleheader (Sat. Apr. 29), as they will have 16 seniors, and in my opinion, are the favorites to take the conference."

With a balanced mix of talent and experience, Barnard knows that his team has the tools in place to be successful and points out some areas for improvement that the squad will need to make to have a strong run at an AMCC title.

"I believe offensively we will be fine," he said. "In order to take the next steps, we need to play better defensively, lower the ERA, and eliminate some of the high walk numbers."