LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University baseball team is set for the 2018 season as they kick it off this weekend at Chowan. Last season, LHU opened the season at Chowan and split the four-game set.
 
NEW ERA:
On January 9, 2018, longtime assistant coach Heath Stover was named Lock Haven's interim head coach. Stover, a LHU graduate, just finished his 20th season as an assistant coach with the Bald Eagles and for the last 20 seasons he's played a vital role in the team's overall success, both on and off the field. For the last three seasons, Stover has worked primarily with the pitchers. Under Stover's leadership, a trio of Bald Eagle pitchers from last season's rotation reached the professional ranks over the summer including Jacob Belinda, who was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 10th Round of the MLB Draft.
 
Earlier this week, LHU added 1999 LHU graduate and former Bald Eagle baseball player Nate Frantz to the staff as the new assistant coach. He brings with him 10 years of collegiate coaching experience including Division I experience.
 
BUILDING OFF HISTORIC 2017 SEASON:
Last season, LHU went 32-18 and the 32 wins marked a single-season school record. LHU was 16-12 in the highly competitive PSAC Eastern Division – a division that has produced the Division II national champ twice in the last six seasons and the national runner-up in 2016.
 
PRESEASON ALL-REGION SELECTION:
Senior first baseman Kolby Dehaas was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason All-Atlantic Region First Team. Last season, DeHaas hit .403 which led the PSAC. His batting average ranked No. 32 in Division II baseball. DeHaas had a .522 on-base percentage, .619 slugging-percentage, 11 doubles, five home runs and 29 RBIs last year. He fielded .981 at first.
 
OTHER PRESEASON HONORS:
Kolby Dehaas was named a 2018 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Player to Watch and transfer Jesse Slinger has been tabbed a Newcomer to Watch. Slinger is a junior right-hand pitcher who transferred from Division I Youngstown State. In 48 1/3 innings last season, he recorded 33 strikeouts.
 
NATIONAL RANKING:
With the 2018 season on the horizon, the Bald Eagles also received votes in the Preseason College Baseball Daily national poll.
 
BALD EAGLES RANKED NO. 8 IN REGION:
Recently, the NCBWA released the Preseason Atlantic Region Top-10 and the Bald Eagles were ranked No. 8 (37 points). West Chester, the defending NCAA Division II National Champions, received 13 of 14 first-place votes and was picked first. Mercyhurst was picked second and Seton Hill rounded out the top three.
 
PICKED SIXTH IN PSAC EAST:
LHU was picked sixth in the 2018 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Preseason Coaches' Poll despite the Bald Eagles dominate run through Division play last season. West Chester picked up seven of eight first-place votes and was picked favorite in the East. Shippensburg was picked second and Millersville rounded out the top-three.
 
ALL-STAR POTENTIAL:
Cayden Stover looks to build upon his success last year as he re-wrote the LHU records book. He smashed the record for doubles in a season as he totaled 21. He also moved into second in total hits with 62. Also helping to change the LHU records last season was relief pitcher Breton LaRose. He easily broke the single season save record as he amassed 10, the next closest has six. With only one year playing for The Haven he is two saves away from breaking the Lock Haven all-time record.
 
OPENING WEEKEND:
Lock Haven will open the 2018 season on the road on Friday, Feb. 9 at Chowan. In all, the Bald Eagles will play four games at Chowan on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 9-10.
 
ROAD AHEAD:
· Up next: Following this week's games at Chowan, LHU will return to action at the HiToms Classic on March 2 and March 3. Lock Haven will take on Alderson-Broaddus and Davis & Elkins.
· Spring break: LHU is scheduled to play Mercyhurst, Wheeling Jesuit, Bloomsburg and California (Pa.) on its Spring Break trip to North Carolina.
· Home opener/PSAC opener: The Bald Eagles will open PSAC East play at home on Friday, March 23 vs. defending national champs West Chester.
· Full schedule: Available at www.GoLHU.com.
 
Head Coach Heath "Smokey" Stover speaks about the upcoming season – Click Here