KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team had its 2020 season cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The program was aware and understanding of the situation and why the NCAA and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) made the decision to cancel the remainder of the spring season on Friday, March 13. But they were also in disbelief of a promising season that had the makings of something great.
The Golden Bears had just returned home after a two-game split at Slippery Rock University on Wednesday, March 11. They were all set and ready to board the bus to Bloomsburg for their PSAC opener on Friday before the announcement from the league office came out that morning. A feeling of shock was felt throughout the entire program when all of a sudden everything stopped.
"I think like most people I was shocked when the season was actually canceled," said first-year head coach
Eric Folmar. "There were a things that happened days before the decision that led us to believe something like this may occur. When we heard the season was canceled, it was tough for all of us. At the time, I was saddened for the team, especially our seniors. My message was simple: I was sorry that the season was over, I appreciated each and every one of our team members who had worked diligently to be the best they could be to help our team, and I told them I will always be there to help them in any way that I can. Obviously, it is easier to understand now why the season was canceled and we all have had some time to distance ourselves from the immediate shock of it all."
Kutztown went 7-4 overall. To go along with the two-game set at the Rock, KU split a season-opening four-game series at Chowan University (Feb. 16 & 17), swept both games at Ohio Dominican (March 1) and took two-of-three games at Salem University (March 7 & 8). It was the program's best start to a season since it began the 2015 campaign by winning the first eight games.
"I think we started the season the way we expected to start it," Folmar said. "When I say that, our expectation of this team is to compete every pitch, every out, every inning of every game and we did that. As far as the wins and losses, that is a product of our guys putting in the work to get into a position to have some success early in the season. I believe if our guys continue to trust in the process and keep working to get a day better each day, we will continue to take steps in the right direction as a program."
Folmar was hired as the head man on July 9. This season was his first as a collegiate head coach, and the promise of a good start in the win-loss column was just the cherry on top of an overall positive experience running throughout the entire program since Folmar took over.
"The first season went by fast," said Folmar. "Obviously, it was cut short, but it is crazy to think that we are already in April. Our entire staff put in a lot of time after I was hired and throughout the conclusion of the year to create a culture that promoted the values that we believe in our program. We worked hard to map out the entire year as far as practice, scrimmages, weights, events, etc., so that our players were as prepared as they could be for everything we were doing. I am excited as we move forward to the future of this program and the great men, coaches, administrators, and staff that are associated with it."
Kutztown was making noise both in the hitter's box and on the diamond, ranking in the top-10 in the PSAC in several categories, playing the sixth fewest games out of the 17 teams in the conference. KU was fifth offensively in both team batting average (.305) and slugging percentage (.458). The Maroon and Gold pitching staff held the ninth-best ERA (5.06).
"This 2020 team was a lot of fun to coach and be around," Folmar said. "They were eager to get after it from day one. We implemented our expectations, policies, rules, and how things were going to go academically, in the weight room, and on the field in first meeting. Our players embraced everything we asked of them. They all understand there is an expectation that is demanded and we all are accountable as a team and individually."
The Golden Bears also found individual success from many student-athletes on the field, bringing an excitement to the program ahead of conference play.
"I think all of our guys made strides throughout the early workouts in the fall until the abrupt conclusion to our season," said Folmar. "There are several guys who had great numbers to start the 2020 season and that reflects the work they put in.
Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) was on pace to have an historic season.
Jake Augustus (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) was putting up career highs.
Zach Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) was having a great start to 2020.
Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) had a great start to his freshmen year before an injury.
Antonio Rossillo (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood) was having an impressive freshmen campaign.
Aaron Cleveland (Pillow, Pa./Upper Dauphin) had an impressive start to the year offensively after never hitting in college until this year.
Doug Conrad (West Chester, Pa./Downingtown West) was impressive to say the least and threw a no hitter in his last outing. His no hitter was a walk away from being a perfect game.
Matt Ziminsky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) had an impressive start to his freshmen year."
The returning players, along with the coaching staff, can enter the fall offseason with a lot to look back on and look forward to.
"I think our guys have some confidence from the 2020 season that will definitely carry over into our workouts next fall," Folmar said. "I think they understand that if they continue to work and push each other, that we will continue to make strides on the field."
