Encapera sees season as a success
The Penn State Fayette baseball team reached the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference playoffs for a second straight year, and Ryan Encapera is excited about where the program is at.
"The season was a success for our guys, qualifying for the playoffs and nearly doubling the number of wins from 2022," he said of the team having nine wins in 2022 and 17 this season. "Our team rebounded from some adversity all year long in regard to injuries and the ups and downs of a college baseball season. Offensively we were in the USCAA Regular Season top 10 in hits, runs, home runs, RBI and stolen bases."
Factoring in postseason games for full-season stats, Fayette finished seventh in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) with a .317 batting average, 10th with 289 runs scored, 13th with 340 hits, tied for fifth with 21 home runs, 13th with 240 RBIs and 11th with 81 stolen bases.
What is Encapera happiest about looking back?
"Our resilience as a team was the reason for our success," he said. "We were able to do the best we could with what we had. Injuries depleted our roster at various times of the year and our lack of depth cost us at least five or six wins. Despite these challenges we were still able to be competitive due to our grit and the toughness of our team."
What improvements did he see from the start of the season through the end of it?
"Our team defense steadily improved throughout the season which helped keep us in games," he said. "Our pitching staff made great strides to develop and grow, focusing on attacking the zone and allowing hitters to get themselves out."
Encapera spoke about the outgoing seniors.
"Each of our seniors has left a memorable impression on our program," he said. "I'm hopeful that their work ethic and commitment to improving everyday, and buying into team-first culture, can continue on."
The graduating seniors include Cade Warrick (Mill Run, PA/Connellsville HS), Kyle Ridley (Connellsville, PA/Connellsville HS), Jorge Palmas (Upper St. Clair, PA/Upper St. Clair HS), and Dylan Bohna (Uniontown, PA/Laurel Highlands, PA), although Bohna could return.
"Cade was a consistent presence at the plate hitting for power and average and not being able to have him in the lineup will be tough to replace," Encapera said. "Kyle has been with the program longer than I have, so seeing him move on to a career is bittersweet but special for him. Jorge's leadership on and off the field will be tough to replace. His competitiveness on the mound and his advocacy for our program in student government was important to our team's success. Dylan bounced back from two nearly career ending injuries to his face to be a force for us at the plate and saved a ton of runs in center field. There's a possibility he will return for 2024 and we are hopeful he comes back."
Warrick was named PSUAC All Conference honorable mention and was third on the team with 29 RBI. Ridley tied for third on the team with 29 runs scored, Palmas went 3-5 on the mound with 25 strikeouts, and Bohna, who was PSUAC All Conference First Team and won the John Fritz Sportsmanship Award, hit .314 with 27 base hits and scored 23 runs while going 1-3 on the mound.
Two underclassmen are also moving on in Ethan Rendulic (Port Vue, PA/South Allegheny HS) and Connor Vig (California, PA/California HS).
"Ethan and Connor were important players for our team and helped lead us to several of our wins," Encapera said. "Both players sparked our team with energy and were solid players who were impactful. Losing these two will have a significant effect on our team and will be tough to replace."
Rendulic, the PSUAC Rookie of the Year, tied for 15th in the PSUAC with 39 hits and was 19th with a .355 average while finishing tied for 10th with 33 RBI. Vig hit .340 (16 for 47) during the season and his 15 stolen bases were good for seventh in the PSUAC.
Encapera spoke about some of the key contributors that will return in Andrew Despot (Moon, PA/Moon Area HS), Sawyer D'Andrea (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park HS), AJ Segarra (Mt. Lebanon, PA/Mt. Lebanon HS),
"Andrew had a banner season moving from second base to shortstop and leading our team in several hitting categories. His leadership set the tone for our hitters and their mindset to make every at bat difficult for opposing pitchers. Sawyer also had a great season for us and was among the team and league leaders in hits, RBI, and average. He also anchored our pitching staff and helped to give a mostly inexperienced staff a chance to be competitive. AJ, at the beginning of the season, was projected to be a role player and ended up being one of our top hitters and won four games as a pitcher. His hard work and persistence put him in a position to succeed and his efforts helped propel us throughout the season."
Despot earned a USCAA All-American honorable mention nod as well as a spot on the PSUAC All-Conference First Team. He finished third in the PSUAC and 13th in the USCAA with 52 hits, fourth in the PSUAC and 14th in the USCAA with a .416 average, finished tied for sixth in the PSUACand tied for 22nd in the USCAA with 37 runs scored and tied fifth in the PSUAC with 11 doubles. D'Andrea finished 10th in the PSUAC with 43 hits, 15th with a .361 average and tied for seventh in the PSUAC with 34 RBI while Segarra hit .400 and had 30 hits in 75 at bats.
Encapera also spoke on other players who will be back, including Josh Burns (Uniontown, PA/Laurel Highlands HS), Braeden McKnight (Uniontown, PA/Laurel Highlands HS), Johnny Iannou (Plum HS/Plum HS), Noah Matthews (Uniontown, PS/Laurel Highlands HS) and Jonathan Gaynor (Miami Beach, FL/Miami Beach HS).
"I am looking forward to next year, our group of returners will be counted on to take steps forward," he said. "Position players like Josh, Braeden, and Johnny will be looked to lead by example and provide experience. Noah and Jonathan will be relied on to build on their experiences from this year and hold down the pitching staff. It is also hopeful for several of our guys who were injured or ineligible to return in 2024."
Burns finished fourth on the team with 32 hits, tied for third with 29 runs scored and tied for fourth with 23 RBI. McKnight hit .328, had hits, scored 20 runs and drove in 15. Iannou had 21 hits and scored 27 runs. Matthews went 3-5 with a 4.08 ERA while Gaynor went 2-5 with a 2.73 ERA.
How is recruiting going for Encapera and his staff?
"Our goal for recruiting for 2023 is to add 20 players to our program," Encapera said. "Currently, we have 13 commits and are pressing to find more players. The focus is pitching and of the 13 players coming, 10 have experience as pitchers. This summer I'll be out along with the staff at numerous showcases, (WPIAL and PIAA) playoffs, and travel tournaments. We are also scheduled to host several events at our field this summer including three Team All-American Tournaments, 716 Invitational Tournament and serve as the home field for Bud Murphy's in the Fayette County Baseball League."
With a steady mix of returning production and new players coming into he program, it is understandable why Encapera and his staff have such a bright outlook on the future.
For more information on the Penn State Fayette baseball team, go to https://www.psathletics.com/sports/bsb/index or follow the team on Instagram @fayetteathletics.
By: Bill Hughes