Oct. 20 UPDATE: The fall intrasquad scrimmage has been cancelled due to forecasted cold temperatures. The alumni social will begin as scheduled at the ESU Innovation Center.

EAST STROUDSBURG - The East Stroudsburg University baseball program will induct the sixth class of its "Bat Club" on Sunday, October 21, which will include a scrimmage and alumni social.

Three Warriors - shortstop Evan Gallagher (2009-12), outfielder Eric Boyer (2010-13) and second baseman Joe Bennie (2013) - join 19 previous inductees.

ESU will also honor its 2013 PSAC championship team, five years after the squad delivered the school's first PSAC baseball championship since 1971.

The event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at ESU's Innovation Center (562 Independence Road, East Stroudsburg, Pa.).

Ceremonies will be preceded by the Warriors' fall intrasquad scrimmage, which begins at 10 a.m. at Mitterling Field.

Previous inductees to the Bat Club are - pitcher/shortstop Joel Bennett, outfielder J.D. Stern, second baseman Jacob DeBoer and pitcher Jeremy Gigliotti (2013), pitcher/infielder/outfielder Tim Bishop, shortstop Brett Reynolds, outfielder Josh Butler and third baseman Mark Angelo (2014), pitcher Mike Balent, outfielder Kyle Sheaffer, pitcher Christian Saveri and pitcher/first baseman Brian Ernst (2015), pitcher Don Rentschler, second baseman Tadgh La Bar and outfielder Kevin Thompson (2016), and catcher/third baseman Pete Radocha, second baseman Ryan Hatfield, catcher/designated hitter Nico Delerme and outfielder Chris Knott (2017). 

To RSVP, please contact ESU baseball head coach John Kochmansky at jkochmansky@esu.edu or (570) 422-3263. All Warriors baseball alumni and friends are invited to attend.


Information on the Bat Club honorees is below:

Evan Gallagher - All-PSAC East 2nd team shortstop as junior in 2011, helping Warriors to 3rd-place finish in NCAA Atlantic Regional … ranks 2nd in school history in career hits (212) and t-2nd in games played (189) … also ranks 7th in stolen bases (44), 7th in runs (138), 14th in total bases (247), 17th in RBI (98), 9th in hit by pitch (19) and 8th in times reached base (283) … upon graduation, ranked 1st in games, 2nd in hits and 4th in stolen bases and runs… ranks 2nd in school history in career assists (425) … as a sophomore in 2010, hit .387 with 67 hits on PSAC Tournament team … career batting average of .331 and on-base percentage of .393 with 25 doubles, 2 triples and 2 HR.

Eric Boyer - All-PSAC East 2nd team outfielder as senior on 2013 PSAC championship team … Academic All-America 3rd team selection … 3-time Academic All-District … produced career batting line of .335 average, .438 on-base percentage and .465 slugging percentage … 26 career doubles, 5 triples and 10 HR … had 171 career hits … upon graduation, ranked 2nd at ESU in RBI (118), stolen bases (63) and stolen base percentage (87.5) and 3rd in walks (90) … currently ranks 5th in RBI (118), 12th in runs (121), 6th in walks (90), 15th in hits, 16th in total bases (237) and 14th in times reached base (269) … as a senior, hit .344 with .434 on-base percentage, 31 RBI, 40 runs and 22 stolen bases … 4-for-4 with double, 2 RBI, 2 runs, stolen base in 7-1 win vs. West Chester in PSAC championship game.

Joe Bennie - 28th round selection by Oakland A's in 2013 MLB Draft following only season at ESU … played 5 minor league seasons … transferred to ESU from La Salle and earned 1st team All-PSAC East and 1st team ABCA All-Region honors on 2013 PSAC championship team … hit .348/.397/.513 with 65 hits, 10 doubles, three triples and five HR .. 28 RBI, 43 runs and 21 stolen bases … had .994 fielding percentage with 81 putouts, 96 assists and 1 error in 178 chances … named to New York-Penn League All-Star Game for Vermont in 2014 (low-A) … named A's organizational co-MVP for Stockton (high-A) in 2016, and MVP for Beloit (A) in 2015 … played 350 minor league games with line of .275/.362/.412 … had 352 hits, 82 doubles, six triples, 27 HR, 156 RBI, 168 runs and 25 stolen bases from 2013-17.

2013 PSAC Championship Team - won ESU's first PSAC championship since 1971, and the fifth in school history … finished 34-18 to set school record for wins … 13-11 in PSAC East before winning PSAC title as No. 3 seed … went 4-0 in PSAC Tournament with wins vs. Gannon (8-5), Millersville (6-2), California (7-4) and West Chester (7-1) to outscore opponents 28-12 … in NCAA Tournament at Wake Forest, won 8-6 (10 inn.) vs. Winston-Salem before bowing out … Brian Ernst named PSAC Tournament MVP for 8.0-inning performance vs. West Chester in championship game on 2 days rest … had 6 All-PSAC East selections with 3 on 1st team (Bennie, OF Chris Knott and P Ryan Lubreski) and 3 on 2nd team (Boyer, Ernst and DH Mike Tenaglia) … Knott was 1st team on all 3 All-Region teams, with Bennie joining on him on ABCA 1st team … Lubreski was 2nd team All-Region by all 3 groups … Ernst was 2nd team utility by Daktronics and NCBWA.