KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- The Kutztown University baseball team kicks off its 2021 season this weekend with doubleheaders against Frostburg State, March 5 and 7, at the Ripken Experience in Aberdeen, Md. Second-year head coach Eric Folmar is hoping the the Golden Bears can bottle last season's early success as a new campaign begins following an extended layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kutztown went 7-4 in a limited non-conference slate and saw many promising things from young players ahead of the shutdown. Folmar is excited to get back on the field and compete with his team. "We are fortunate to have some guys back that had great starts last season and we return a lot of guys that were able to gain valuable collegiate experience, albeit in a condensed season," he said.

Redshirt senior Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) was a catalyst for KU with both his bat and glove in 2020. He ranked near the top of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and NCAA Division II in multiple offensive categories hitting .528 with four home runs and 24 RBIs in 36 at-bats. The shortstop also had a perfect fielding percentage on 34 opportunities. Other key returnees for the Bears include senior infielder Zach Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) and sophomore catcher Antonio Rossillo (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood), both of whom were having impressive starts to the season. Moretski finished third on the team in hits with 12  and posted a .343 batting average, while Rossillo concluded his freshman season hitting .321.

Strong pitching is crucial to a team's success and after graduating Doug Conrad (West Chester, Pa./Downingtown West), last year's leading starting pitcher in both ERA (1.42) and innings pitched (19.0), the Maroon and Gold will look to others to step up. The Golden Bears return sophomore Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) and redshirt sophomore Matt Ziminsky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall). The duo ranked right behind Conrad in terms of production last season. Ziminsky finished with an ERA of 1.64 and Proietto logged the second most innings pitched on the staff with 14.2.

The 2020 campaign was canceled just as PSAC play was about to begin for KU, so many of the younger players still have not competed in a conference series. Nearly two-thirds of the roster is comprised of freshmen and sophomores (19-of-29). "Guys are going to get some opportunities," Folmar said. "It's the guys that make the most of those who will continue to get them."

After this weekend's season-opening four-game set against Frostburg State, the Golden Bears will dive into conference play against Lock Haven on Friday, March 12. Kutztown will hold its home-opener March 13, as it wraps up the series against the Bald Eagles.

Following the addition of Shepherd in 2020, the PSAC Eastern Division boasts nine teams while the Western Division has eight. Kutztown was picked eighth in the PSAC East Preseason Poll by the league's coaches, the same spot it occupied in the 2020 poll. The Golden Bears are aiming to exceed expectations and return to the postseason for the first time since 2014.

Nationally-ranked Millersville and East Stroudsburg each received four first-place votes to capture the top two spots in the preseason poll. West Chester (one first-place vote), Bloomsburg and Shepherd round out the top five. Shippensburg, Lock Haven, Kutztown and Mansfield complete the poll.