DUBOIS, Pa. — The Penn State DuBois baseball team made a strong showing in six appearances during its fall ball season, ending with a 3-3 record. The .500 record cemented the squad's confidence as it prepares for its first spring season in more than 20 years in March. This is the first time Penn State DuBois has fielded a baseball team since the early 1990s when the program was cut due to budgetary reasons.
The DuBois Lions kicked of fall ball on Sept. 19 by splitting a doubleheader versus Clarion University. DuBois got by Clarion 4-2 in the first game but dropped the second 5-3. The Lions next squared off against the Community College of Allegheny County on Sept. 23, winning that game 5-4. Next up was a doubleheader against Jamestown Community College on Sept. 26 that saw the Lions best Jamestown 9-5 in the first game before dropping the second 11-3. DuBois suffered a 4-0 loss to Clarion on Oct. 6 in the final game of the fall season.
Head Coach Tom Calliari said that for a team that had less than a month to prepare together, he's very pleased with their performance and optimistic about the spring season.
"They've done really well. Obviously we have a lot to work on; we have to work on swinging the bat," Calliari said. "It will be a challenge for us, but my expectations are simple: I want to go to the USCAA Small College World Series. That's our goal. Obviously you want to win the conference, and that will happen if we get there. We can do this. It's a possibility."
Calliari said he's also thankful for the support he and the team have received from the community and the campus, noting that baseball is a staple in the area.
"What makes it exciting is that baseball is in the blood here," he said. "The community is really getting behind us. We also have so much support from the staff at the campus who run music and video at the field, and just make the atmosphere amazing. Our games are really an experience."
The Penn State DuBois Nittany Lions start their spring baseball season at Houghton on March 12. The squad's first home appearance is a doubleheader set for 1 p.m. on March 19 against Keuka at Showers Field in DuBois. The full schedule, along with the latest updates on the team, is available at www.psuduboisathletics.com.