Behrend Selected First In AMCC Baseball Preseason Poll
The reigning Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Champion Penn State Behrend baseball team has earned the top spot in the 2025 Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
ERIE, Pa. – The reigning Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Champion Penn State Behrend baseball team has earned the top spot in the 2025 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Entering his 33rd season, head coach Paul Benim looks to build off a successful 2024 season with the Lions capturing their seventh conference title and first NCAA Tournament win since 2021, defeating Baldwin Wallace by a score of 10-4.
Behrend welcomes back seven of nine All-Conference honorees from last season, including 2024 Newcomer of the Year David Gibson (North East, PA/North East).
All-AMCC First Team shortstop Silvio Ionadi (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum) and Second Team starting pitcher Colin Bolla (Fairview, PA/Fairview) were named Preseason Players to Watch.
Ionadi led the team and was fourth in the AMCC with a .387 batting average. He was first in the conference in runs scored (53) and triples (six). Ionadi ranked first on the team with 15 stolen bases and tied for second on the team with 11 doubles. He was also third on the team with a .368 average in conference play. Ionadi tallied 16 multi-hit games and eight contests with two or more runs batted in. For his efforts last season, he was also named to D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Division III All-Region 7 Third Teams.
Bolla ranked sixth in conference play with a 2.74 ERA and tied for seventh with 28 strikeouts. He led all Behrend starters with 49.1 innings pitched and 60 strikeouts. Bolla finished with a 4-2 record in seven starts. Along with Ionadi, he earned a selection to D3baseball.com All-Region 7 Third Team.
This season, the Lions roster consists of 27 returners (14 sophomore/seven juniors/six seniors) and eight freshmen.
Behrend begins the season on Sunday, Feb. 23 with a doubleheader in Cadiz, OH against Hobart and Muskingum. Game times are noon and 4 p.m. at Mazeroski Field.
Along with the Lions, Mount Aloysius and Alfred State round out the top three in the preseason poll.
2025 Preseason Ranking:
1. Penn State Behrend (2)
2. Mount Aloysius (1)
3. Alfred State (4)
4. Hilbert (3)
5. Penn State Altoona (5)
6. La Roche (6)
7. Pitt-Greensburg (8)
8. Pitt-Bradford (9)
*Number in parenthesis is order of regular season finish in 2024