If the Penn State Board of Trustees’ recent decision to close the PSU Mont Alto campus goes through in 2027 as planned, it would be a shame for many reasons, one of which would be the loss of a solid athletics program stocked primarily with local talent.
Mont Alto shined bright as ever on the field this spring, as the Lions advanced to the USACC Small College World Series in both baseball and softball. The squads got the job done using players from all over the Local.News1.org coverage area, including Waynesboro, our spotlight school for College Corner this month.
Mont Alto’s baseball team, which surged to a runner-up finish at the World Series, featured two former Tribe players in Dylan Morgan and Garrett Rosenberry, while Trysta Bricker got to compete in the postseason for the Lions’ softball team.
Morgan, Rosenberry, and Bricker are three of 23 former Waynesboro standouts we counted on the college playing field this spring. We’ll take a closer look at the exploits of these athletes this month, before shifting to gears to recap the college efforts of former Greencastle-Antrim and Chambersburg athletes in the months to come.
Are we missing any athletes? Additions for College Corner can be sent to Andy Sandrik via email at [email protected].
Baseball
Dylan Morgan, Sophomore, PSU Mont Alto
With Morgan contributing, Mont Alto marched all the way to a runner-up finish at the USCAA Small College World Series Championship.
Morgan, a 5-foot-9, 120-pound second baseman, appeared in 37 games this season and batted .160 (4 for 25) with 24 runs, four RBI, and four stolen bases, while sporting an .875 fielding percentage.
Morgan’s best game of the season came on April 25, when he went 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI in a 15-4 win over PSU Scranton. He played a crucial role in the postseason, as he scored the game-tying run in a come-from-behind 11-9 win over PSU Du Bois on May 15. The victory pushed the Lions to the USCAA title game, where they fell 8-3 to Salem University.
Mont Alto closes out its season at 35-18 (16-4 PSUAC).
Garrett Rosenberry, Sophomore, PSU Mont Alto
Rosenberry, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound utility/right-handed pitcher, saw action in nine games for the Lions this season.
He batted .200 (5 for 25) with three runs scored and an RBI.
Maddox Brooks, Junior, Mount St. Mary’s
Brooks, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound catcher, competed in a handful of game for Mount St. Mary’s this season.
He appeared in four games, including two starts, and was 0 for 6 at the plate. Defensively, Brooks posted a perfect fielding percentage and threw out one would-be base stealer.
The Mount finishes with a record of 23-28 (15-13 MAAC).
Garrett Beaver, Junior, Salisbury
Beaver, a right-handed reliever for the Seagulls, saw action in 19 games this season, including two starts.
He struck out a season-high seven batters on March 26, when he came on in long relief and scattered two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a 5-4 loss to Stockton.
Beaver worked 34 2/3 innings this season to the tune of a 3.37 ERA, striking out 29 batters in the process.
Salisbury wraps up its season at 34-10. The Seagulls’ campaign came to an end after going 0-2 at the Salisbury Super Regional.
Bryce Shaffer, Senior, York
Shaffer, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound right-handed pitcher, was busy in his final season on the mound.
Shaffer appeared in 22 games, including a start, and posted a 3-2 record with a 6.75 ERA while striking out 36 batters in 42 2/3 innings of work.
He had one of his best outings of the season on March 15, when he picked up his first win of the season in a 10-4 victory over Albright. In that contest, Shaffer fired five scoreless relief innings and struck out six batters.
York wraps up its season at 25-19 (15-6 MAC Commonwealth).
Brady Bakner, Graduate, Wilson
Bakner was a regular in the lineup for Wilson this spring.
The 5-foot-9, 160-pound outfielder played in 26 games, including 18 starts, and batted .274 (17 for 62) with four doubles, one triple, 16 runs, five RBI, and six stolen bases. He also saw limited action on the mound, and delivered with 2/3 scoreless innings.
Bakner’s best game of the season came on April 22, when he went 3 for 3 with a double, three runs, RBI, and stolen base.
Wilson finishes its season at 9-27 (6-10 United East).
Fred Guarino IV, Senior, PSU Altoona
No player on PSU Altoona had more home runs this season than Guarino.
Guarino, a 6-foot-1 first baseman, competed in 30 games for the Lions and batted .193 (16 for 83) with two doubles and a team-high six homers to go along with 13 runs, 19 RBI, and one stolen base.
He slugged out home runs in both games of a doubleheader against Hilbert on April 27.
PSU Altoona wraps up its season at 14-24-1 (4-10 AMCC).
Softball
Trysta Bricker, Sophomore, PSU Mont Alto
Bricker, a reserve middle infielder for Mont Alto, not only got a taste of the USCAA Small College World Series, she also recorded a hit.
Competing in the quarterfinal round on May 12, Bricker delivered at the plate, driving in her team’s only run in a 5-1 loss to Southern Maine CC. The Lions’ season ended one game later with a 7-2 loss to Carlow.
Bricker appeared in 10 games for Mont Alto and batted .250 (2 for 8) with one run, two RBI, and one stolen base.
Mont Alto finishes with a 22-15 record, which includes a 10-4 mark in the PSUAC.
Haley Eyler, Senior, Bethany
Eyler brought consistency to the plate in her final season of competition for the Bison.
Eyler competed in 37 of 40 games for Bethany and batted .300 (27 for 90) with eight doubles, one triple, and three home runs, to go along with 15 runs, 28 RBI, and four stolen bases. The 5-foot-6 outfielder also sported a perfect fielding percentage.
Eyler racked up eight multi-hit games this spring, the most recently of which came on April 16, when she went 2 for 3 with a double, run, two RBI, and a stolen base in a 3-2 win over Allegheny.
It was a solid ending to a productive career for Eyler, who played in 116 games over four years and posted a .318 average over that span, collecting 39 extra-base hits in the process.
Bethany wraps up its season at 26-13-1 (12-8 PAC).
Slaydon Fisher, Sophomore, Albright
It was a tough season for Albright as the Lions won just four games, but you can’t place the blame on Fisher, who was one of the team’s most productive players.
The 5-foot-7 third baseman started in 35 games for Albright and batted .304 (34 for 112) while leading the Lions in doubles (6), home runs (3), RBI (18), and stolen bases (3). She also scored 10 runs and posted an .884 fielding percentage.
She ended her season on a bit of a heater, recording hits in five of her final six games, batting .444 (8 for 18) with two doubles and a home run over that span.
Albright wraps up its campaign at 4-32 (0-14 MAC Commonwealth).
Michelle Baker, Sophomore, Chestnut Hill
Baker was a regular in the pitcher’s circle for Chestnut Hill this season, logging 49 innings for the Griffins.
She pitched in 14 games, including eight starts, and posted a 3-7 record with a 6.29 ERA, while recording 21 walks and 21 strikeouts. Baker ended the season on a high note, allowing just three earned runs over her final 10 1/3 innings.
Chestnut Hill concludes its season at 16-28-1 (7-15 CACC).
Cameron Witte, Sophomore, Millersville
Witte, a 5-foot-4 outfielder/first baseman, saw part-time action for Millersville this season.
She appeared in 22 games, including six starts, and batted .261 (6 for 23) with a double, home run, five runs, and six RBI. Witte most recently connected for a hit on April 18 in a 4-3 loss to East Stroudsburg.
The Marauders finish their spring at 22-30 (6-26 PSAC).
Outdoor track
Josh Schuurman, Junior, Wheaton
Schuurman, a pole vaulter, competed in seven invitationals this spring and landed five Top 5 finishes.
His highest finishes of the season came in the form of a pair of third-place finishes in April. Competing at the Wheaton Don Church Twilight on April 17, Schuurman vaulted to a height of 12-7.5 to claim third. He repeated the placement one week later at the Elmhust Twilight Invitational with a vault of 12-4.5.
Schuurman took on the CCIW Outdoor Championships on May 2-3, and placed eighth in the pole vault with a 13-1.5. He climbed even higher for a PR of 13-3.5 at the St. Francis Fighting Chance Invite on May 9-10, earning seventh place for his efforts.
Cora Helman, Junior, Shenandoah
Helman nailed down three different distance PRs competing for Shenandoah this spring.
She kicked off her season on March 29 at the CNU Blue & Silver Challenge, taking seventh in the 5,000 (22:42.73) and placing 18th in the 1,500 with a PR time of 5:41.91.
Helman took on the 5,000 at the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic on April 11-12 and posted a time of 20:30.58 for 17th place.
She wrapped up her season at the ODAC Outdoor Championships on April 25-26. There, she ran the 10,000 in a PR time of 45:14.04 for 13th place, while also clocking a 21:57.82 in the 5,000 for 21st.
Joel Weber, Junior, Pitt-Johnstown
Weber had a busy spring, with the distance runner seeing action in seven invitationals, primarily for competition in the 800 and 1,500.
He posted his best 800 time of the spring, a 2:20.44, for 31st place at the John Papa Invitational on April 17. Weber then recorded his top 1,500 time of the season at the Paul Kaiser Classic on April 26 with a 4:52.94 for 49th place.
He capped off his season at the SRU Last Chance Meet on May 2, completing the 1,500 in 4:56.24 for ninth place.
Bella Ruefle, Freshman, Millersville
Ruefle took on four different events — the 400, 800, 1,500, and 3,000 steeplechase — in her first collegiate outdoor season and landed three Top 8 finishes in the process.
Ruefle competed in the 3,000 steeplechase at the 42nd Millersville Metrics on April 4-5 and splashed her way to a fifth-place finish in 12:06.54.
She posted her highest finish of the season on April 16, taking third in the 800 in 2:27.06 at the SU Mid-Week PR Bonanza. A few days later, Ruefle posted a 1:04.26 for sixth in the 400 at the Millersville Invite on April 26.
Ruefle concluded her season at the PSAC Outdoor Championships on May 8-10. There, she competed in the 3,000 steeplechase and took 18th with a time of 12:15.73.
Noah Bockstie, Freshman, Hagerstown CC
Bockstie showcased his versatility for Hagerstown with participation in five different individual events this season: The 800, 1,500, 5,000, 400 hurdles, and 3,000 steeplechase.
He broke through for a fourth-place finish in the 3,000 steeplechase in 11:59.77 at the Towson Senior Twilight Open on April 4, and followed through on April 11-12 with a trio of Top 10 finishes at the Mid-Atlantic Juco Invitational. At that invite, Bockstie took seventh in the 1,500 (4:42.68) and 10th in the 400 hurdles (1:19.04), while also guiding the Hawks’ 4×800 squad to a runner-up finish in 9:04.14.
Bockstie wrapped up his season at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 6, competing in the 5,000 and taking 21st in 18:08.48.
Will Campbell, Freshman, Hagerstown CC
Campbell competed in seven invites this spring and landed six Top 8 finishes, including a win.
His first top finish came at the Doc Jopson Invitational on March 28-29, a meet that saw him place eighth in the 10,000 with a time of 35:00.42. A few days later at the Towson Senior Twilight Open on April 4, Campbell struck for a runner-up finish in 11:09.88 in the 3,000 steeplechase.
Riding a wave of confidence, Campbell turned in perhaps his best performance of the season as he reached the medal stand in four events — the 5,000 (1st in 17:14.35), 10,000 (2nd in 35:00.01), 3,000 steeplechase (2nd in 11:52.02), and 1,500 (6th in 4:30.72) — at the Mid-Atlantic Juco Invitational on April 11-12.
Campbell most recently competed on May 6 at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier. There, he clocked a 16:52.29 to finish 17th in the 5,000.
Kylie Bere, Sophomore, Muskingum
Bere, a distance specialist, was inactive for Muskingum’s track squad this spring.
Joey Jacobs, Sophomore, Mount St. Mary’s
Jacobs, a distance specialist, was inactive for Mount St. Mary’s this season.
Samantha Gembe, Junior, Thiel
Gembe, a throwing specialist, was inactive for Thiel this season.
Gracie French, Freshman, Juniata
French — a sprinter, jumper, and hurdler — capped off her first season of college track with six Top 8 finishes at the ECAC Division III Championships on May 14.
At that meet, she made the medal stand in every event she competed in, including the 200 (3rd in 26.31), 100 hurdles (3rd in 17.19), 4×100 (3rd in 51.21), 100 (4th in 12.77), 4×400 (4th in 4:12.88), and the long jump (6th in 15-11).
French also competed at the Landmark Conference Championships on May 3-4 and landed a collegiate long jump PR of 17-2.75 for ninth place, and hit another PR of 26.13 in the 200, also for ninth place. She also guided Juniata’s 4×100 (50.05) and 4×400 (3:59.84) to fifth-place finishes.
It was a busy season for French, who competed in eight meets this spring.
Golf
Devin Smith, Senior, Mount Saint Mary’s
Smith had an active spring for Mount Saint Mary’s, competing in all five of his team’s meets this season.
His first Top 10 finish of the season came on March 22-23 at the Carpetbagger Classic, held in Urbana, Md. Smith fired a 1-under 143 for second place, just one stroke behind the champion. With the assistance of Smith, The Mount captured the team title.
Smith posted his second top finish with an even-par 216 at the Testudo Cup on April 5-6.
Smith wrapped up his season at the MAAC Championships on April 17-19. There, he shot a 9-over 225 for 25th place.
Linkoln Gundacker, Freshman, Geneva
Gundacker saw action in four invites this season, mostly as a member of Geneva’s “B” team.
He shot his best score of the spring at the Geneva Invitational on March 31, tying for eighth overall with an 83.
Gundacker concluded his season by firing a 20-over 90 at the Thiel Invitational on April 12.
