NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College baseball team, under the tutelage of first-year Head Coach Patrick Riley, returns 28 players from a team that went 15-21 overall in 2019 and finished 10-14 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).
 
"Overall, the guys are working hard and buying in." said Riley "We are definitely excited. Myself and the other coaches have been impressed with what we have seen. We think it is going to be a good year, but it is one step at a time and getting better every day. That is what we are focused on."
 
Highlighting the returning position players is senior designated hitter Frank Cinicola (Cranberry Township, PA / Seneca Valley), who was Westminster's lone All-PAC First Team selection last season. Cinicola led the team in RBIs last season with 30 and was second on the team in both slugging percentage (.522) and batting average (.339). Cinicola led the team with 17 extra-base hits (including team-highs in doubles (14) and triples (2)). Cinicola's 30 RBIs in 2019 were the most by a Titan since 2015 (30- Jake Haubrich).
 
Also returning for Westminster is All-PAC Honorable Mention outfielder Dawson Porter (Kittanning, PA / Armstrong). Porter led the Titans in 2019 with a .484 batting average, a .562 on-base percentage, and a .677 slugging percentage. The freshman tallied 30 hits, 15 runs, and 10 RBIs in only 20 appearances and 18 starts last season. Senior outfielder Jaret Johnson (Niles, OH / Niles McKinley) returns after a 2019 season that saw him compile a .338 batting average and 26 RBIs. Sophomore first baseman James Diamond (Moon Twp, PA / Moon Area) recorded a .309 batting average and belted a team-high three home runs.
 
Other returning players that saw significant action in 2019 include senior outfielder Tyler Barnot (Pittsburgh, PA / Bethel Park) and sophomores infielder Matt Costello (New Castle, PA / Union Area), outfielder Seth Schrader (Fredonia, NY / Fredonia), infielder Austin Webb (Wadsworth, OH / Wadsworth), and catcher/outfielder Mike Grazier (Austintown, OH / Austintown-Fitch).
 
Significant returning pitchers include seniors Dante Sienko (Wexford, PA / Pine-Richland), Emilio Rivera (Tampa, FL / Armwood) and Marcus Masters (Warren, OH / Warren G Harding) and sophomores Zach Zeis (Gibsonia, PA / Pine-Richland) and Paul Midili (Spring Hill, FL / Bishop Mclaughlin Catholic).
 
Rounding out the returning players for Westminster are senior Jared Lee (Lordstown, OH / Lordstown), juniors Vincent Morelli (Ambridge, PA / Ambridge Area) and Garvey Biggers (Phoenix, AZ / Valley Lutheran) and sophomores Dominic Motta (Wickliffe, OH / Wickliffe), Billy Presner (Neshannock Twp, PA / Neshannock), Logan Alaniz (Clermont, FL / Lake Minneola), Matt Buck (Willoughby, OH / Willoughby South), Logan Fordyce (Cuyahoga Falls, OH / Cuyahoga Falls), Logan Minch (Grove City, PA / Grove City), Timothy Spicer (Uniontown, OH / Lake), Brandon Cooper (Oakdale, PA / West Allegheny), Sean Davis (Sharpsville, PA / Sharpsville), Ryan Jolin (Williamsport, PA / Williamsport Area) and Mason Flanigan (Kittaning, PA / Armstrong).
 
The Titans get their season underway when they travel to Winter Haven, Florida to compete in the 2020 Russmatt Invitational. Their first game is on Sunday, March 8 against D'Youville College for a doubleheader starting at 3 PM.