Fighting Saints march in at Uniontown, Penn.
By Justin Lemanski, sports reporter
National tournament preview
The Lady Saints will face Penn State-Fayette in the opening round of the USCAA national tournament at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 5.
Fayette has an overall record of 8-17, while holding the No. 8 seed in the tournament. They are led by three starters who average over 11 points per game; as a team Fayette also averages 18 three-point shots per game. The Lady Saints had a 15-0 record within the YSCC, which earned them the No. 1 seed in the national tournament.
Regina Steele led the team in rebounds and will likely be a key to success in this tournament. If the Lady Saints utilize her in the paint, they will create open shots for guards Chontayvia Kennedy and Jazz Laracuente. Kennedy was named MVP following the conference championship match and is expected to provide the Saints with similar play in the national tournament.
The Fighting Saints men will face Central Penn College in the USCAA national tournament quarterfinals at noon Thursday, March 5. The Fighting Saints are the No. 6 seed, while Central Penn is No. 3.
Central Penn will challenge the Saints defense as they lead the USCAA in points per game.
Devon Dorsey leads the Central Penn with 22 points per game as a three-time USCAA All-American. The Saints go into the game having led the YSCC in three-point shots made per game. They will look to keep that going against Central Penn.
Dre Anderson is expected to provide the Saints with points, as he has led the Saints throughout the season in scoring. Kashean Alston has been a strong force in the paint, averaging 15 points per game while collecting eight rebounds per game.
The tournament is hosted by Penn State-Fayette in Uniontown, Pa.
Spring baseball
The Fighting Saints men’s baseball team played 10 spring training games in Mississippi and Louisiana from Feb. 16 to Feb. 22. The Saints played well almost every game; only three of the 10 games were separated by two or more runs.
The Saints played six of the 10 games against NJCAA Division I Delgado Community College. Delgado has been ranked in the top 10 nationally the past five-plus years. Almost every year Delgado has players that move on to play NCAA Division I ball, along with players who go on to play professional baseball.
The Saints were able to score a win against Delgado. Ryan Cummings pitched a complete game shutout and the Saints came out with a 1-0 victory. Tyler Kunzmann had the lone RBI for the Saints, as he had a sacrifice fly in the very first inning.
The Saints will travel to West Virginia for another set of spring training games starting March 18.
