Spotlight on sports: Three esports teams head to playoffs

ESPORTS
The regular spring seasons have wrapped up for four of the college’s esports teams and three of them — Valorant, Overwatch 2 and Rocket League — will step into playoff action the week of April 1. The Valorant team is seeded No. 1, the Overwatch 2 team is seeded No. 2 and the Rocket League team is seeded No. 3.

Team managers recently assessed their regular seasons and playoff outlooks:

Valorant
“We started strong with a win right off the bat this season. We had some small setbacks with losses but are still in this. The team is 5-2 for the season, with the last match ending in a win, placing us in a first-place tie with Minnesota State University, Mankato. With how the regular season went, I am sure we will make it far this semester in the playoffs,” JD Heckman of Susquehanna said.

Overwatch 2 
“With us going 6-1, we had an amazing season with plenty of ups and downs and new memories made. We are excited to ready to go into playoffs and play even harder to be the first team to win divisional finals for the college,” Frankie Gagliardi of Pottstown said.

Rocket League
“This has definitely been the strongest season the Rocket League team has had since I joined back in the Fall of 2021. Throughout the season, the team has come through in the clutch when needed and supported each other no matter how things were looking. The communication we have as a team has helped us get where we are now, and we will continue to work on our weaknesses to make us even stronger. Playoffs are next on our horizon for this semester, and we believe if we continue what we are doing and improve on things we struggle with, we will give some teams a good run for their money,” Alex Nazarchuk of Lebanon said.

Penn College’s iRacing seasons continue into mid-April.

(All events at Wildcat Den)
Schedule/Results
Rocket League Varsity
Overall record: 5-2 (5-2)
Monday, March 18 — vs. Lindenwood University, L, 3-1 (3-4, 4-1, 4-1, 3-0)
Monday, March 18 — vs. Lackawanna College, L, 3-1 (5-2, 4-2, 2-3, 4-1)
Monday-Saturday, April 1 — Round of 6 playoffs vs. Lebanon Valley College, 7 p.m.
Monday-Friday, April 8-12 — Round of 4 playoffs, TBA
Monday-Friday, April 15-19 — Championship, TBA

Overwatch 2
Overall record: 6-1
Tuesday, March 19 — vs. Mount St. Joseph University, W, 3-0
Monday-Friday, April 1-5 — Round of 6 playoffs, bye
Monday-Friday, April 8-12 — Round of 4 playoffs, TBA
Monday-Friday, April 15-19 — Championship, TBA

Valorant
Overall record: 5-2
Wednesday, March 20 — vs. Rockford University, W, 2-0
Monday-Friday, April 1-5 — Round of 6 playoffs, TBA
Monday-Friday, April 8-12 — Round of 4 playoffs, TBA
Monday-Friday, April 15-19 — Championship, TBA

Counter Strike 2
Final overall record: 1-5
Friday, March 22 — vs. Conestoga College, L, 2-0

iRacing
CIL Cup Series
Monday, March 18 — Bristol, 22, 25 and 28
Monday, March 25 — Darlington Raceway, 8 p.m.
Monday, April 1 — Nashville, 8 p.m.

CIL Formula World Championship
Wednesday, March 20 — Spain-Barcelona, 7
Wednesday, March 27 — Austria-Red Bull Ring, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 3 — Netherlands-Zandvoort, 8 p.m.

BASEBALL
Hosting Pitt-Bradford on Tuesday, Ethan Stahl walked and eventually scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Wildcats to a 9-8 win in the first game, ending a five-game loss streak. Pitt-Bradford claimed the nightcap, 6-4 in eight innings. Adam Aldenderfer of Trout Run and Quinn Hanafin of Sayre both had two hits in the opener and Matt Munoz of Tobyhanna had a two-run triple. Kevin Cute of Glenside had two hits in the second game.

At first-time opponent Geneva College on Friday, Penn College split with a 10-3 loss in seven innings and a 15-11 win in seven innings. In the opener, Geneva led 5-2 after three innings and used a five-run fifth to secure its win. Aldenderfer had two of the Wildcats’ five hits. Penn College had a five-run second inning — with all of the runs unearned — and a four-run sixth — with Mason Balfanz of Elmhurst, Illinois, driving in three runs with a double — in the second game. Balfanz finished with two hits and 4 RBIs as starting pitcher Jonas McGrath of Ashland evened his record at 2-2 with six strikeouts in four innings.

Schedule/Record/Series History
Overall: 6-10
UE Volt Division: 0-3
(Home games at Bowman Field)
Tuesday, March 19 — host Pitt-Bradford (2), W, 9-8 in 11 innings; L, 6-4 in 8 innings.
Wednesday, March 20 — host Lycoming College, ppd.
Friday, March 22 — at Geneva College (2), L, 10-3 in 7 innings; W, 15-11
Tuesday, March 26 — host Cairn University (2), 1 p.m. (Cairn leads 1-0)
Thursday, March 28 — at Wilkes University, 3 p.m. (Wilkes leads 2-1)
Wednesday, April 3 — at Elmira College, 3 p.m. (Penn College leads 3-1)

MEN’S LACROSSE
On Wednesday, at home against first-time foe Juniata College, Penn College opened a 10-1 halftime lead and coasted to a 16-6 victory. Aidan McFalls of Gilbertsville scored five goals and added two assists, and Jake Small of New Bloomsbury, New Jersey, had three goals and one assist to lead the offense. Alex Hammond of Lincoln University made 11 saves in goal.

AJ Dotson of Wilmington, Delaware, scored three goals and had one assist, and teammate Small had one goal and three assists in the Wildcats’ 11-8 home win over Alvernia University on Saturday. Hammond made 10 saves in goal in the team’s final match before United East play begins this Saturday with Senior Day at home against Cairn University.

Schedule/Record/Series History
Overall record: 4-5
UE record: 0-0
Wednesday, March 20 — host Juniata College, W, 16-6
Saturday, March 23 — host Alvernia University, W, 11-8
Saturday, March 30 — host Cairn University (UE), 1 p.m. (first-time opponent)
Wednesday, April 3 — at Marywood University, 6 p.m. (Penn College leads 1-0)

WOMEN’S TENNIS
Penn College’s women’s tennis team fell 9-0 in a nonconference match against Lock Haven University on Sunday. Penn College now is 2-3 overall and Lock Haven is 5-0.

Schedule/Results/Record/Series History
(Home matches at Central PA Tennis Center)
Overall record: 2-3
UE record: 0-0
Sunday, March 24 — host Lock Haven University, L, 9-0
Thursday, April 4 — at Bryn Athyn, 3 p.m. (Penn College leads 3-1)
Friday, April 5 — at Penn State Harrisburg (UE), 3 p.m. (Harrisburg leads 3-0)

MEN’S/WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Earlier this month, seniors Shelby Piatt of Frenchtown, New Jersey, and David Brown of Bridgeport, Connecticut, were named to their respective United East All-Sportsmanship teams, recognizing student-athletes who epitomize the ideals of sportsmanship. Student-athletes selected to the All-Sportsmanship Team demonstrate fair play, graciousness in victory and respectfulness in defeat. Each individual has been chosen by their coach as a representative who embodies the Division III spirit.

MEN’S TENNIS
Schedule/Results/Record/Series History
(Home matches at Central PA Tennis Center)
Overall record: 0-3
UE record: 0-0
Thursday, March 28 — at Penn State Altoona, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, April 5 — at Penn State Harrisburg (UE), 3 p.m. (Harrisburg leads 3-0)

SOFTBALL
Schedule/Record/Series History
Overall: 8-4
UE Volt Division: 0-0
(Home games at Elm Park)
Thursday, March 21 — at Lycoming College (2), ppd.
Saturday, March 23 — at Elmira College (2), ppd. to April 2
Wednesday, March 27 — host Penn State Harrisburg (UE, 2), 3 p.m. (Penn College leads 12-4)
Saturday, March 30 — at Penn State Abington (UE, 2), 1 p.m. (Penn College leads 14-4)
Tuesday, April 2 — at Elmira College (2), 3 p.m. (Elmira leads 4-2)

GOLF
Schedule
Friday, March 29 — Pennsylvania Classic Day 1 at Penn State White Course, 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 30 — Pennsylvania Classic Day 2 at Penn State Blue Course, 11 a.m.

ARCHERY
Schedule
Saturday-Sunday, April 20-21 — USA Archery East Region Outdoor Championship and Adam Wheatcroft Memorial at Harrisonburg, Va.

For more about the United East, visit the conference website.
For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.