Season in Review: Baseball Posts Best Record in 26 Years - Youngstown State Athletics

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Posted: Aug 13, 2021

The Youngstown State baseball team went 32-24 in 2021 to post its best record in 26 years. The Penguins played 56 games across six different states from mid-February to late May.

Accomplishments and key notes from Dan Bertolini's fifth season as head coach are detailed below.

Milestone Win Totals

• With a 3-2 victory in the series opener against Milwaukee on May 21, YSU reached 30 wins for just the second time in program history. The Penguins set the program record for wins when they went 37-17 in 1995. With its 12-6 victory over Oakland in game two of a doubleheader on April 23, Youngstown State reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2010. With their 18-6 win over Oakland on April 25, the Penguins set a new program record with their 17th Horizon League victory. The previous record of 16 Horizon League wins was set in 2006.
• At 24-16 in Horizon League play, Youngstown State set a new program record for conference wins. The Penguins set the previous record of 18 conference wins in 1995 when they went 18-4 in Mid-Continent Conference play. YSU finished the season with a winning record for the first time since 2005, and it secured a winning record in league play for the first time since 2008.
• YSU took three of four games from Wright State and UIC in back-to-back weekends to earn series wins over the Raiders and Flames in the same season for the first time since 2006.
• The Penguins finished the season with a 19-4 record at Eastwood Field to set a new program record for home wins. The previous mark of 18 home wins was set in 1977. YSU won 10 of its final 12 games at Eastwood Field. YSU also won 13 road games this past season, which is its most since winning 14 in 2006. It was the first season since 2010 in which the Penguins have won at least 10 road contests.

Seven Penguins Earn All-Horizon League Accolades

• Youngstown State senior left-hander Collin Floyd was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, and he was one of seven Penguins to earn all-league accolades in 2021.
• Floyd was joined on the All-Horizon League First Team by senior second baseman Jeff Wehler while senior right fielder Dominick Bucko, junior shortstop Phillip Glasser, senior third baseman Blaze Glenn and junior pitcher Jon Snyder each earned second-team all-league honors. In addition, pitcher Nick Perez was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team.
• YSU's seven honorees matched the most in a season in school history. The Penguins also had seven players honored by the league in 2007 and 2018. This past season marked the first time in school history that YSU had more than four players named to the first or second teams. Floyd and Wehler were the first Penguins to earn first-team accolades since Trey Bridis in 2018. The Penguins have now had a player earn All-Freshman Team honors in each of the last five seasons that postseason awards have been handed out.

Floyd Named Horizon League Pitcher of the Year

• Senior left-hander Collin Floyd became just the fourth player in school history, and the first since Aaron Swenson in 2008, to earn conference Pitcher of the Year honors. He earned all-league honors for the second time in his career after being a second-team selection as a junior in 2018.
• The Akron, Ohio, native put together one of the greatest seasons by a pitcher in YSU history. He was the only pitcher in the league to be named Horizon League Pitcher of the Week three times in 2021. Floyd led the Horizon League with nine wins, a 2.58 ERA, 108 strikeouts, 101.1 innings pitched and six complete games. Floyd also tied for the league lead with a .202 opponent batting average. His six complete games ranked third nationally while his 108 strikeouts ranked 40th in the nation.
• Floyd tied the single-season school record of nine wins that was set by Joe Herubin in 1989. His 2.58 ERA ranks as the seventh-lowest mark in school history and the lowest since Dave Dravecky had a 2.21 ERA over 61 innings in 1977. Floyd's 108 strikeouts rank as the second-most in a season in school history, and they are the most by a YSU pitcher since Brad Hennessey set the single-season school record with 126 in 2001. He is just the third player in program history to record 100 strikeouts in a season. Floyd also set a new single-season school record with 101.1 innings pitched, surpassing the previous mark of 99.2 innings that was set by Swenson in 2010.
• Floyd is also the first Penguin since Swenson in 2009 to toss six complete games in a season. He is just the third player in program history and the first since Herubin in 1989 to record three shutouts in a season. Floyd also matched a single-season school record with 15 starts in 2021. He is the first Penguin since Blake Aquadro in 2013 to start 15 games in a season.
• Following the season, Floyd was named to the ABCA/Rawlings East All-Region First Team. The awards honor baseball student-athletes from the American Baseball Coaches Association's eight regions with first and second team selections.

Floyd Sets Program Records for Strikeouts, Starts

• Senior left-hander Collin Floyd became YSU's all-time strikeout leader on April 2 with his sixth strikeout of the game in the top of the sixth inning as he got UIC's Thomas Smart to strike out looking on a 1-2 pitch. He recorded the 266th strikeout of his career, breaking Aaron Swenson's previous record of 265, which had stood since 2010. Floyd's 323 career strikeouts rank second in Horizon League history.
• On April 9 at Milwaukee, Floyd became YSU's all-time leader in games started with the 50th start of his career. The Akron, Ohio, native surpassed Blake Aquadro's previous mark of 49, which had stood since 2013. Floyd's 57 career starts were the most among all active Division I players in 2021. Floyd also ranks third in YSU history with 318.2 innings pitched. He became just the third player in program history and the first since Swenson (2007-10) to reach 300 career innings pitched. Floyd's 318.2 career innings ranked third among all active Division I players at the end of the 2021 season.

Balanced Offensive Attack, Stellar Defense

• YSU had eight regular starters bat at least .253, and five regular starters bat over .300 in 2021. The Penguins also had seven regular starters who slugged at least .409 on the season.
• YSU led the Horizon League in triples (27) and sacrifice flies (34) while ranking second in hits (549), runs scored (371), RBIs (338), total bases (852), stolen bases (88) and sacrifice bunts (26). The Penguins also ranked third in the league in batting average (.298), slugging percentage (.463), on-base percentage (.379), doubles (96) and home runs (51).
• Youngstown State set a new school record for slugging percentage with its mark of .463 in 2021. The Penguins surpassed the previous mark of .460, which was set in 2010. YSU also posted its best batting average (.298) and on-base percentage (.379) since 2010.
• Youngstown State finished the 2021 campaign with national rankings of 23rd in batting average, 35th in hits, 45th in runs, seventh in sacrifice flies and 19th in stolen bases.
• The Penguins finished the 2021 season with 51 home runs as a team. That is the second-most in school history behind 60 in 2010. YSU hit 50 round trippers in 2017 and 44 in 2018, meaning the second, third and fourth-highest totals in the program's record book have come in Head Coach Dan Bertolini's five seasons.
• The Penguins hit a school-record 27 triples this past season, which ranked second in the country. YSU surpassed the previous program record of 25 triples that was set in 1997. It marked just the third time in program history that the Penguins have hit at least 20 triples in a season. Turner Grau (7) and Jeff Wehler (6) became the first set of YSU teammates to ever have at least six triples apiece.
• YSU also set a new school record for fielding percentage with its .969 mark in 2021. The Penguins bested the previous mark of .966, which was set in 2017. Notably, Lucas Nasonti did not commit an error in 132 chances in center field, and Phillip Glasser had just four errors in 207 chances at shortstop. The Penguins turned 46 double plays this past season, which led the Horizon League and ranked 22nd in the country.

Pitching Staff Sets Strikeouts Record

• Youngstown State's pitching staff set a new school record with 447 strikeouts in 2021. The Penguins surpassed the previous mark of 431 that was set in 2003. This past season marked just the fourth time in program history that YSU recorded at least 400 strikeouts in a season. YSU also struck out 399 batters in 2018, which ranks as the fifth-most in school history. Two of the five highest single-season strikeout totals have now come during Dan Bertolini's five seasons as head coach.
• In addition to Floyd's impressive 108 strikeouts, Jon Snyder had 88 punch outs and Colin Clark recorded 72. It marked the first time in program history that three different pitchers have struck out at least 60 batters in the same season. All three Penguins were named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week in 2021.

Bucko Enjoys Breakout Season

• Senior outfielder Dominick Bucko was named Second-Team All-Horizon League after a breakout season in 2021. Bucko, who transferred from Cuyahoga Community College prior to the 2020 season, earned all-league honors for the first time in his YSU career.
• Bucko batted .344 and slugged .600 with 62 hits, eight doubles, four triples, 10 home runs and 53 RBIs in 2021. He also recorded 44 runs, 108 total bases, 27 walks, a .446 on-base percentage and six stolen bases.
• Bucko led the Penguins in slugging, home runs and RBIs. His 53 RBIs rank as the third-most in a season in school history, and they are the most since Jacke Healey set the school record with 59 RBIs in 2010. His 10 home runs are tied for the seventh-most in a season in program history. Bucko became the first Penguin since 2010 to record at least 10 home runs and 50 RBIs in the same season.
• The Saxonburg, Pa., native ranked in the top 10 in the Horizon League in triples, home runs and RBIs. In Horizon League play, he batted .371 and slugged .644 with seven doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 40 RBIs.
• Bucko was named Horizon League Batter of the Week on April 6 after batting .615 and slugging 1.308 with eight hits including two home runs, a double and a triple in 13 at bats over four games against UIC at Eastwood Field. He also recorded eight RBIs, five runs scored, two walks, 17 total bases, a .667 on-base percentage and a stolen base.
• Following the season, Bucko was named to the ABCA/Rawlings East All-Region First Team. The awards honor baseball student-athletes from the American Baseball Coaches Association's eight regions with first and second team selections.

Wehler Named First-Team All-Horizon League

• Senior infielder Jeff Wehler was named First-Team All-Horizon League in 2021. He is one of three players in school history to earn all-league honors three times. He was a second-team pick as a freshman in 2018 and as a sophomore in 2019. Impressively, he earned all-league recognition as a shortstop (2018), a left fielder (2019) and a second baseman (2021). This past season, he batted .332 and slugged .552 with 74 hits, 13 doubles, six triples, eight home runs, 38 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. He also recorded 53 runs, 123 total bases and 20 walks.
• Wehler led the Penguins in hits, runs, total bases and steals. The St. Marys, Pa., native led the Horizon League in hits, stolen bases and at bats while ranking second in triples, third in total bases and fifth in runs. Wehler's 25 stolen bases ranked 17th nationally, and they are tied for the fifth-most in a season in school history. He became the first player in program history to steal at least 25 bases in three different campaigns. Wehler now owns three of the six-highest single-season stolen base totals in YSU history.
• Wehler finished his YSU career ranked second in school history with 88 career steals. He is just the second player in school history and the first since 1971 to accumulate at least 80 steals. Nick Gesacion (1968-71) owns the career record of 97 steals. Wehler also became the first Penguin to lead his team in stolen bases in four straight seasons since Kendall Schlabach did so from 2001-04.
• In Horizon League play, Wehler batted .370 and slugged .636 with 11 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs and a league-high 19 stolen bases.

Glenn Has Historic Day as Offense Explodes

• Senior third baseman Blaze Glenn went 5-for-6 and tied school records with three doubles and five runs scored in YSU's 22-6 victory over St. Bonaventure on March 21. He also walked once and drove in a pair of runs.
• Glenn's became the first Penguin since 2001 to score five runs in a game. The Toronto, Ohio, native also became the first Penguin since 2010 to double three times in a game. Glenn's five hits were one shy of the school record as he became just the second Penguin since 2012 to record five hits in game; Dylan Swarmer also recorded five hits in a loss at Penn State on April 9, 2019.
• Over three games against St. Bonaventure, Glenn batted .615 and slugged .923 with eight hits including four doubles, two RBIs and five runs scored in 13 at bats. He also recorded 12 total bases, two walks, a .667 on-base percentage and one stolen base in one attempt.
• Glenn helped lead YSU to its best offensive performance in 11 years. The Penguins scored 22 runs and had at least 21 hits for the first time since they recorded 23 hits in a 22-8 win over Duquesne on April 7, 2010. YSU had 12 different players record a hit in the contest as the Penguins scored in each of their first seven at bats. YSU's 18 RBIs were its most since recording 21 against Duquesne on April 7, 2010.

Glasser Earns All-League Honors

• Junior shortstop Phillip Glasser was named Second-Team All-Horizon League in 2021 after another stellar campaign. Glasser earned Horizon League postseason recognition for the second time in his career; he was a member of the league's All-Freshman Team in 2019.
• The Tallmadge, Ohio, native batted .321 and slugged .497 with 60 hits, 12 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 28 RBIs, a team-high 33 walks and 23 stolen bases. He also recorded 51 runs, 93 total bases and a .423 on-base percentage.
• Defensively, he owned a .981 fielding percentage with just four errors in 207 chances at shortstop. Glasser led the Horizon League with eight sacrifice flies and six sacrifice bunts while ranking second in stolen bases. Glasser's eight sacrifice flies set a new school record and were the most by a Penguin since Matt Sullivan matched the previous mark of six in 2014. Glasser's 23 steals are the eighth-most in a season in school history, and they ranked 23rd nationally.
• Glasser was selected as one of 30 semifinalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, which honors the nation's top shortstop.
• Following the season, Glasser was named to the 2020-21 Academic All-District® Baseball Team, selected by CoSIDA, for his combined performance on the field and in the classroom. Glasser and Jon Snyder became the first Penguin baseball players to earn Academic All-District honors since Drew Dosch in 2013. Overall, they are each one of six players in program history to earn the distinction.

Stellar Season for Snyder

• Junior right-hander Jon Snyder was named Second-Team All-Horizon League after having the best season of his career in 2021. Snyder garnered all-league honors for the first time in his career. The Springboro, Ohio, native finished the season with a 6-2 record, a 2.76 ERA, 88 strikeouts and a .202 opponent batting average in 71.2 innings over 15 appearances and 14 starts. Snyder tied for the Horizon League lead in opponent batting average while ranking second in ERA and fourth in strikeouts.
• Snyder also recorded 11.05 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, which ranks as the sixth-best mark in school history and the highest since Brad Hennessey posted 12.79 K/9 in 2001. Snyder's 88 strikeouts are tied for the sixth-most in a season in program history while his 2.76 ERA ranks as the ninth-lowest mark in school history.
• Snyder allowed a total of two earned runs over his final six starts. Over his last three starts, he allowed just one unearned run on six hits and struck out 17 batters over 16 innings of work. Snyder allowed five hits or fewer in 12 of his 14 starts this past season. He allowed three runs or fewer in 12 of his outings, and he did not allow an earned run on six occasions.
• In the first game of a doubleheader against Purdue Fort Wayne on March 7, Snyder did not allow a hit and struck out a career-high 12 batters over six innings in a no-decision. He was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 24 after allowing one run on three hits and striking out six batters over five innings in a 4-2 win at Troy.
• Following the season, Snyder was named to the 2020-21 Academic All-District® Baseball Team, selected by CoSIDA, for his combined performance on the field and in the classroom. Snyder and Phillip Glasser became the first Penguin baseball players to earn Academic All-District honors since Drew Dosch in 2013. Overall, they are each one of six players in program history to earn the distinction.

Grau Ties Single-Season Triples Record

• With seven triples this past season, sophomore outfielder Turner Grau tied the single-season school record that was set by Lou Vassalotti in 1994. Grau's seven triples led the Horizon League and ranked second in the nation.
• Grau matched his career high with three hits and tied the single-game school record with two triples at Milwaukee on April 11. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native became just the second Penguin since 1988 to triple two times in a game. He is the first Penguin to record two triples in a game since Drew Dickerson had a pair of three-baggers at Penn State on April 9, 2019. Grau also drove in a run and scored twice in the contest.
• Grau was named Horizon League Batter of the Week on March 2 after batting .471 and slugging .647 with eight hits including a double and his first-career triple in 17 at bats over four games played at Nicholls and No. 11 LSU. He also recorded two runs scored, two RBIs, 11 total bases, a .471 on-base percentage and two stolen bases.
• Grau batted .295 and slugged .541 with 13 doubles, seven triples, eight home runs and 42 RBIs in 2021. He also recorded 40 runs, 112 total bases, 13 walks and six stolen bases. He ranked in the top five in the Horizon League in triples and total bases.

Aggressive Base Running Becoming a Staple

• Youngstown State was able to put pressure on opposing teams with aggressive base running once again in 2021. The Penguins finished the season with 88 stolen bases in 115 attempts. YSU's 88 stolen bases rank as the third-most in a season in school history.
• After stealing 86 bases in 2018 and setting a new school record with 113 steals in 2019, the Penguins have now recorded three of the five-highest single-season stolen base totals in program history over the past four seasons. In 2018-19, YSU swiped at least 85 bags in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1997-98. Before 2018, the Penguins had not recorded at least 80 steals since 1998.
• YSU finished the season ranked second in the Horizon League and 19th nationally with its 88 stolen bases. The Penguins swiped at least two bases in 25 different games this past season. YSU had five steals in game one of a doubleheader against UIC on April 3, and the Penguins recorded a season-high six steals in game two. YSU matched its season high with six stolen bases in the regular season finale against Milwaukee on May 23.

Hake Holds Career Appearances Record

• With his seventh appearance of the 2020 season at Pitt on March 4, 2020, senior right-hander Joel Hake set the YSU career appearances record with the 86th of his career. He surpassed Ryan Sellman's previous mark of 85 that had stood since 2008. Hake led the Penguins with 26 appearances and four saves as a junior in 2018. He also pitched in a team-leading 28 games as a freshman in 2016.
• The Youngstown, Ohio, native was limited to just three appearances in 2019 because of a leg injury. He led the Penguins with 10 appearances in 14 games during the shortened 2020 season, and his 10 appearances led the Horizon League and ranked 14th nationally.
• Hake made a team-high 26 relief appearances in 2021 to finish with a career total of 115. His 115 career appearances were the most among all active Division I players in 2021. Hake's 26 appearances this past season led the Horizon League and ranked 58th nationally.
• Hake is one of only three players in school history to make at least 26 appearances in two different seasons. The other two are Sellman (2005-08) and Kevin McCulloh (2010-12). His 28 appearances in 2016 are tied for the sixth-most in a single season in YSU history. Hake also became the first player in school history to make at least 25 appearances in three different campaigns.

Glenn's Place in the Record Books

• Senior third baseman Blaze Glenn made a significant impact on the YSU record books after transferring from Sinclair Community College in 2018. Glenn was named Second-Team All-Horizon League for the third time in his career in 2021. Like Wehler, Glenn is one of three players in school history to earn all-league honors three times. The pair became the first Penguins to earn all-league recognition three times since Kendall Schlabach was a four-time all-league pick from 2001-04. Glenn was a second-team selection as a right fielder in 2018 and as a third baseman in 2019.
• Glenn batted .360 and slugged .513 with 71 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 35 RBIs in 2021. He also recorded 46 runs, 101 total bases, 29 walks, a .455 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases. The Toronto, Ohio, native led the Penguins in batting average, doubles and on-base percentage. He ranked second in the Horizon League in hits and doubles. Glenn was named Horizon League Co-Batter of the Week on May 11.
• On the YSU career charts, Glenn finished his career ranked second with 111 walks, fourth with 24 home runs and eighth with 121 RBIs. With three walks at Northern Kentucky on April 16-18, Glenn became just the fourth player in school history to reach 100 career walks. He is the first Penguin since Phil Lipari (2011-14) to accumulate 100 career walks.
• Glenn also concluded his career ranked tied for seventh in school history with 46 career stolen bases. The Toronto, Ohio, native is the only player in YSU history to record at least 20 home runs, 80 walks and 35 stolen bases. He is also one of only two players in school history to hit at least nine home runs in two different seasons.
• Glenn's 39 walks in both 2018 and 2019 are tied for the third-most in a season in program history. Steve Mefferd (1998-2001) is the only other Penguin who has drawn at least 35 walks in two different campaigns. Glenn's 11 home runs in 2018 are tied for the fourth-most in a season in school history.

Clift Jr. Anchors Back End of Bullpen

• Senior right-hander Gary Clift Jr. anchored the back end of YSU's bullpen once again in 2021. The Brunswick, Ohio, native tied for the Horizon League lead with a career-high eight saves. Clift Jr.'s eight saves are the third-most in a season in program history. He became the first Penguin since Andy Svitak in 2007 to record at least eight saves in a season. Marc Morgan set the single-season school record with 10 saves in 1995.
• Clift Jr. ranks tied for fourth in school history with 10 career saves. He is the fifth player in program history to accumulate at least 10 career saves. Clift Jr. became the first Penguin since Ryan Sellman (2005-08) to compile at least 10 career saves.
• Clift Jr. earned his first win of the season on March 28 after recording the final six outs in YSU's 11-10 victory over Wright State. He picked up his second victory in YSU's 4-3 win over Oakland on April 24. Clift Jr. posted a 2.89 ERA and a .240 opponent batting average in 18.2 innings over 18 appearances.

Caruso Posts Career Year

• Senior catcher Nick Caruso posted a career year in 2021 with a .310 batting average, a .472 slugging percentage, three home runs and 31 RBIs. Caruso was named Horizon League Batter of the Week for the second time in his career on April 20 after batting .538 and slugging .846 with seven hits in 13 at bats over four games at Northern Kentucky. Caruso recorded a double, a home run, seven RBIs, 11 total bases, four runs scored and a .571 on-base percentage.
• Caruso set new career highs with four hits and six RBIs in YSU's 18-6 win in the series finale at NKU on April 18. He finished the game 4-for-4 with a three-run home run, three singles, six RBIs and three runs scored. Caruso became the first Penguin since Blaze Glenn in 2019 to record six RBIs in a game. Caruso hit safely in seven straight games from March 12 to March 26 while reaching base in 12 consecutive contests.
• Caruso batted .302 and slugged .448 with six doubles, one triple, two home runs and 26 RBIs in Horizon League play. The Sterling Heights, Mich., native also recorded a .989 fielding percentage with just four errors in 380 chances behind the plate.

Penguins Dominate Weekly Awards

• After claiming five of the eight Horizon League weekly awards that were handed out during the shortened 2020 season, Youngstown State continued its weekly award dominance in 2021. The Penguins had a player earn weekly recognition in 10 of 14 weeks during the 2021 campaign.
• YSU's 10 weekly awards were the most in the league, and the Penguins also paced the circuit with six Pitcher-of-the-Week selections. Jon Snyder was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 24, Collin Floyd earned the honor three times (March 10, March 30, April 13), Colin Clark won the award on May 4 and Travis Perry earned the distinction on May 24. The Penguins were the only team in the league to have four different pitchers earn weekly honors this past season.
• Youngstown State also earned four Batter-of-the-Week selections — Turner Grau (March 2), Dominick Bucko (April 6), Nick Caruso (April 20) and Blaze Glenn (May 11).

Five Penguins Earn Horizon League All-Academic Honors

• Seniors Nick Caruso and Collin Floyd and juniors Phillip Glasser, Padraig O'Shaughnessy and Jon Snyder were each named to the 2021 Horizon League Baseball All-Academic Team.
• YSU had the most selections in the league and no other team had more than two honorees. The five selections matched a program record; the Penguins also had five players recognized in 2005, 2010 and 2020.
• Caruso, Floyd, Glasser and Snyder are each one of 12 players in program history to be a two-time member of the Horizon League All-Academic Team.

For news and updates on the YSU baseball program, follow @YSUBaseball on Twitter.

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