Grateful for the opportunity, but no easy task.

That sums up the way Pennsylvania College of Technology baseball coach Chris Howard views his team’s upcoming United East postseason playoffs.

“We will have to play our best baseball regardless of who we play. Harrisburg, Abington and  Lancaster Bible are all very good programs. It will be a well-earned championship for whoever wins,” Howard said.

Action in the double-elimination tournament on the home field of regular-season champ and top-seed Penn State Harrisburg is scheduled to begin at noon on Thursday when PS Harrisburg (19-2 UE, 30-9 overall) takes on fourth-seeded Lancaster Bible College (12-9 UE, 16-23). Immediately afterward, second-seed Penn College (14-6 UE, 20-17) faces third-seed Penn State Abington (13-8 UE, 18-19).

Games 3, 4 and 5 are scheduled for Friday, with the championship game set for Saturday. If a second game is needed to decide the title, it will be played on Saturday, with Sunday being a rain date, if needed.

In the regular conference season, the Wildcats handed PS Harrisburg one of its two conference losses while winning two of three against both PS Abington and Lancaster Bible College.

“It’s always nice to win the regular season series against any team you play. They were no question big series wins for us against Abington and Bible. Harrisburg is a very good team. And I remind our guys that over the last two regular seasons, we are 3-3 against Harrisburg. Confidence and belief in yourself are half the battle. We know that when we play our best baseball, we can compete and beat anybody,” Howard said.

The Wildcats returned a veteran team that has put it back in the playoffs for the sixth year in a row, but it takes more than experience to be a winner, according to the coach, who is in his 17^th season.

“It certainly has been a plus to have such a veteran team. But without focus and commitment, it wouldn’t have mattered. The seniors have been focused and they have passed that down to the younger players. It’s a long season and requires you to be all-in if you want to achieve the success that this team is looking for. I’m extremely happy with how they have gone about their business. It has been a fun season,” Howard said.

The keys so far, Howard said, have been “our veteran pitching staff has been rock solid. They have been the cornerstone of the team’s success. I feel like we have been one of the better defensive teams this entire season. One thing will never change — defense and pitching are what win championships, and that is exactly what we have to do better than the other teams if we want to take home a conference title.”

Teamwise, two-time defending champ Harrisburg leads the conference with a .360 batting average, 5.62 pitching staff ERA and 0.959 fielding percentage. Penn College is fourth in BA at .299 and second in both ERA (6.55) and fielding (0.957).

At the end of last season, Howard lauded Harrisburg’s deep pitching staff in a double-elimination tournament, and at the start of this season, he said his pitching would determine how far the team goes this year.

“When you put together a pitching staff, you are always thinking how will this staff stack up in the postseason. You can’t have a couple of good pitchers and ride them all the way. It has to be an entire staff that can do the job. We have three to four quality starters and a bullpen that is more than capable of getting outs when called upon. Every one of them will be asked to do their part to help the team win,” Howard said.

Wildcat pitchers with at least five decisions this season are Zac Weaver, of Pottstown (5-1 record, 4.63 ERA, 28 strikeouts, 15 walks); Chance Webb, of Hughesville (6-2 record, 5.15 ERA, 45 strikeouts, 30 walks); Justin Porter, of Fairless Hills (2-3 record, 3.77 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 13 walks); and Ben Bretzman, of Bendersville (4-4 record, 5.96 ERA, 40 strikeouts, 14 walks).

Among the leaders out of the bullpen have been Keegan Nytz, of Allentown; Cole Culver, of Titusville; and Gabe Reptsik, of Pennsburg.

Offensive leaders are Brian Robison, of Quakertown (.393 batting average); Quinn Hanafin, of Sayre (.358 BA, 16 doubles); Jacob Carles, of Bernville (.358 BA); Nathan Gustkey, of Philipsburg (.330 BA, 34 runs); and Cameron Dick, of Dillsburg (.326 BA). Tyler Rudolph, of Hemlock, New York, leads the team with nine home runs and 32 RBIs.

“You have to leave it all on the field. Anything can happen in these double-elimination tournaments,” Howard said.

“It’s funny how it usually comes down to who’s the hottest team at the time of the tournament. It’s the little things that matter: Make the routine plays. Be smart baserunners. Be a hard out when there are runners in scoring position. You have to love the fact that you’re in a position to win a championship and, quite simply, do your job,” Howard added.

SCHEDULE

Baseball

Overall: 20-18

UE: 14-6

United East Tournament

(All games at Penn State Harrisburg)

Thursday, May 11 — Penn State Harrisburg (1) vs. Lancaster Bible College (4), noon

Thursday, May 11 — Penn College (2) vs. Penn State Abington (3), 3 p.m.

Friday, May 12 — Game 3, Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, TBA

Friday, May 12 — Game 4, Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, TBA
Friday, May 12 — Game 5, Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, TBA
Saturday, May 13 — Game 6, TBA; Game 7, if needed, TBA Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner

Sunday, May 14 — Rain date, if needed

For more about the United East, visit the conference website.

For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.