Fortunato, Presidents feel right at home for PAC tournament

For the Washington & Jefferson College baseball team, there is no place like home.
And the Presidents, ranked sixth in the most recent NCAA Division III baseball Mideast Region rankings, will leave Washington and Ross Memorial Park just once more this season – Sunday at Thiel College in Greenville – unless they advance to the Division III World Series later this month.
“We have a home field advantage,” said senior third base-man Frank Fortunato, a Canon-McMillan High School product. “We are confident, we can beat anyone on our field. Our goal is to go to the World Series.”
W&J, 27-8 overall and 19-2 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, is hosting the PAC tournament. W&J has clinched the conference regular-season championship heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Presidents host Thiel today in a doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m.
If the Presidents can sweep the three games this weekend, they would break their own record of 21 conference wins in a season. W&J won 21 PAC games in 2012 and 2014.
In addition to hosting the four-team, PAC championships May 11-13, the Presidents will host the Mideast Regional. W&J hosted the regional the past two years. The tournament will take place May 18-22, featuring either six or eight teams.
The champion of the Mideast will advance to the NCAA baseball championship May 21-26 at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisc.
Jeff Mountain, W&J’s head coach believes Ross Memorial Park is a special place for the Presidents. He said W&J relishes playing on the artificial surface and in friendly surroundings.
“We think it is a big advantage,” Mountain said. “We hit better at home. We feel comfortable there. The kids enjoy playing there.”
Fortunato believes having the entire roster available at home games and the larger crowds have boosted the Presidents’ chances.
“We feel really relaxed and comfortable at home,” Fortunato said. “There are a lot of advantages. It’s one of the nicest facilities around. The turf field helps us, too. We have a lot of fans and get good crowds.”
Fortunato is enjoying an outstanding season for W&J. He will be honored at Senior Day this afternoon.
He has settled into third base after playing multiple positions last season, including first base, third base, outfield and designated hitter.
Fortunato enters play today with a .351 batting average, 40 hits, 25 runs scored, nine doubles and seven home runs — including a three-run home run in a recent win over Mt. Union, which is ranked seventh in the region
He has driven in 38 runs, has 70 total bases, owns a .624 slugging percentage and a .415 on-base percentage for a whopping 1.039 OPS (on-base percentage, plus slugging percentage) to help W&J lead in nearly all statistical offensive categories.
“I was hoping to do a lot on the offensive side this year,” Fortunato said. “I entered with a lot of confidence because I finished strong last season.
“I have gotten more comfortable at third base. I was all over the place last year defensively. It’s nice coming to the ballpark knowing where I’m going to play and where I am in the batting order. I’m getting there. But there is always room for improvement.”
Mountain said Fortunato’s progress is related to maturity, confidence and experience.
“Frank’s meant a lot to the success of our team,” Mountain said. “He’s grown a lot overall. He was quiet and reserved when he got here. Our guys tell me he has a great sense of humor.
“He’s made himself a good player through hard work. He’s been outstanding at the plate and continues to get better at third. He isn’t as sensitive as he was when he was younger.”
Another local product is enjoying a solid season for the Presidents. Right-handed pitcher Matt Heslin, a Fort Cherry graduate, is 3-0 with a 3.55 ERA. He also has one save and shut out Mt. Union this week.
In 38 innings, Heslin has struck out 25, yielded 35 hits and walked just two. Opponents are hitting .235 against him.
Fortunato said W&J is poised for the final regular season series and the upcoming postseason.
“We put in a lot of hard work during the offseason and throughout the season,” he added. “We have really good team chemistry. We are focused to get the job done.
“I’d like to see all the seniors get in today. We’re going to try and (dash) Thiel’s playoff hopes. To win all three would give us a conference record and give us great momentum.”
Mountain is not surprised at the Presidents’ success to this point, but he offered a warning.
“There’s a long way to go,” he said. “There is more parity, more good teams at this level than ever before. You can beat or be beaten by anyone at this level. It’s really pretty even.”
Mountain knows W&J is special.
“I thought coming into this season good things were ahead,” he admitted. “We have a big group of seniors, and that doesn’t always work out well. These guys have been focused the entire time. It’s a year-round program. From September on, they have been working and getting better. The attention to details and effort have been great.”