ERIE, Pa. -- For the second straight year, the Mercyhurst College baseball team enters the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.

A year after winning the PSAC Western Division regular-season title and earning the division's No. 1 seed, the Lakers return to the championship as the No. 3 seed, finishing the regular season with a 25-20 overall mark, 16-8 in the league.  

The Lakers take on Eastern Division perennial power and second seed Kutztown in the first round on Wednesday, April 28 at 3:30 p.m.  The historic Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pa. will serve as host to the conference championship.

For fans unable to attend the tournament, live stats of all game will be provided here.

Preview (Courtesy of Harrisburg Patriot News - full tourney preview here)
KUTZTOWN (2nd in East Division; 34-11 overall, 16-8 division)

The details: If West Chester is the New York Yankees of PSAC baseball, then Kutztown is certainly the Boston Red Sox. The Golden Bears have notched eight consecutive 30-win seasons under coach Chris Blum and enter the tournament ranked 10th nationally in Division II by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. ... First-game starter throughout the conference season has been 6-4, 230-pound junior RHP Jonathan Grosse (6-1, 4.32 ERA). The staff veteran, though, is RHP Adam Maini (1-2, 1.80). ... The trigger man in Kutztown's offense has been soph OF Shayne Houck, a product of Boyertown's American Legion baseball machine. He's having an All-America type of season with a .493 average, 16 homers and 69 RBIs. ... 1B Jared Frey (.444-5-42), sparkplug SS Mike Kacelowicz (.312-6-26) are quality, too.

MERCYHURST (3rd in West Division; 25-20 overall, 16-8 division)

The details:  Lakers made quite a splash in their inaugural PSAC season last spring, reaching the championship game of the rain-shortened conference tournament before falling to West Chester. ... SS Ethan Santora (.414-7-36), the Ohio state high school player of the year in 2008 and the PSAC Freshman of the Year in 2009, has the full attention of professional scouts. ... Four other Mercyhurst regulars are hitting better than .300. ... The 1-2 punch on the mound consists of junior LHP Nick Gillung (4-3, 5.01), the 2009 PSAC West Pitcher of the Year, and RHP Jordan Backes (6-2, 2.67), a senior transfer from Quincy (Ill.) University.

Official PSAC Tournament Page

Tickets
$7 - Day Pass (Adults)
$2 - Day Pass (Students)
Free - students from PSAC schools with valid student ID 

Tournament Schedule
Wednesday, April 28
Game 1 - (W2) California vs. (E3) Mansfield, 9:30 a.m.
Game 2 - (E1) West Chester vs. (W4) Slippery Rock, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3 - (E2) Kutztown vs. (W3) Mercyhurst, 3:30 p.m.
Game 4 - (W1) IUP vs. (E4) East Stroudsburg, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 29
Game 5 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (loser eliminated), 9:30 a.m.
Game 6 - Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser (loser eliminated), 12:30 p.m.
Game 7- Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 8 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, April 30
Game 9 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 7 loser (loser eliminated), 9:30 a.m.
Game 10 - Game 6 winner vs. Game 8 loser (loser eliminated), 12:30 p.m.
Game 11 - Game 9 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 12 - Game 10 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 1
If one game if needed (both Game 7 & Game 8 winners win in Games 11 & 12)
Game 13 - Championship Game, 1:00 p.m.

If two games are needed (If only one of Game 7 or Game 8 winners win Games 11 or 12)
Game 13 - If needed game, 12:00 p.m.
Game 14 - Championship game, 3:00 p.m.

If three games are needed (If both Game 9 and Game 10 winners win Game 11 and Game 12)
Game 13 - Bracket A (rematch of Game 11), 10:00 a.m.
Game 14 - Bracket B (rematch of Game 12), 1:00 p.m.
Game 15 - Championship game, 4:00 p.m.