2018 Mercury-Area Baseball Preview

Upper Merion

Manager: Matt Mitchell, seventh season

Last year’s record: 8-8 PAC, 11-15 overall. (Lost in District 1-5A semifinal, first round of PIAA-5A playoffs).

Players to watch: Seniors: Michael Hutchinson, OF/P; Jonathan Eyer, 3B; Luke Hutchinson, OF. Juniors: Matt Choi, P/2B; Sal Costello, C/DH.

Outlook: The Vikings pulled off the impossible last season, knocking off top-seeded Interboro during the opening round of the PIAA-5A playoffs and eventually working their way to states for the first time since 2009. Now, they’ll look to make a routine of that postseason success, only this time with a better regular season. Choi (2-0, 2.39 ERA) and Michael Hutchinson (2-3, 3.34 ERA) combined for nearly half of Upper Merion’s innings pitched last season and were the team’s leading hitters, which gives Mitchell plenty of hope heading into year two in the PAC. “With several key players returning, this year’s Viking squad is focused working hard to earn a return trip to the district playoffs,” he said. “The team is aware of the talent level of the PAC is looking forward to the challenges of the season.”