Gasti, Morris thrive at Cal U
Breanna Morris was a sophomore captain for the Vulcans softball team this season.
Carmichaels’ product Chuck Gasti has found a home in right field for the Vulcans. (Photo by Matt Kifer)
This spring, two Greene County natives were key factors for California University of Pennsylvania on the baseball and softball diamonds.
Chuck Gasti, a 2009 graduate of Carmichaels High School, and Breanna Morris, a 2011 graduate of Waynesburg Central High School, have both played pivotal roles for the Vulcans in the spring of 2013.
The Cal baseball team compiled a record of 35-18 and a mark of 15-9 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division.
The Vulcans were tied for first in the West and the 35 wins on the year is the second highest in program history.
Gasti, who transferred to Cal from Cleveland State University last season, is a junior and saw plenty of time on the field this season, appearing in 50 games with 47 starts.
“First and foremost, Chuck is an excellent person,” Cal baseball skipper Mike Conte said. “He is a brilliant student, is active in helping others and a top-notch baseball player.”
The 6-2, 190-pound utility player garnered 46 hits this year and had the third highest batting average on the team at .341. Gasti scored 25 runs and collected 24 RBIs with three doubles, two home runs and a .407 slugging percentage.
“He has adjusted well in his second season at Cal,” Conte said. “He had a superb defensive season in right field and a consistent season at the plate. Chuck is a cerebral player who understands the game. He is always approachable and he finds a way to succeed. Although he has moved around the field a lot these last couple of years, he seems to have found a home in right field this season.”
Gasti, who is majoring in biology (pre-med), was a PSAC Scholar-Athlete in 2011-12 and a member of the Cal U AD Honor Roll last year.
Next season, Gasti will be one of eight seniors on the roster and will look to lead the Vulcans to the top of the PSAC and Division II baseball.
“We have always had our eyes on Chuck when he was at Carmichaels,” Conte said. “We wanted to recruit him at Cal instantly, but we respected that he had dreams of playing at the Division I level. It’s always enjoyable to see local kids succeed at the collegiate level.”
Morris was a sophomore captain for the Vulcans softball team this year that went 38-6 this season, with a 15-1 mark in the PSAC West Division.
Cal made it to the PSAC Championship game this year and finished the year ranked 20th in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll.
Morris played and started in 42 games this year and had the third highest batting average on the team at .362, which was a 100-point improvement from her freshmen campaign.
“There’s always a transition for players from high school to the DII level and even a transition from their freshmen to sophomores,” Vulcans softball coach Rick Bertagnolli said. “The speed and style of the game is different than in high school and it takes complete dedication from the player. Breanna had done exactly that this year and her desire to improve her game is unmatched.”
Morris tallied 50 hits, 33 runs scored, seven doubles, 11 home runs and 36 RBIs this season. She also carried a .681 slugging percentage, a .417 on-base percentage and a .910 fielding percentage in 2013.
“Coming out of Waynesburg Central, we knew that Breanna was athletic and had a great knowledge of the game,” Bertagnolli said. “She has great character and comes from a great family and a great softball program at Waynesburg.”
Morris, who is majoring in business administration (business economics), also received second-team honors on the NFCA Atlantic Regional team.
“I think the future for Breanna the next two years is very bright,” Bertagnolli said. “If she can keep that status quo level the next couple of years that would be great for her. In this game, you are always going to have to relearn some things and continue to improve mentally.”
Like Gasti, Morris is also a member of a strong nucleus coming back for the 2014 season and has high hopes of sustaining Cal’s success in the upcoming seasons.
“We always enjoy recruiting at the local level,” Bertagnolli said. “Western Pennsylvania has been a great area for us to recruit. Cal has been hosting a whole bunch of WPIAL playoff and championship games the last couple of years and that have helped us a lot. We are even looking to host some PIAA playoff games in the future.”
“If we could recruit all 18 of our players in our backyard that would be great, but unfortunately that is tough to do. We realize that we also have to be strong in recruiting players in other parts of the country and the rest of the world. We are very proud of our recruiting method.”