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| Stone Powell is one reason with the Quakers sit at the top of the PSCBL. | PHOTO: Slippery Rock Athletics |
As a summer rain rolled in and canceled the game at Munro Park in Warminster, Philly Fightin Quakers head coach Pete Hoffman delivered one last piece of insight before the players scattered for shelter.
“He’s a professional hitter,” Hoffman said.
The praise was for Stone Powell, the Quakers’ first baseman and a player already earning a reputation that lives up to that title.
Powell just wrapped up a standout freshman season at Slippery Rock University, where he hit at a high level. A native of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Powell returned closer to home for the summer and has helped lead the Quakers to a 6-1 start—good for first place in the Philly Select League College Division.
In six appearances, he’s batting .286 with a home run, two doubles, and five RBIs. While solid, those early summer stats only hint at the type of hitter Powell was this past spring in college.
For him, though, it’s not about batting average or RBIs. It’s about one stat in particular: getting on base.
“I want to be able to help the team any way I can, so I look at my on-base percentage,” Powell said. “I like to be able to keep track of my days by how many times I get on base instead of how many hits I get, so I don't get too down on myself or anything like that. I like to be able to keep the walks up and I hate striking out.”
Powell’s approach paid off at Slippery Rock. In 37 games, he walked 19 times and struck out only 17, reaching base at a .426 clip. Beyond his plate discipline, he established himself as one of the most productive hitters in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
He batted .328 across 116 at-bats, slugged 10 doubles and three homers, drove in 19 runs, and posted a .952 OPS—ranking 26th among 176 qualified hitters in the PSAC. His success wasn’t just about numbers, either; it stemmed from a mature approach rarely seen in first-year college players.
“When I say he is a professional hitter, he always has a plan,” Hoffman said. “He understands what his situation is. He understands when he should get his swing off and the things that he needs to do. So just from preparation during or before each at bat and his approach and his plan when he goes to the plate, I think he is very advanced for a guy only going into his sophomore year.”
Powell isn’t just a threat at the plate. Defensively, he’s steady and reliable—committing just one error last season with a .996 fielding percentage. Hoffman, who has coached Powell for multiple years, said he’s also an advanced defender at third base, though he’s playing first base exclusively this summer.
“He's an exceptional defender,” Hoffman said. “He always knows what to do with the baseball. He has very good hands and an accurate arm. He's a very good all-around ballplayer.”
Even with an impressive freshman year behind him, Powell is using his time in the Philly Select League to continue refining his game—especially his plate discipline and swing decisions.
“At Slippery Rock, I would chase some a little bit more than I would have liked to and I would swing at pitches or I wouldn't swing at pitches that I would have liked to,” Powell said. “Here I'm just trying to work on swinging at the pitches that I should be swinging at.”
That work continues over the next two months with the Quakers, and Hoffman believes the ceiling is high if Powell continues on this trajectory.
“If he continues to develop physically, I think he can play at the highest level. He can definitely get to the highest level,” Hoffman said.
