DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 15, 2024) – The Mercy University baseball team opens its 2024 season on Friday, February 16th when they face Goldey-Beacom College for a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m. in Cary, North Carolina. The Mavericks will then face The College of Saint Rose on Saturday, February 17th at 10 a.m. in Cary before concluding their stay in Cary with a tilt against Saint Rose on Sunday, February 18th at 10 a.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Friday, February 16th 10 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Records (2023): Mercy (16-33), Goldey-Beacom (37-20)
Location: Cary, North Carolina
Date/Time: Saturday, February 17th & Sunday, February 18th 10 a.m.
Records: (2023): Mercy (16-33), Saint Rose (16-25)
Location: Cary, North Carolina
Last Meeting vs. Goldey-Beacom
Goldey-Beacom earned a 10-0 win over Mercy on February 19, 2023.
Last Meeting vs. Saint Rose
Saint Rose earned a 14-3 win over Mercy on April 4, 2002.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy enters the 2024 season picked fifth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 16-33 overall and 10-14 in ECC play last season, qualifying for the ECC Tournament for the third straight season. The Mavericks won their first ECC Tournament game since 2010 last season and look to qualify for the ECC Tournament for the fourth straight season under Head Coach Chris Schoen.
Leading the returners for the Maverick is graduate student Nolan Giblin who was named First Team All-ECC last season after hitting .326 with 33 RBI, 62 hits, 32 runs and nine stolen bases in 190 at bats. Junior Jaden Caballero was tabbed Second Team All-ECC last season and returns after hitting .322 with 23 RBI, 64 hits, 44 runs, 10 doubles and 23 stolen bases. Sophomore Zach Ashline comes back after a strong freshman campaign in which he was named Second Team All-ECC after hitting a team-high .385 with 24 RBI, 35 hits and 23 runs in 91 at bats.
Also returning is sophomore Sean McAdams who hit .324 with 44 hits, 31 runs, three home runs and 23 RBI in his rookie campaign last season. Senior Gabe Sanders returns after hitting .283 a year ago with 47 hits, 23 runs, three home runs and 27 RBI. Junior Joseph Gonzalez hit .266 in 2023 and returns after recording 28 RBI, 47 hits and 33 runs. Graduate student Justin Glennerster returns behind the dish after hitting .312 with 21 RBI, 39 hits and 16 runs scored a year ago.
Senior Janiel Ramirez recorded 16 RBI in 2023 and juniors Connor Ruland, Frankie Asaro and Alfred Hoti and sophomores John Nisco, Liam Padden and Kolongi Goins will also look to contribute for the Mavericks.
Leading the returners on the mound is junior Scott Scheppy who led the team with 74.1 innings pitched last season with a team-high-tying three wins. Scheppy made 12 starts in 2023 with 34 strikeouts and one save. Graduate student Ryan Dieguez is back after going 2-1 in 2023 with 14 strikeouts and a 4.37 ERA in 22.2 innings out of the bullpen. Sophomore Diego Wirz had a team-high-tying three wins in his freshman season and recorded 22 strikeouts in 29.0 innings.
Senior Ryan Rozinski was named Second Team All-ECC in 2021 and was named to the ECC Honor Roll twice last season after pitching 32.1 innings with 23 strikeouts. Senior Joshua Alvarado pitched 11.1 innings in 2023 with four strikeouts in eight appearances and graduate student John Gillespie is back for a final season after tossing 11.2 innings with seven strikeouts in 11.2 innings pitched.
Sophomores Riley Williams, Brian Zbytniewski and Ryan Ehret, juniors Matthew Manzoeillo and Denis Garcia and seniors Gabriel Soto, Gaetano Pennisi and Nelson Perez Jr. also return and will look to contribute in 2024.
Schoen will also lean on freshmen Peyton Jemison, Nevin Scaperotti, Jack Esposito, Joey Bodin and Kyle Engmann to help get the Mavericks back to the ECC Tournament. The Mavericks will also rely upon transfers Brandon Nolasco, Jack Sullivan, Amaury Soto, Lucas Prokosch, Will Sullo, Vonzell Rivera, and Camren Patterson.
Scaperotti pitched 57 innings with a 1.80 ERA during his senior year at Carmel High School, Esposito was named All-League and All-Section Honorable Mention at Yorktown High School and Engmann was tabbed All-County and All-League at Shoreham-Wading River High School.
Nolasco is a transfer from Division III Mount Saint Mary College and hit .300 with two home runs during the 2021 season. Sullivan is a transfer from Allegany College of Maryland, Soto is a transfer from Phoenix College and Prokosch is a transfer from Division I Fairleigh Dickinson University where he appeared in four games and pitched seven innings last season. Sullo is a transfer from Rockland Community College where he pitched 9.2 innings in seven appearances in 2023. Rivera is a transfer from Salem Community College where he pitched 81.2 innings in two seasons with 40 strikeouts and six wins. Patterson is a transfer from Bryant & Stratton College in Virginia.
Mercy is looking to win their season opener for the first time since 2021. The Mavericks are 1-3 all-time against Goldey-Beacom and are 9-25 all-time against Saint Rose with the last meeting coming in 2002.
Scouting the Lightning
Goldey-Beacom went 37-20 last season, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. The Lightning are picked to win the CACC South Division and are currently ranked fourth in the NCBWA East Region Top 10 poll. Leading the returners for Goldey-Beacom is Kyle Walker who was a First Team All-CACC and Second Team D2CCA All-East Region selection last season. He enters the season with 168 career hits and 99 RBI. Jake Kelchner returns on the mound after being named First Team All-CACC and Second Team D2CCA All-East Region. He has seven career wins and 72 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched. Christian Petrillo was a Second Team All-CACC recipient a year ago and has a .335 career average with 37 stolen bases.
Scouting the Golden Knights
The Golden Knights went 16-25 last season and are picked sixth in the NE10 Southwest Division Preseason Poll. Saint Rose has not posted a winning season since 2016 and leading the returners for the Golden Knights is James Ward who hit .318 last season with 32 RBI, five home runs and 34 runs scored. Vince Venditti also returns after hitting .291 a year ago with 32 RBI, three home runs and 29 runs scored. The pitching staff is led by Chase Carroll who went 4-3 with 52 strikeouts in 45.2 innings pitched last season.
Next Game
Mercy plays at UNC Pembroke on Tuesday, February 20th at 3 p.m.
