DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 22, 2024) – The Mercy University baseball team faces Felician University on Friday, February 23rd at 12 p.m. in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Mavericks will then face Adelphi University for a doubleheader starting at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 24th before concluding their southern trip with a game against Bentley University on Sunday, February 25th at 9 a.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Friday, February 23rd 12 p.m.
Records: Mercy (1-4), Felician (1-7)
Location: Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Date/Time: Saturday, February 24th 4:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Records: Mercy (1-4), Adelphi (0-0)
Location: Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Date/Time: Sunday, February 25th 9 a.m.
Records: Mercy (1-4), Bentley (1-2)
Location: Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Last Meeting vs. Felician
Felician earned a 6-5 win over Mercy on February 24, 2023.
Last Meeting vs. Adelphi
Mercy and Adelphi played to a 2-2 tie on April 5, 2022.
Last Meeting vs. Bentley
First Meeting
Scouting the Mavericks
The Mavericks are coming off a 12-7 loss at No. 9 UNC Pembroke on Tuesday for their fourth straight loss. Mercy was led by graduate student Brandon Nolasco who went 1-for-4 with a grand slam. 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.
The Mavericks have been led at the plate by graduate student Justin Glennerster who was named to the ECC Honor Roll on Tuesday and is hitting a team-high .471 with a team-high seven RBI and five runs scored. Freshman Peyton Jemison was named ECC Rookie of the Week on Tuesday and is hitting .450 with five RBI, a home run, two stolen bases and five runs scored. Junior Joseph Gonzalez is hitting .381 with six RBI and four runs and sophomore Sean McAdams is hitting .364 with four runs and two doubles. Junior Jaden Caballero has four RBI and four runs and sophomore Zach Ashline is batting .263.
The pitching staff is led by graduate student John Gillespie who was named to the ECC Honor Roll on Tuesday after pitching five shutout innings to earn his first collegiate win in the Mavericks season-opening win over Goldey-Beacom on February 16th. Junior Jack Sullivan has pitched scoreless innings of relief to begin his career at Mercy and freshman Nevin Scaperotti has not allowed an earned run in 3.2 innings to begin his collegiate career.
Mercy is looking to beat Felician for the first time since 2008 and looks to beat Adelphi for the first time since 2021.
Scouting the Golden Falcons
Felician is coming off a 15-1 loss to Millersville on Sunday. The Golden Falcons will face Southern New Hampshire on Thursday before taking on Mercy on Friday. Felician was picked second in the CACC North Division Preseason Poll after going 25-32 last season, winning the CACC Championship and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Falcons have been led by Jack Scrivanic who is hitting a team-high .375 with a team-high three home runs to go with six RBI. Ricky Voss has a team-high seven RBI and Dauri Genao has six RBI and two home runs. Julian Uejima has six RBI and a home run and the pitching staff is led by Mike Caldon who is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in 8.0 innings with 12 strikeouts. Nick DeCarlo is 0-1 with a 8.10 ERA in 10.0 innings with 13 strikeouts and Dylan Morrill is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 7.0 innings with seven strikeouts.
Scouting the Panthers
Adelphi will open their 2024 season on Friday against Post before taking on Mercy on Saturday. The Panthers were picked in a tie for fourth in the NE10 Southwest Division Preseason Poll after going 22-25 last season, qualifying for the NE10 Championship. Leading the returners for Adelphi is Alec Maag who led the team in 2023 with a .380 average and was named Second Team All-NE10. Brendan Kenneally was named to the NE10 All-Rookie Team last season and pitched to a team-best five victories in 11 appearances last season.
Scouting the Falcons
Bentley is coming off an 11-1 loss at Barry on Sunday. The Falcons will face St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday and Bridgeport on Saturday before taking on Mercy on Sunday. Bentley was picked third in the NE10 Northeast Division Preseason Poll after going 23-22 last season, qualifying for the NE10 Championship. The Falcons have been led by Cory Bright who is hitting a team-high .500 with a team-high five hits to go with two RBI. Steve Rizzuto has a team-high three RBI with a home run and Joe Cacciatore has two RBI. The pitching staff is led by Steve Hardiman who has a 1.80 ERA in 5.0 innings with an 0-1 record and three strikeouts. Pat Heber is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Southern Connecticut State for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 2nd at 12 & 3 p.m.
