DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 26, 2025) – The Mercy University baseball team hosts Bloomfield College on Sunday, March 2nd for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Sunday, March 2nd 12 & 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (5-4), Bloomfield (0-2)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Bloomfield
Mercy dropped a 6-5 decision to Bloomfield on March 18, 2022.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy enters the 2025 season picked fourth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 20-29 overall and 10-14 in ECC play last season. The Mavericks look to qualify for the ECC Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons under Head Coach Chris Schoen.
Leading the returners for the Mavericks is sophomore Nevin Scaperotti who was named ECC Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-ECC last season after going 5-3 on the mound with a 4.52 ERA in 67.2 innings pitched while also hitting .382 with 13 RBI, 26 hits and 10 runs. Senior Alfred Hoti also returns after being named Second Team All-ECC last season and NCBWA Preseason All-East Region earlier this week. The catcher hit .241 with 27 hits, 21 runs, six doubles and 28 RBI. Junior Zach Ashline is back after hitting 11 home runs last season, tying the single-season school record and ranking third in the ECC in home runs. Junior John Nisco returns after hitting .315 a year ago with 28 runs, five home runs and 33 RBI and senior Gabe Sanders is back after hitting .309 with 19 RBI in 29 games last season. Junior Sean McAdams is also back after hitting .417 in nine games last season. McAdams hit .324 with 23 RBI, three home runs and 31 runs during his freshman season in 2023. Senior Joseph Gonzalez is back after recording 24 RBI, 38 runs and 13 stolen bases in 2024 and sophomore Peyton Jemison returns after hitting .377 with six RBI in 13 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Jemison was named ECC Rookie of the Week once last season. Sophomore Kyle Engmann returns after hitting .250 with nine RBI and 10 stolen bases in 32 games a year ago. Also, returning are seniors Frankie Asaro and Connor Ruland, sophomore Joey Bodin, junior Kolongi Goins.
Schoen will also lean on freshmen Andre Jenkins, Anthony Altobelli, Matthew Hesselbirg, Jack Antalek and transfers David Bernard Jr., Anthony Dolce and Jaison Mock to help get the Mavericks back to the ECC Tournament.
Jenkins was named Pitcher of the Year and MVP at Chester Academy, hitting over .500 all four years of high school. Altobelli was named All-League twice and was a four-year varsity starter at Kings Park High School. Hesselbirg was a two-time All-County and two-time All-League recipient at Newfield High School and Antalek was named to the Hudson Valley select senior game.
Bernard transfers to the Mavericks from St. Peter's University and Herkimer Community College. The junior had a 21-game hitting streak while at Herkimer. Dolce comes from Westchester Community College where he was named Second Team All-Region. Mock joins the Mavericks from the College of Saint Rose where he appeared in 19 games, hitting .250 with three RBI and four stolen bases.
Leading the returners on the mound is senior Matthew Manzoeillo who went 3-4 last season with a 4.19 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched. Also returning is graduate student John Gillespie who appeared in 10 games last season making five starts and went 1-3 in 22.2 innings pitched. Junior Ryan Ehret is back after tossing 12.1 innings in 2024 with nine strikeouts and a 1-0 record and senior Jack Sullivan returns after going 3-2 with 15 strikeouts in 25.1 innings. Junior Diego Wirz also returns after tossing 16.1 innings a year ago with 13 strikeouts. Seniors Will Sullo and Gaetano Pennisi and sophomore Jack Esposito also return and will look to make an impact on the mound.
Schoen will also look to freshmen Gordon Votruba, Chase de Castro, Nicholas Stella, Manuel Martinez, Ethan McGarry, Ryan DiNapoli, Omar Giret, Sammy Mendez, Owen Brink and Derek Fernandez and Division I St. Bonaventure transfer Samuel Gil.
De Castro was named All-League as a sophomore and senior at Rutland High School in Vermont, Stella was tabbed All-League at Shoreham-Wading River High School, McGarry was named Suburban Council All Star, DiNapoli was named All-League, All-Section and Comeback Player of the Year at Yorktown High School and Mendez had 120 strikeouts, 14 complete games and a 1.68 ERA at White Plains High School.
Mercy is coming off a 9-1 loss to Bentley on Sunday. The Mavericks have been led by junior Kolongi Goins who is batting a team-high .417 with five RBI and six runs scored. Sophomore Peyton Jemison is hitting .387 with a home run and three RBI to go with a team-high nine runs scored. Junior David Bernard Jr. is hitting .303 with five RBI and junior John Nisco is hitting .314 with a team-high seven RBI to go along with eight runs scored. Junior Sean McAdams has four RBI and five stolen bases and junior Zach Ashline is hitting .320 with two home runs and six RBI. The pitching staff has been led by sophomore Nevin Scaperotti who has pitched a team-high 17.1 innings with a 3.12 ERA and 13 strikeouts in three appearances. Freshman Andre Jenkins is 1-0 with a 5.73 ERA in 11.0 innings with eight strikeouts and junior Diego Wirz is 1-0 in 10.0 innings with a 1.80 ERA. Freshman Ryan DiNapoli is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 5.2 innings and junior Samuel Gil has three saves with a 0.00 ERA in 4.1 innings.
Goins was named ECC Player of the Week on Monday and Jemison, Wirz and freshman Gordon Votruba were tabbed to the Honor Roll.
Mercy is ranked No. 8 in the latest NCBWA East Region Top 10 Poll. The Mavericks are 4-8-1 in their last 13 meetings against the Bears, but have won four of the last five meetings.
Scouting the Bears
Bloomfield is coming off 20-0 and 7-1 losses at Pace on Sunday. The Bears were picked seventh in the CACC North Division Preseason Poll after going 0-10 last season. Bloomfield has been led by Andres Frias, Frank Scerra and Lixander Mendez who are all batting .400 with two hits. Scerra has a team-high one RBI and Frias has a run scored. The pitching staff is led by Johnny Downey who has a 0.00 ERA in 3.0 innings with one strikeouts and by Josue Cueto who has a 3.00 ERA in 3.0 innings with one strikeout.
Next Game
Mercy hosts Southern Connecticut State on Tuesday, March 4th at 3 p.m.
