DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 10, 2025) – The Mercy University baseball team hosts Holy Family University on Tuesday, March 11th at 3 p.m. before playing at Southern Connecticut State University on Wednesday, March 12th at 3 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 11th 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (8-8), Holy Family (2-5)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Date/Time: Wednesday, March 12th 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (8-8), Southern Connecticut State (9-3)
Location: New Haven, Conn.
Last Meeting vs. Holy Family
First Meeting
Last Meeting vs. Southern Connecticut State
Mercy dropped a 3-1 decision to the Owls on March 4, 2025.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy entered 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 8-0 and 6-2 losses at Pace on Sunday. The Mavericks were led by sophomore Peyton Jemison and senior Joseph Gonzalez who recorded an RBI in game two. The Mavericks have been led by junior Kolongi Goins who is batting .342 with seven RBI and eight runs scored. Sophomore Peyton Jemison is hitting .382 with a home run and seven RBI to go with a team-high-tying 16 runs scored. Junior David Bernard Jr. is hitting .288 with seven RBI and junior John Nisco is hitting .321 with 12 RBI and a home to go along with a team-high-tying 16 runs scored. Junior Sean McAdams has five RBI and eight stolen bases and junior Zach Ashline is hitting a team-high .388 with three home runs and a team-high 15 RBI. Senior Joseph Gonzalez has a team-high 12 stolen bases and senior Connor Ruland has 11 RBI. Sophomore Kyle Engmann is hitting .333 with a team-high-tying three home runs to go with eight RBI. The pitching staff has been led by sophomore Nevin Scaperotti who has pitched a team-high 28.0 innings with a 4.82 ERA and 23 strikeouts in five appearances. Freshman Andre Jenkins is 1-0 with a 5.09 ERA in 17.2 innings with 11 strikeouts and junior Diego Wirz is 2-1 in 17.1 innings with a 3.12 ERA. Freshman Ryan DiNapoli is 2-1 in 6.0 innings and junior Samuel Gil has four saves with a 2.57 ERA in 7.0 innings. Senior Matthew Manzoeillo is 3-1 with a 4.40 ERA in 14.1 innings.
Ashline and Jemison were named to the Honor Roll on Monday. Engmann, Ashline and Manzoeillo were tabbed to the ECC Honor Roll last week. Goins was named ECC Player of the Week on February 24th and Jemison, Wirz and freshman Gordon Votruba were tabbed to the Honor Roll.
Mercy is ranked No. 8 in the latest NCBWA East Region Poll.
Scouting the Tigers
Holy Family is coming off a 4-3 game two win over Staten Island on Sunday. The Tigers were picked fourth in the CACC South Division Preseason Poll after going 20-27 last season. Holy Family has been led by Brian Comer who is batting a team-high .375 with two RBI and four runs scored. Stefan Leo is hitting .357 with three RBI and Andy Rivera has a team-high eight RBI. Jalen David is hitting .294 with four RBI and a team-high eight runs and nine stolen bases. The pitching staff is led by Hayden Ford who is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 9.2 innings with seven strikeouts. Casey Murphy is 1-1 with a 6.30 ERA in 10.0 innings with 13 strikeouts.
Scouting the Owls
Southern Connecticut State is coming off 12-5 and 11-0 wins over Bridgeport on Sunday to extend their winning streak to seven games. The Owls were picked tied for third in the NE10 Southwest Division Preseason Poll after going 25-22 last season. The Owls are ranked No. 5 in the NCBWA East Region Poll. SCSU is led by Spencer Chard who is hitting a team-high .432 with six RBI and a team-high 16 runs scored. Jake Gruttadauria is hitting .391 with nine RBI and Patrick Dillon is hitting .372 with a team-high 18 RBI and six home runs with 15 runs scored. The pitching staff is led by Colin Blake who is 2-1 with a 1.64 ERA in 22.0 innings with 15 strikeouts. Chad Fedeli is 3-0 with a 3.71 ERA in 17.0 innings with 18 strikeouts and Spencer Fox is 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA in 14.0 innings with 16 strikeouts.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Kutztown on Friday, March 14th at 12 & 3 p.m.
