DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 17, 2025) – The Mercy University baseball team plays at Pace University on Tuesday, March 18th at 3 p.m.

Who, When and Where

Date/Time: Tuesday, March 18th 3 p.m.

Records: Mercy (13-9), Pace (6-8)

Location: Pleasantville, N.Y.

Last Meeting vs. Pace

Mercy dropped 8-0 and 6-2 decisions to Pace on March 9, 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 9-1 and 10-4 wins over Kutztown on Saturday. The Mavericks were led by senior Joseph Gonzalez who recorded a team-high six hits and four RBI. The Mavericks have been led by junior Kolongi Goins who is batting .357 with nine RBI and 13 runs scored. Sophomore Peyton Jemison is hitting a team-high .388 with a home run and eight RBI to go with a team-high 20 runs scored. Junior David Bernard Jr. is hitting .260 with 11 RBI and junior John Nisco is hitting .289 with 15 RBI and a home run to go along with 19 runs scored. Junior Sean McAdams has 11 RBI and 10 stolen bases and junior Zach Ashline is hitting .371 with three home runs and a team-high 19 RBI. Ashline recorded his 100th career hit against Kutztown on March 14th. Senior Joseph Gonzalez has a team-high 15 stolen bases and senior Connor Ruland has 11 RBI. Gonzalez recorded his 100th career hit against Post on February 21st. Sophomore Kyle Engmann is hitting .296 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 34.0 innings with a 1-4 record, 4.76 ERA and 30 strikeouts in six appearances. Freshman Andre Jenkins is 2-0 with a 4.57 ERA in 21.2 innings with 14 strikeouts and junior Diego Wirz is 3-1 in 23.1 innings with a 2.70 ERA. Freshman Ryan DiNapoli is 2-1 in 9.1 innings with a 3.86 ERA and junior Samuel Gil has five saves with a 2.25 ERA in 8.0 innings. Senior Matthew Manzoeillo is 3-1 in 18.0 innings.

McAdams was named ECC Player of the Week on Monday and Jenkins was tabbed Rookie of the Week. Gonzalez and Wirz were tabbed to the Honor Roll. Ashline and Jemison were named to the Honor Roll last week. Engmann, Ashline and Manzoeillo were tabbed to the ECC Honor Roll on March 3rd. 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 Top 10 Poll.

Scouting the Setters

Pace is coming off a 3-2 win at Adelphi on Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak. The Setters were picked second in the NE10 Southwest Division Preseason Poll after going 28-19 last season, qualifying for the NE10 Championship. Pace is receiving votes in the latest NCBWA East Region Top 10 Poll. Pace has been led by Luke Rivara who is batting a team-high .366 with seven RBI and eight runs. Andrew Heppner is hitting .349 with a team-high 11 RBI and a team-high-tying three home runs. Dominic Rivara is hitting .333 with 10 RBI and a team-high-tying three home runs and Mason Baronian has eight RBI. The pitching staff is led by Anthony Apollaro who is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 14.1 innings with 11 strikeouts. Ryan Degnan is 2-2 with a 4.05 ERA in 13.1 innings with seven strikeouts and Vincent Civitella is 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 13.0 innings with a team-high 22 strikeouts.

Next Game

Mercy hosts St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday, March 21st at 3 p.m.