DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 6, 2025) – The Mercy University baseball team hosts No. 7 West Chester University on Saturday, March 8th for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. before playing at Pace University on Sunday, March 9th for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, March 8th 12 & 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (7-5), #7 West Chester (6-2)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Date/Time: Sunday, March 9th 12 & 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (7-5), Pace (3-3)
Location: Pleasantville, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. West Chester
West Chester earned a 7-1 win over Mercy on February 23, 2008.
Last Meeting vs. Pace
Pace earned an 8-4 win over Mercy on March 10, 2024.
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 3-1 loss to Southern Connecticut State on Tuesday. The Mavericks were led by junior Zach Ashline and senior Alfred Hoti who both had two hits. The Mavericks have been led by junior Kolongi Goins who is batting .323 with six RBI and seven runs scored. Sophomore Peyton Jemison is hitting .366 with a home run and four RBI to go with a team-high-tying 13 runs scored. Junior David Bernard Jr. is hitting .293 with seven RBI and junior John Nisco is hitting .311 with nine RBI to go along with a team-high-tying 13 runs scored. Junior Sean McAdams has five RBI and eight stolen bases and junior Zach Ashline is hitting a team-high .417 with three home runs and a team-high 12 RBI. Senior Joseph Gonzalez has a team-high 10 stolen bases and senior Connor Ruland has nine RBI. Sophomore Kyle Engmann is hitting .368 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 23.1 innings with a 3.09 ERA and 19 strikeouts in four appearances. Freshman Andre Jenkins is 1-0 with a 5.54 ERA in 13.0 innings with 10 strikeouts and junior Diego Wirz is 2-0 in 14.0 innings with a 1.29 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 5.1 innings. Senior Matthew Manzoeillo is 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 10.1 innings.
Engmann, Ashline and Manzoeillo were tabbed to the ECC Honor Roll on Monday. Goins was named ECC Player of the Week last week and Jemison, Wirz and freshman Gordon Votruba were tabbed to the Honor Roll.
Mercy is ranked No. 6 in the latest NCBWA East Region Top 10 Poll.
Scouting the Golden Rams
West Chester is coming off a 14-3 win over Pace on Sunday. The Golden Rams will play a doubleheader at Pace on Friday before playing at Mercy on Saturday. West Chester was picked first in the PSAC East Division Preseason Poll after going 43-9 last season, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Rams are currently ranked seventh nationally in the ABCA Top 30 Poll. West Chester has been led by Sean Szestowicki who is hitting a team-high .419 with 10 RBI and eight runs scored. John Dunion also has a team-high-tying 10 RBI with a team-high three home runs and Ben Bolhouse has eight RBI. Kyle Kearns is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 10.0 innings and Julian Costa is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in 12.0 innings with 15 strikeouts. Kyle Lazer is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in 11.0 innings with nine strikeouts.
Scouting the Setters
Pace is coming off a 14-3 loss to West Chester on Sunday. The Setters will host West Chester on Friday before hosting Mercy on Sunday. Pace was picked second in the NE10 Southwest Division Preseason Poll after going 28-19 last season, qualifying for the NE10 Championship. The Setters have been led by Andrew Heppner who is hitting a team-high .467 with a team-high eight RBI and two home runs. Dominic Rivara is hitting .412 with three RBI and Luke Rivara is hitting .353 with three RBI. Mason Baronian has six RBI and Vincent Civitella is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 8.0 innings with 13 strikeouts. Ryan Degnan is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in 6.0 innings and Aidan Kempf is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 8.0 innings with 12 strikeouts.
Next Game
Mercy hosts Holy Family on Tuesday, March 11th at 3 p.m.
