DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 2, 2025) – The Mercy University baseball team plays at ECC foe College of Staten Island for a doubleheader on Thursday, April 3rd starting at 2:30 p.m. The series ends with a doubleheader at Mercy Field on Friday, April 4th starting at 1 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Thursday, April 3rd 2:30 & 5:30 p.m.
Records: Mercy (17-14, 4-4 ECC), Staten Island (10-20, 4-4 ECC)
Location: Staten Island, N.Y.
Date/Time: Friday, April 4th 1 & 4 p.m.
Records: Mercy (17-14, 4-4 ECC), Staten Island (10-20, 4-4 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Staten Island
Mercy earned an 11-7 win over Staten Island on March 24, 2024.
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 a 5-4 12-inning win over Molloy on Sunday. The Mavericks were led by Goins who went 5-for-5 and drove in the winning run. The Mavericks have been led by junior Kolongi Goins who is batting an ECC-best .452 with 14 RBI and 24 runs scored. Sophomore Peyton Jemison is hitting .354 with a home run and 16 RBI to go with 27 runs scored. Junior David Bernard Jr. is hitting .304 with three home runs and 24 RBI and junior John Nisco is hitting .324 with 24 RBI and three home runs to go along with a team-high 31 runs scored. Junior Sean McAdams has 16 RBI and 10 stolen bases and junior Zach Ashline is hitting .308 with five home runs and a team-high 25 RBI. Ashline recorded his 100th career hit against Kutztown on March 14th. Senior Joseph Gonzalez has a team-high 16 stolen bases to go with 17 RBI and senior Connor Ruland has 12 RBI. Gonzalez recorded his 100th career hit against Post on February 21st. Senior Gabe Sanders is hitting .277 with two home runs and 17 RBI. Sanders recorded his 100th career hit at Molloy on March 29th. The pitching staff has been led by sophomore Nevin Scaperotti who has pitched a team-high 42.1 innings with a 1-5 record and 36 strikeouts in eight appearances. Freshman Andre Jenkins is 3-0 with a team-best 4.08 ERA in 35.1 innings with 21 strikeouts and junior Diego Wirz is 3-2 in 31.0 innings with a 4.65 ERA. Freshman Ryan DiNapoli is 2-1 in 13.0 innings and junior Samuel Gil has seven saves with a 4.35 ERA in 10.1 innings. Senior Matthew Manzoeillo is 5-2 in 27.2 innings.
Goins, Nisco and freshman Ethan McGarry were named to the ECC Honor Roll on Monday. Goins was named ECC Co-Player of the Week last week and Jemison and Jenkins were tabbed to the Honor Roll. McAdams was named ECC Player of the Week and Jenkins was tabbed Rookie of the Week on March 17th. Gonzalez and Wirz were tabbed to the Honor Roll. Ashline and Jemison were named to the Honor Roll on March 10th. 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. 9 in the latest NCBWA East Region Top 10 Poll. The Mavericks are 14-4 against the Dolphins.
Scouting the Dolphins
Staten Island is coming off an 8-6 win over Queens on Sunday for their third straight win. The Dolphins were picked sixth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 15-28 last season. Staten Island has been led by Chris Polemeni who is batting a team-high .343 with a team-high 26 RBI and seven home runs. Jack Kehoe is hitting .323 with 16 RBI and three home runs and AJ Vigliotti is hitting .295 with 20 RBI and 21 runs scored. The pitching staff is led by Ryan Kehoe who is 2-2 with a team-best 3.75 ERA in 36.0 innings with 39 strikeouts.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Georgian Court on Tuesday, April 8th at 5 p.m.
