DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 20, 2025) – The Mercy University baseball team hosts University of New Haven on Tuesday, April 22nd at 3 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 22nd 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (24-19), New Haven (20-13)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. New Haven
New Haven earned a 5-4 win over Mercy on April 13, 2022.
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 an 8-7 game two loss at Lincoln on Saturday. The Mavericks were led by junior John Nisco who had a game-high five RBI. The Mavericks have been led by junior Kolongi Goins who is batting an ECC-best .418 with 24 RBI and 39 runs scored. Sophomore Peyton Jemison is hitting .375 with a home run and 27 RBI to go with 40 runs scored. Junior David Bernard Jr. is hitting .275 with three home runs and 30 RBI and junior John Nisco is hitting .344 with a team-high 44 RBI and seven home runs to go along with a team-high 45 runs scored. Nisco recorded his 100th career hit in game two at Staten Island on April 3rd. Junior Sean McAdams has 23 RBI and 12 stolen bases and junior Zach Ashline is hitting .296 with five home runs and 30 RBI. Ashline recorded his 100th career hit against Kutztown on March 14th. Senior Joseph Gonzalez has a team-high 24 stolen bases to go with 25 RBI and senior Connor Ruland has 12 RBI. Gonzalez recorded his 100th career hit against Post on February 21st and his 100th career run scored against Lincoln on April 19th. Senior Gabe Sanders is hitting .307 with three home runs and 29 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 44.1 innings with a 1-5 record and 37 strikeouts in nine appearances. Freshman Andre Jenkins is 4-1 with a team-best 4.36 ERA in 53.2 innings with 36 strikeouts and junior Diego Wirz is 3-2 in 34.0 innings with a 6.88 ERA. Freshman Ryan DiNapoli is 5-1 in 22.0 innings and junior Samuel Gil has eight saves in 13.0 innings. Senior Matthew Manzoeillo is 6-3 in 45.0 innings with a 5.60 ERA. Manzoeillo has tied the single-season school record for wins.
Sanders was named ECC Player of the Week last week and Goins, DiNapoli and Votruba were tabbed to the Honor Roll. Manzoeillo, Nisco and Jemison were named to the ECC Honor Roll on April 7th. Goins, Nisco and freshman Ethan McGarry were named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 31st. Goins was named ECC Co-Player of the Week on March 24th 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 receiving votes in the latest NCBWA East Region Top 10 Poll. The Mavericks are 7-18 in their last 25 meetings against New Haven and last beat the Chargers in 2019.
Scouting the Chargers
New Haven is coming off an 8-5 game two win over Adelphi on Saturday. The Chargers were picked first in the NE10 Southwest Division Preseason Poll after going 31-25 last season, winning the NE10 Championship and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. New Haven is ranked No. 8 in the latest NCBWA East Region Poll. The Chargers are led by Casey Cerruto who is hitting .318 with 17 RBI amd seven doubles. Robert Taylor is hitting .300 with 21 RBI and three home runs and Joseph Frazzetta is hitting .261 with a team-high 22 RBI. Michael Gatti is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 39.2 innings with 57 strikeouts and Liam Carroll is 5-2 with a 3.35 ERA in 45.2 innings with 37 strikeouts. Vincent Fusco is 2-4 with a 5.18 ERA in 33.0 innings with 32 strikeouts and Randy Ramnarace and Jafar Vohra both have a team-high two saves.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Queens on Friday at 3 p.m.
