DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – The Mercy University Baseball Team hosts Southern Connecticut State University for a doubleheader on Sunday, March 1st at 12 & 3 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Sunday, March 1st 12 & 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (5-3), Southern Connecticut State (2-5)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Southern Connecticut State
Mercy earned a 9-4 win over Southern Connecticut State on March 12, 2025.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy enters the 2026 season picked second in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 29-24 overall and 10-10 in ECC play, setting a single-season school record for wins. The Mavericks were picked a program-best second in the ECC Preseason Poll. Mercy looks to qualify for the ECC Tournament for the fifth time in six seasons under Head Coach Chris Schoen.
Leading the returners for the Mavericks is senior John Nisco who was named NCBWA Preseason All-Region. Nisco earned NCBWA and D2CCA Second Team All-Region honors last season after being named First Team All-ECC. The senior hit .337 in 2025 with 66 hits, 50 runs, 56 RBI, nine home runs, nine doubles, five triples, and 13 stolen bases. The outfielder ranked fourth in the ECC in runs, third in home runs and was second in RBI. Nisco set a new single-season school record for RBI and recorded his 100th career hit during the season.
Also returning is senior Kolongi Goins who was named NCBWA Preseason All-Region after being named NCBWA Second Team All-Region last season and First Team All-ECC. The outfielder hit .391 last season with 59 hits, 45 runs, 28 RBI, nine doubles and five stolen bases. Goins ranked second in the ECC in average.
Sophomore Andre Jenkins leads the returners on the mound. The pitcher was named NCBWA Preseason All-Region after being named First Team All-ECC last season. Jenkins went 6-1 with a 3.72 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 67.2 innings pitched. The sophomore tied the single-season school record for wins and led the team in ERA and innings pitched. He was second in the ECC in wins and fourth in ERA. Sophomore Gordon Votruba was named NCBWA Preseason All-Region after earning Second Team All-Region and First Team All-ECC honors last season. Votruba went 0-2 with three saves, a 4.04 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched. The pitcher tied for the team lead in appearances and ranked in the top 10 in the ECC in saves.
Graduate student Alfred Hoti is also back for the Mavericks after being named Second Team All-ECC last season. Hoti hit .275 with 14 RBI and 28 runs scored. Senior Zach Ashline earned Second Team All-ECC honors last year after hitting .279 with 37 RBI, eight home runs and 27 runs scored.
Seniors David Bernard Jr. and Sean McAdams also return in the infield. Bernard Jr. hit .279 with four home runs and 35 RBI to go with 13 doubles. McAdams hit .264 with 25 RBI and 31 runs scored. Graduate student Connor Ruland, senior Anthony Dolce, juniors Joey Bodin and Kyle Engmann, and sophomores Matthew Hesselbirg, Anthony Altobelli and Jack Antalek also return.
Also returning from the pitching staff is junior Nevin Scaperotti who was named ECC Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-ECC in 2024. Last season, Scaperotti made 10 starts on the bump and pitched 54.1 innings with a team-high-tying 43 strikeouts. Sophomore Ryan DiNapoli returns after going 5-1 with a 3.90 ERA, four saves and 18 strikeouts in 27.2 innings. Senior Diego Wirz is back after going 5-2 in nine starts with 43.2 innings with 23 strikeouts and senior Samuel Gil returns after recording a team-high eight saves in 14.2 innings last season. Sophomore Ethan McGarry returns after going 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in 28.2 innings pitched and senior Ryan Ehret, junior Jack Esposito and sophomores Owen Brink, Chase de Castro, Nicholas Stella, Omar Giret and Derek Fernandez also return.
Leading the newcomers is junior Dylan Koch who was named NE10 Southwest Division Rookie Hitter of the Year at Pace University in 2024. Koch hit .305 during his freshman year with 17 runs, 21 RBI and three home runs. Also joining the Mavericks as transfers are sophomore Tate Van Alstyne who transfers from Southern New Hampshire University and Geneo Savoca who joins the Mavericks from University at Albany.
Schoen will also rely on freshmen Kendall Gil, Dylan Ruland, Justin Parodi, Amare Carruthers, Noah Dromerhauser, Luke Esposito, Jose Ulloa, Marcus Fiallo, Aydan Wayne and Shane Driscoll.
Mercy is coming off a 13-11 win over Bentley on Sunday. The Mavericks were led by sophomore Anthony Altobelli, and seniors John Nisco and David Bernard, Jr. who all homered. Mercy has been led by senior Kolongi Goins who is batting .440 with a team-high 11 hits to go with six RBI. Sophomore Matthew Hesselbirg leads the team hitting .500 and senior David Bernard Jr. has a team-high-tying eight RBI and a team-high 11 walks. Junior Dylan Koch has seven runs scored to go with six RBI and a team-high eight stolen bases and senior Zach Ashline has a team-high-tying eight RBI with one home run. Ashline recorded his 100th career RBI against Goldey-Beacom on February 13th. Senior John Nisco has six RBI and a team-high 11 runs scored. Nisco recorded his 100th career RBI against Franklin Pierce on February 15th and his 100th run scored against Post on February 20th. Sophomore Andre Jenkins leads the pitching staff with a 1-0 record with a 1.64 ERA in 11.0 innings with 11 strikeouts. Junior Nevin Scaperotti has made two starts and is 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 10.1 innings. Scaperotti recorded his 100th career strikeout against Franklin Pierce on February 14th. Sophomore Ryan DiNapoli is 2-0 with a 0.84 ERA and four strikeouts in 10.2 innings. Senior Ryan Ehret has one save in 5.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA. Senior Samuel Gil has a team-high two saves and a 0.00 ERA in 4.1 innings.
Mercy has started 5-3 for the second straight year. The Mavericks are ranked No. 7 in the latest NCBWA East Region poll. Gil was named ECC Pitcher of the Week on Monday and Altobelli and sophomore Geneo Savoca were tabbed to the Honor Roll. Goins was named ECC Player of the Week on February 16th, DiNapoli was tabbed Pitcher of the Week, and freshman Dylan Ruland was named to the Honor Roll. Mercy is 5-21 in their last 26 meetings against the Owls.
Scouting the Owls
Southern Connecticut State is coming off a 12-3 loss to Wilmington on Sunday. The Owls were picked fifth in the NE10 Preseason Poll after going 24-20 last season, qualifying for the NE10 Championship. SCSU has been led by Brennan Staubley who is batting a team-high .433 with seven RBI, 13 hits and three home runs. Jake Chacho is batting .346 with 10 runs and six RBI. The pitching staff is led by Jace Alvino who has a 5.59 ERA in 9.2 innings with 10 strikeouts. Johnny O'Brien is 2-0 with a 6.00 ERA in 3.0 innings.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Pace for a doubleheader on Friday, March 6th starting at 2 p.m.
