DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – The Mercy University Baseball Team opens ECC play with a doubleheader against D'Youville University on Friday, March 13th at 12 & 3 p.m. before playing at ECC foe Queens College for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 14th at 12 & 3 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Friday, March 13th 12 & 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (6-8, 0-0 ECC), D'Youville (5-9, 0-0 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Date/Time: Saturday, March 14th 12 & 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (6-8, 0-0 ECC), Queens (3-5, 0-0 ECC)
Location: Flushing, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. D'Youville
Mercy earned a 9-6 win over D'Youville on April 13, 2025.
Last Meeting vs. Queens
Mercy dropped a 17-2 decision to Queens on May 9, 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 6-4 and 5-4 losses to Pace on Sunday. The Mavericks were led by senior Sean McAdams who hit a home run. Mercy has been led by senior Kolongi Goins who is batting .395 with a team-high-tying 17 hits to go with six RBI. Sophomore Matthew Hesselbirg is hitting a team-high .400 with five RBI and senior David Bernard Jr. has a team-high 12 RBI and 12 walks. Junior Dylan Koch has 10 runs scored to go with 10 RBI and a team-high 10 stolen bases and senior Zach Ashline has 10 RBI with one home run. Ashline recorded his 100th career RBI against Goldey-Beacom on February 13th. Senior John Nisco has seven RBI and a team-high 13 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 1-2 record in 20.1 innings with 22 strikeouts. Junior Nevin Scaperotti has made four starts and is 1-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. Scaperotti recorded his 100th career strikeout against Franklin Pierce on February 14th. Sophomore Ryan DiNapoli is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA and seven strikeouts in 16.0 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.
The Mavericks are ranked No. 8 in the latest NCBWA East Region poll. Nisco and Scaperotti were named to the ECC Honor Roll on Monday. Scaperotti was named ECC Pitcher of the Week last week and Goins was named to the Honor Roll. Gil was named ECC Pitcher of the Week on February 23rd 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.
Scouting the Saints
D'Youville is coming off 8-0 and 15-1 losses at East Stroudsburg on Sunday. The Saints were picked fifth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 14-33 last season. D'Youville is led by ECC Preseason Player of the Year Billy Morris who is 2-0 on the mound with a 3.15 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 20.0 innings. Morris is also hitting .265 with 10 RBI and a home run. One-time ECC Player of the Week Colby Wilson is hitting a team-high .362 with 13 RBI and five home runs and Blaise Kolbert is hitting .333 with six RBI. Jakob Denall is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 16.0 innings.
Scouting the Knights
Queens is coming off a 9-8 win over Adelphi on Wednesday. The Knights were picked third in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 20-28 last season, falling in the ECC Championship Final. Queens has been led by John Harkins who is batting a team-high .438 with seven RBI and nine runs. Vincent Mallon is hitting .353 with eight RBI and Connor Waiting is hitting .286 with eight RBI and three home runs. Robert Nunez is 1-1 with a 5.91 ERA and six strikeouts in 10.2 innings. Christopher Naronis is 1-0 with a 7.36 ERA and eight strikeouts in 7.1 innings.
Next Game
Mercy hosts STAC on Friday, March 20th for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
