DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – The Mercy University Baseball Team hosts ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College for a doubleheader on Friday, April 17th starting at 12 p.m. Mercy will then play at STAC on Sunday, April 19th for a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m.

Who, When and Where

Date/Time: Friday, April 17th 12 & 3 p.m.

Records: Mercy (19-17, 10-8 ECC), St. Thomas Aquinas (21-13, 10-8 ECC)

Location: Uniondale, N.Y.

Date/Time: Sunday, April 19th 5 & 8 p.m.

Records: Mercy (19-17, 10-8 ECC), St. Thomas Aquinas (21-13, 10-8 ECC)

Location: Pomona, N.Y.

Last Meeting vs. St. Thomas Aquinas

Mercy earned 6-3 and 2-1 wins over STAC on March 20, 2026.

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 4-3 loss at Molloy on Sunday. The Mavericks were led by senior John Nisco who had a game-high three hits with an RBI. Mercy has been led by senior Kolongi Goins who is batting .380 with 41 hits to go with 17 RBI. Goins recorded his 100th career hit against STAC on March 20th. Sophomore Matthew Hesselbirg is hitting .344 with 12 RBI and 22 runs and senior David Bernard Jr. has 17 RBI and a team-high 20 walks. Junior Dylan Koch has a team-high 26 runs scored to go with 26 RBI and 20 stolen bases and senior Zach Ashline has a team-high 32 RBI and four home runs. Ashline recorded his 100th career RBI against Goldey-Beacom on February 13th and his 100th run scored against Staten Island on April 3rd. Senior John Nisco has 23 RBI and 25 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 Anthony Altobelli is hitting .330 with 12 RBI and six doubles and junior Nevin Scaperotti is hitting a team-high .404 with 18 RBI. Sophomore Andre Jenkins leads the pitching staff with a 4-4 record in 57.1 innings with 44 strikeouts. Scaperotti has made nine starts and is 5-1 with a 2.11 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 59.2 innings. Scaperotti recorded his 100th career strikeout against Franklin Pierce on February 14th. Sophomore Ryan DiNapoli is 3-4 with a 4.98 ERA and eight strikeouts in 34.1 innings. Freshman Dylan Ruland is 2-1 with a 4.58 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. Senior Samuel Gil has a team-high two saves and is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 8.1 innings.  

The Mavericks are ranked No. 8 in the latest NCBWA East Region poll. Savoca was named ECC Rookie of the Week on April 13th and Scaperotti, Engmann and Nisco were named to the Honor Roll. Scaperotti was named ECC Pitcher of the Week on April 6th and Ashline, Koch, Jenkins and Savoca were named to the Honor Roll. Scaperotti was named ECC Pitcher of the Week on March 30th, Savoca was named Rookie of the Week and Ashline and Goins were tabbed to the Honor Roll. Dylan Ruland was named ECC Rookie of the Week on March 23rd and Scaperotti and Altobelli were tabbed to the Honor Roll. Scaperotti and DiNapoli were named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 16th. Nisco and Scaperotti were named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 9th. Scaperotti was named ECC Pitcher of the Week on March 2nd 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 Spartans

STAC is coming off a 12-5 loss at Georgian Court on Wednesday. The Spartans were picked sixth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 14-29 last season. STAC is ranked No. 7 in the latest NCBWA East Region Top 10 Poll. The Spartans have been led by Nick Oelcher who is batting a team-high .394 with 26 RBI and 28 runs. C.J. Cumbo is hitting .347 with 33 RBI, six home runs and 31 runs. Andrew Schoelles is 2-2 on the mound with a 5.66 ERA in a team-high 41.1 innings with 23 strikeouts. William Fleck is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 innings and James Garcia has a team-high seven saves with a 1.08 ERA in 8.1 innings.

Next Game

Mercy hosts Staten Island on Thursday, April 23rd at 3 p.m.