Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (2/1/2023) – In less than a month the Gwynedd Mercy University Head Baseball team will travel to Clarks Summit University to open their first season under Head Coach Joe Brooks. From there, the Griffins will travel to Auburndale and Davenport, Florida for the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational before returning for contests with Penn State Abington, the University of Valley Forge, Penn State Brandywine, Rosemont College, Clarks Summit University, Rowan University, Delaware Valley University, Cairn University, Moravian University, and their familiar Atlantic East Conference (AEC) rivals. "We are excited to get this season going," stated Head Coach Joe Brooks. "We look forward to the challenge of the 2023 season and the task at hand." The 2022 Griffins finished 17-22 and earned the #3 seed in the AEC Baseball Championship Tournament with a 10-8 league standing.
 
Gwynedd Mercy University opens their 2023 schedule with a March-1 (3:00 p.m.) contest at Clarks Summit University. The contest is the first of two meetings between the Griffins and Defenders this season as a return trip to Clarks Summit University is scheduled for March 29 (4:00 p.m.). Gwynedd Mercy University and Clarks Summit University last met in 2018 (Apr. 21), with a previous generation of Griffins defeating the Defenders by an 11-2 measure.
 
Four days later (Mar. 5), the Griffins face their first competition at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational with a 9:45 a.m. contest versus Dominican University (Ill.). Later that afternoon (1:15 p.m.), Gwynedd Mercy University continues their stay at Lake Myrtle Park with a contest versus Concordia College (Minn.). Following an early-morning contest versus Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) (Mar. 6, 9:00 a.m.), the Griffins travel to RussMatt's NorthEast Regional Park for a March-7 (1:45 p.m.) contest versus Saint Vincent College, before returning to Lake Myrtle Park for a March-9 (9:30 a.m.) contest against Clark University. The Griffins' stay at the RussMatt Invitational concludes with a NorthEast Regional Park doubleheader versus Marian University (Mar. 10, 2:45/5:45 p.m.) and a final Lake Myrtle Park contest against Waynesburg University (Mar. 11, 10:00 a.m.).

Upon returning home, Gwynedd Mercy University visits Penn State Abington (Mar. 14, 3:00 p.m.) for the first of two scheduled contests before traveling to Maplezone Sports Institute for dates with the University of Valley Forge (Mar. 15, 6:00 p.m.) and Penn State Brandywine (Mar. 17, 6:00 p.m.). The Griffins battled Penn State Abington to a 25-14 loss in 2022 (Mar. 31), but defeated the Patriots by a 13-1 (Mar. 1) measure thanks to a dozen (12) hits and a brilliant combined pitching performance from junior Frank Ebling (Cherry Hill, N.J.) (W, 5.0 IP, 2H, 2BB, 3K, 3HBP), junior Giovanni D'Amore (Ambler, Pa.) (1.0 IP, 1K), senior Pat Hasson (Philadelphia, Pa.) (1.0 IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 1K), and junior Joe Golden (Churchville, Pa.) (1.0 IP, 1H, 1BB, 1K). 
 
With the campus field under construction, the Griffins will host their first home games of the season on March 18, when they welcome Penn State Brandywine to Father Judge High School's James Ramp Memorial Recreation Center for an afternoon doubleheader (11:00 a.m./2:00 p.m.). The twin bill will mark the first-ever meeting between Gwynedd Mercy University and Penn State Brandywine.
 
The last test before AEC play comes with a March-21 (3:30 p.m.) contest at Rosemont College. The Griffins took two from the Ravens in 2022, sweeping an early-season doubleheader (Feb. 23) with wins of 9-4 and 20-0 thanks to a good day at the plate from senior infielder Jake Martell (Levittown, Pa.) (6-for-9, 3 2B, 7R, RBI) and senior infielder Billy Collins (Hatfield, Pa.) (4-for-6, 2B, BB, 4 RBI).
 
Marymount University will serve as the Griffins' first AEC series of the season with a March-24 trip to Arlington, Virginia, and a subsequent March-25 doubleheader at Marple Newtown High School. The Griffins went 2-1 versus the Saints last season, winning the single home contest 4-2 (Apr. 23) and the second game of the away doubleheader 16-14 (Apr. 24). After challenging the Saints, Gwynedd Mercy University briefly breaks from league play for their second contest at Clarks Summit University (Mar. 29, 4:00 p.m.).
 
The March-April transition features a three-game set at Immaculata University (Mar. 31, 3:00 p.m. | Apr. 1, 12:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.). The Griffins were swept by the AEC Champions in 2022 (L, 3-13 and L, 1-12 on Mar. 26 | L, 3-5 on Mar. 27), but will look for revenge with a former Mighty Mac assistant now at the helm of the program. Afterwards a non-conference game at Rowan University (Apr. 4, 3:30 p.m.) is followed by an AEC series at Marywood University (Apr. 6, 12:00 p.m./3:00 p.m. | Apr. 11, 3:00 p.m.) and Neumann University (Apr. 14, 3:00 p.m. | Apr. 15, 12:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.). Gwynedd Mercy University last faced the Profs in a 2014 (L, 4-17 on Apr.21) and went 5-1 versus the Pacers (W, 4-2 and L, 2-9 on Apr. 4 | W, 4-3 on Apr. 5) and Knights (3-0).
 
The final weeks of the regular season pin the Griffins opposite Delaware Valley University (Apr. 18, 3:00 p.m.), Centenary University (Apr. 21, 3:00 p.m. | Apr. 22, 12:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.), Cairn University (Apr. 25, 3:30 p.m.), Penn State Abington (Apr. 26, 3:00 p.m.), Moravian University (May 2, 3:30 p.m.), and Cabrini University (May 5, 3:30 p.m. | May 6, 12:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.). Gwynedd Mercy University lost a pair of contests to the Aggies (L, 2-4 on Mar. 6 | L, 4-7 on Mar. 22) as well as their only meetings with the Highlanders (L, 11-15 on Apr. 21) and Greyhounds (L, 6-7 (8) on Apr. 26) last season. They fared better versus the final two conference opponents with a 2-1 standing versus the Cyclones (L, 9-10 on Apr. 8 | W, 8-2 and W, 8-7 (13) on Apr. 11) and a 1-2 standing versus the Cavaliers (L, 4-13 and W, 4-3 on Apr. 29 | L, 6-7 on Apr. 30).
 
The Gwynedd Mercy University baseball team begins their 2023 slate of affairs on Wednesday, March 1, with a 3:00 p.m. contest at Clarks Summit University.