Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (1/25/2026) – Less than a month from now, on Friday, February 20, the Gwynedd Mercy University baseball team will open their 2026 season with a 3:00 p.m. home game versus Eastern University. "We are excited to announce our 2026 schedule. We look forward to the challenge and the task at hand," stated Head Coach
Joe Brooks. "This schedule features several nationally recognized opponents, which will continue to elevate our program and prepare us for Atlantic East Conference play."
An April-13, 5-4 win over Centenary University (N.J.) and an April-25 sweep of the defending Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Champions, Immaculata University (W, 2-1/W, 9-8) accounted for Gwynedd Mercy University's conference success in 2025, but it failed to qualify them for the 2025 AEC Baseball Championship Tournament. At 13-25 overall and 3-12 in league play, three Griffins garnered All-AEC recognition as First Team honors for senior pitcher/outfielder
Cooper Root (Runnemede, N.J.) and junior infielder
Jimmy DeCarlo (Ridley Park, Pa.) were complemented by a Second Team laurel for sophomore pitcher
Michael Inglisa (Delran, N.J.). Root went on to earn his second D3Baseball.com All-Region V selection with a Third Team honor at the utility position; he was also named the 2024-2025 Gwynedd Mercy University Athletics Male Senior Student-Athlete of the Year, before joining Coach Brooks staff for the 2026 campaign.
Gwynedd Mercy University last played Eastern University in 2016 (W, 27-8 on Apr. 25), collecting their 29
th all-time win over the Eagles (vs. 29-5) by a 27-8 final. Eastern University was 17-23 last year with an 8-13 standing in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth.
Following the season, and home opener, the Griffins welcome Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) to Frank O. Genuardi Legends Baseball Field for a February-21 (11:30 a.m./2:30 p.m.) doubleheader. In 2025 (Mar. 20), a monumental eight-run first inning helped pave the way for a 14-0 (7) victory in the Griffins first-ever meeting with the Gators. Freshman pitcher
Connor Hafto (Washington Township, N.J.) made his first collegiate start; he allowed three hits and two walks, while striking out four in the win (1-3). NDMU finished the season with a 7-25 overall record and a 3-13 standing in the United East Conference.
Coach Brooks' alma mater, Rutgers-Camden serves as the Red and Gold's first road trip of 2026 as the Griffin visit the Scarlet Raptors on February 24 (2:30 p.m.). In 2025, Two runs in the first inning (2-0), four in the second inning (6-0), and five in the seventh inning (14-1) was more than enough for Rutgers-Camden defeat Gwynedd Mercy University in an 14-2 (8) final. The Griffins scored on a third-inning double to left center from freshman second baseman
Deven Ross (Lansdale, Pa.) (6-1) and a seventh-inning single through the left side from sophomore third baseman
Ryan Horner (Cinnaminson, N.J.) (14-2). Horner was the only Griffin with multiple hits (2-for-3); in addition to his seventh-inning run-batted-in (RBI) single, he also singled to left field in the fifth inning. The Scarlet Raptors finished 2025 with a 30-17 overall record and an 8-10 standing in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC); all-time, the Griffins are 3-8 against them.
The February-March transition will be ushered in by a weekend home series with Penn State Hazleton and Penn State Abington; the Griffins will host Hazleton for a 3:00 p.m. game on Friday, February 27, and a 10:30 a.m. game on Sunday, March 1, bookending an 12:00 p.m. game with Abington on Saturday, February 28. While Gwynedd Mercy University has never played the Hazleton Nittany Lions, they are 6-4 all-time against the ones from Abington. In 2025, the Griffins faced Penn State Abington on two separate occasions. On February 28, both teams had little offense before combining for 11 runs in the eighth inning. The Nittany Lions scored four runs and lead 6-2 before the Red and Gold took the plate. Resilient, Gwynedd Mercy University plated seven runs in the frame to steal a 9-6 victory. Freshman pitcher
Brayden Scott (Gilbert Ariz.) struck out six and earned no decision, despite allowing just two earned runs on eight hits. Penn State Hazleton finished last season 14-22 overall with a 7-13 standing in the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC). Meanwhile, Penn State Abington was 17-20 overall and 9-7 in the United East; the Griffins are 6-4 all-time versus them.
Like last year, Gwynedd Mercy University's final contest before their Spring Trip is a 3:00 p.m. home game against Muhlenberg College. The Griffins spotted the Mules six runs in the 2025 meeting. The Red and Gold rally began in the bottom of the third inning (6-1) and continued with two runs in both the sixth (7-4) and seventh (8-6) innings, but outs and daylight exhausted the Red and Gold opportunities in a 9-6 (8) final. Senior center fielder
Sam Junker (Ambler, Pa.) singled in his first three at-bats (3-for-4) and brought one of Gwynedd Mercy University's sixth-inning runs with a bases-loaded walk (7-3). Freshman
Dylan Ganey (Langhorne, Pa.) helped give the offense a chance by holding the Mules to two runs on six hits while striking out three in four innings (4.0) of relief. Muhlenberg College finished 2025 with a 19-20 overall record and an 8-10 standing in the Centennial Conference; all-time the Griffins are 6-3 against the Mules.
The Griffins' 2026 Spring Trip to the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational includes a pair of 2025 opponents; Albertus Magnus College (Mar. 8, 5:00 p.m.) and the College of St. Scholastica (Mar. 10, 2:15 p.m.), among contests versus Suffolk University (Mar. 6, 10:30 a.m.), Clark University (Mar. 7, 9:15 a.m.), Albion College (Mar. 12, 10:15 a.m.), and Dickinson College (Mar. 13, 9:00 a.m.). The Griffins were unsuccessful against both the Falcons (L, 7-19 on Mar. 12) and Saints (L, 1-10 on Mar. 9) in their first-ever meetings; Albertus Magnus College finished the season 9-22 overall and 4-12 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), while the College of St. Scholastica was 22-18 overall and 9-11 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).
Clark University (L, 9-10 on Mar. 9) and Albion College (W, 3-2 on Mar. 8) were first-time Griffin, RussMatt opponents in 2023. Suffolk College was the same in 2014 (W, 9-1 on Mar. 7). The Griffins last played Dickinson College in 2007 (W, 6-3 on Apr. 25). The Cougars were 25-14 overall in 2025 with a 9-7 standing in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). The Brits were 17-19 overall and 10-11 in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). The Rams were 14-25 overall and 7-9 in the Conference of New England. The Devils were 16-19 overall and 7-11 in the Centennial Conference; the Griffins are 4-0 all-time versus them.
A return trip home brings Gwynedd Mercy University back to Genuardi Field for a 3:00 p.m., March-18 game versus Lancaster Bible College. The Griffins defeated the Chargers in their first meeting with a 13-4 victory in 2024 (Apr. 9). Lancaster Bible College finished their 2025 campaign with a 18-21 overall record and an 8-8 standing in the United East Conference.
On Friday, March 20, the Red and Gold opens their AEC schedule with a three-game, weekend series against Neumann University; the Griffins will visit the Knights for a 3:00 p.m. contest on Friday before hosting a 11:30 a.m. Saturday doubleheader. Gwynedd Mercy University were 0-3 against Neumann University in 2025 as they dropped home games on April 4 (L, 2-5) and April 9 (L, 1-5), before losing a road contest on April 10 (L, 1-7); Ross was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in the first game, while DeCarlo was 5-for-8 with a run and an RBI in the final two. Neumann University finished the season 27-13 overall and 11-4 in the AEC before defeating falling to Marymount University in the AEC Championship; 13-2 (May 10). All-time, the Griffins are 55-29 versus the Knights.
Salisbury University serves as Gwynedd Mercy University's first non-conference speed bump as the Griffins host them for a 3:30 p.m. contest on March 24. In 2025, a Top-10 Sea Gulls squad defeated the Griffins by a 15-4 measure; Root was 3-for-4 and DeCarlo was 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored. Salisbury University finished the season 34-10 overall and 3-1 in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C); the Griffins are 1-7 all-time against the Sea Gulls.
Immaculata University will be Gwynedd Mercy University's second AEC opponent in 2026 with a home game on Friday, March 27 (3:00 p.m.), and a road doubleheader on Saturday, March 28 (12:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.). The Red and Gold went 2-1 versus the Knights in 2025, celebrating a pair of home, walk-off wins (W, 2-1/ W, 9-8 on Apr. 25) before dropping the road finale by a 12-0 final; Root was 2-for-3 with two RBI in the first game, Horner was 3-for-4 with four runs and two RBI in game two, while Ross (1-for-2) and senior first baseman
Ricky Templeton (West Deptford, N.J.) (1-for-3) recorded the only two Griffin hits of game three. The Mighty Macs finished the season 13-26 overall and 7-8 in the AEC; all-time, Gwynedd Mercy University is 20-30 versus Immaculata University.
The next non-conference opponent is Cairn University (Mar. 31, 3:00 p.m.); the Griffins lost to the Highlanders by a 7-5 final in 2025 (Apr. 17). The Griffins took an early 4-1 lead before falling victim to a six-run sixth inning. Root was 3-for-5 with two runs and a RBI, while DeCarlo went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Cairn University finished the season with a 28-16 overall record and an 11-5 standing in the United East Conference; the Griffins are 26-7 all-time against the Highlanders.
Centenary University (N.J.) is the third AEC series on the 2026 schedule with Gwynedd Mercy University hosting the Cyclones for a doubleheader on Thursday, April 2 (12:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.), before traveling to Hackettstown, New Jersey, for a 3:00 p.m. contest on Tuesday, April 7. Gwynedd Mercy University was 1-2 versus Centenary University in 2025 with a 5-4 (Apr. 13), game-two victory; the Red and Gold split four runs before their first two at-bats, while Inglisa held off the Cyclones for a win (2-4) in his first collegiate start. He allowed four runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out five over 8.2 innings. Similarly, freshman
Chase Hamilton (Philadelphia, Pa.) recorded his second collegiate save with the final out of the affair. Centenary University finished the season 19-22-1 overall and 8-7 in the AEC; the Griffins are 35-13 all-time against the Cyclones.
Rosemont College then breaks up the Griffins' AEC docket with a 3:00 p.m. contest on April 8. The Ravens came out of the early innings with a 5-3 lead, but the Griffins were 10-5 victors in 2025 (Mar. 19) after scoring three runs in the sixth inning (6-5), three runs in the seventh (9-5), and one run in the eighth (10-5). Root was 3-for-5 with three RBI, while Horner was 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs, and two RBI. Hamilton earned his first collegiate save with three innings of scoreless relief (3.0 innings; 2 hits, 3 walks). Rosemont College finished the season 13-25 overall and 6-10 in the United East Conference; all-time, the Griffins are 5-0 versus the Ravens.
The fourth AEC series of 2026 sends Gwynedd Mercy University to Marywood University for a 3:00 p.m. contest on April 10; the Griffins and Pacers complete the series at Genuardi Field with a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader on April 11. The Red and Gold were 0-3 against Marywood University in 2025, dropping a home game, 3-2 (May 2), and both games of a road doubleheader; 5-4 and 8-5 (May 3). Root was 3-for-10 with two walks and four RBI in the series. Marywood University finished the season 16-21 overall and 5-10 in the AEC; the Griffins are 51-22 all-time against the Pacers.
Stockton University are the next non-conference hurdle as the Red and Gold welcome the Osprey to campus for a 3:30 p.m. contest on April 14. Gwynedd Mercy University lost their 2025 meeting with Stockton University by a 13-4 final (Apr. 15). DeCarlo (2-for-4, BB) was the only Griffin to record multiple hits in the affair. The Osprey finished the season 19-19 overall and 7-11 in the NJAC. The Griffins are 1-3 all-time against them.
Marymount University is the fifth AEC series of 2026 with a 3:00 p.m. home game on April 17 and a noon (12:00 p.m.) road doubleheader on April 18. The Griffins were 0-3 against the 2025 Saints, dropping a March-28 doubleheader (L, 4-30/L, 4-9) and a March-29 solo contest (L, 0-10 (7)); Root was 1-for-6 with two walks, a run, and three RBI in the series. Marymount University finished the season 27-20 overall and, a league-best, 12-4 in the AEC; the Griffins are 7-14 all-time against the Saints.
Alvernia University and Penn College are the final two non-conference opponents on Gwynedd Mercy University's 2026 schedule. The Griffins are 22-31-2 all-time against the Golden Wolves; they tied in their last meeting with an 8-8 stalemate in 2019 (Mar. 27). Alvernia University finished 2025 with a 24-18 overall record and a 14-7 standing in the MAC Commonwealth. Meanwhile, Penn College serves as a first-time advisory for the Griffins. They were 18-18 overall in 2025 with a 11-5 standing in the United East Conference.
New AEC member, Elizabeth University are the Griffins' final opponent of the 2026 regular season as they host the Eagles for their first-ever meeting on May 1 (3:00 p.m.). The series concludes on May 2 (12:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.) with a noon doubleheader.
The 2026 AEC Baseball Championship is scheduled for the home of the highest remaining seed on Sunday, May 10, with the first-round and semifinal contests respectively scheduled for Thursday, May 7, and Saturday, May 9.
