Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (6/17/2026) – Gwynedd Mercy University's 2026 season saw the Griffins overcome a myriad of injuries with veteran leadership, impactful transfers, and emerging young talent. All-Atlantic East Conference (AEC) seasons from senior infielder Jimmy DeCarlo (Ridley Park, Pa.) (1^st Team), junior outfielder/first baseman Karl Wissmann (Cinnaminson, N.J.) (1^st Team), sophomore pitcher Connor Hafto (Washington Township, N.J.) (2^nd Team), and junior infielder Jake Vitale (Warrington, Pa.) (2^nd Team) directed the Griffins to their highest win totals under fourth-year Head Coach Joe Brooks; 22-17 overall, 10-8 AEC. Unfortunately, tiebreakers kept the Red and Gold from reaching postseason play. DeCarlo and Hafto went on to garner All-Region V recognition; the former earned Second Team honors from the D3Baseball.com and Third Team honors from American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings, while the latter was listed on the D3Baseball.com Third Team.
 
Eager build upon the success of the 2025 campaign, Gwynedd Mercy University wasted little time making a statement with a sweep of Notre Dame of Maryland University (W, 5-2/W, 15-3 (7) on Feb. 21) and strong weekend against Penn State Hazleton (W, 7-1 on Feb. 27/W, 12-0 (7) on Mar. 1) and Penn State Abington (L, 4-5 on Feb. 28). Junior pitcher  Michael Inglisa (Delran, N.J.) went a strong six innings in the season opener versus the Gators, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out seven en route to the AEC Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 23) award. He was joined on the report by DeCarlo, who earned an Honor Roll mention by going 3-for-8 with two runs and four runs-batted-in (RBI) in the twin bill. Versus the Nittany Lions, it was freshman pitcher Landon Glovas (Nazareth, Pa.) and junior infielder Drew Haines (Hammonton, N.J.) who shined. Glovas became the second straight Griffin to win the AEC Pitcher of the Week award with four innings of no-hit baseball in his collegiate debut, while Haines was 4-for-8 for the weekend with four walks, four runs, three RBI, and a stolen base.
 
The annual trip to the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational proved to be an important measuring stick as the Red and Gold, who developed some early team chemistry while battling quality opposition. The tour included victories over Suffolk University (W, 16-2 on Mar. 6) and Albertus Magnus College (14-7 on Mar. 11).
 
Junior outfielder Noah Waldron (Collingswood, N.J.) was just a single shy of the cycle against the Rams, finishing 3-for-5 with a double in the third, a three-run homerun in the fifth, and a triple in the seventh. Meanwhile, Inglisa earned his second win of the season by holding them to an unearned run on five hits; he walked one and struck out four. Both were recognized on the AEC Weekly Report (Mar. 9) with Waldron earning the AEC Player of the Week award and Inglisa garnering an Honor Roll mention. Against the Falcons, Griffins recovered from losses to Clark University (L, 4-5 on Mar. 7) and the College of St. Scholastica (L, 1-6 on Mar. 11) with 14 hits in a 14-7 victory. Senior outfielder Chris Nodeland (Hamilton, N.J.) led the way with a 3-for-4 day; he led off the game with a beanball, drew a walk in the third, singled home a run in the sixth inning (8-5), doubled in two run in the seventh, and drew a second walk in the ninth inning to finish the game with a run scored and four RBI.
 
DeCarlo led Gwynedd Mercy University for the remainder of the trip, garnering an AEC Weekly Honor Roll (Mar. 17) appearance for his play against the Saints, Falcons, Albion College (L, 7-8 on Mar. 12), and Dickinson College (L, 3-7/L, 2-9 on Mar. 13). The Red and Gold captain went 10-for-20 (.500) with two walks, three runs, and three RBI; he recorded an RBI in each of the first three games of the 1-4 week, including one as the by-product of a 4-for-4, two-run performance versus the Britons.
 
As the season progressed, Gwynedd Mercy developed an identity centered around offensive balance, quality pitching, and timely defense. The Griffins finished the year batting .279 337-for-1,210) with 269 runs scored. Meanwhile, they held their opponents to a .292 (360-for-1,233) batting average and allowed just 220 runs to score. As a result, the Red and Gold went 16-11 following their stay in Florida. The remainder of March included a 12-2, eight-inning win over Lancaster Bible College (Mar. 18), a pair of AEC-wins over Neumann University (W, 8-4 on Mar. 21/W, 13-12 on Mar. 22), a narrow 7-6 loss to #7 Salisbury University (Mar. 24), a 17-3 AEC-win at Immaculata University (Mar. 28), and a 9-8 triumph over Cairn University (Mar. 31). In April, it brought Gwynedd Mercy University a pair of AEC-wins versus Centenary University (W, 4-3 (10) on Apr. 2/W, 10-2 on Apr. 7), an AEC-victory at Marywood University (W, 10-8 on Apr. 10), a 7-6 win versus Stockton University (Apr. 14), a 3-2 AEC-win against Marymount University (W, 3-2 on Apr. 17), a 19-4, seven-inning win over the University of Valley Forge (Apr. 20), and sweeps of both Rosemont College (W, 11-2 (7)/W, 13-0 (7) on Apr. 26) and AEC rival, Saint Elizabeth University (W, 5-2 on May 1/W, 6-3 (10) and W, 5-0 on May 2).
 
Unlike many teams that relied heavily on one or two players, the Red and Gold found production throughout the lineup. Opposing pitchers struggled to find easy outs as the Griffins shattered the program mark for free passes with 99 beanballs and 193 walks. Sophomore infielder Deven Ross (Lansdale, Pa.) served as the best example of the grit as he reached base at a remarkable .468 clip and tied Waldron for a team-high 35 runs thanks to a single-season record, 19 beanballs.
 
In addition to DeCarlo's reliable bat and Ross' presence on the bags, Gwynedd Mercy University also enjoyed solid debut seasons from catcher Jacob Ruddell (Warrington, Pa.) and outfielder Charlie Neal (Mickleton, N.J.), as well as impressive transfer seasons from Vitale, Waldron, and Wissmann.

Ruddell (35 games played – 31 games started) was the everyday catcher and he finished the season with a .247 (22-of-89)/.407/.292 (AVG/OBP/SLG) slash line that produced 24 runs and 13 RBI with 11 walks, 13 beanballs, and just 14 strikeouts. He also proved as a valuable asset behind the dish, recording 28 assists with only one error on a .994 fielding percentage. Similarly, Neal (38gp-37gs) was the Griffins' everyday right fielder, sporting a .246 (34-for-138)/.346/.297 slash line that resulted in 24 runs and 30 RBI. He drew 18 walks, was beaned four times, and stole six bases (6-for-7, .857).
 
Vitale (31gp-29gs) solidified the Gwynedd Mercy University infield with his play at shortstop as he posted a .953 fielding percentage with just seven errors in 150 chances. At the plate, he scored 22 runs and knocked in 17 with a .327 (33-for-101)/.450/.356 slash line that came with 18 walks, seven beanballs, and four stolen bases (4-for-5, .800).
 
Waldron (39gp-38gs) captained the Griffin outfield from center and demonstrated his skill at the plate with .250 (37-for-148)/.358/.392 slash line that produced from various spots in the Gwynedd Mercy University lineup. He tied Ross for the team lead in runs scored (35) and he drove in 26 with 24 singles and 13 extra-base hits (7 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR).
 
Wissmann (33gp-28gs) was a welcomed addition to the Griffin lineup and defense with timely hitting and a reliable glove that earned him starts in left field and at first base. He finished the year with 22 runs and 24 RBI on a .340 (36-for-106)/.440/.396 slash line that came with 17 walks and a pair of beanballs.
 
DeCarlo (39gp-38gs) totaled 23 runs and 40 RBI with a .376 (56-for-149)/.448/.456 slash line. The Red and Gold captain was hit by five pitches and drew 17 walks. As the centerpiece of the Gwynedd Mercy University lineup, he consistently delivered in clutch situations and provided the veteran leadership necessary for a team with championship aspirations as he surpassed 150 career hits and 100 career RBI (Apr. 20 vs. University of Valley Forge) while drawing additional AEC Weekly Honor Roll appearances on March 30 and April 6.
 
On the mound, the Griffins endured a mid-season injury to Inglisa with an impressive seasons from Hafto and Glovas. As the staff ace for 2026, Hafto (11gp-11gs) was vital to the Griffins' success. He went 5-2 on a 2.73 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Over 62.2 innings of work, he allowed 19 earned runs on 62 hits and 16 walks. Hafto threw one wild pitch, hit 13 batsmen, walked 16, and struck out 45 while holding opponents to a .259 batting average. He was named to the AEC Baseball Weekly Honor Roll on April 20 after an 8.1-inning gem in the Griffins' 3-2 win over Marymount University (Apr. 17); Hafto scattered four hits and three walks over 25 outs as he induced the Saints into 15 groundouts while carrying a shutout into the ninth inning. Meanwhile, Glovas (10gp-8gs) went 3-2 with a 3.89 ERA over 41.2 innings of work. He finished the season strong, picking up additional AEC Weekly Honor Roll appearances on April 13 and April 27 with impressive starts versus Marywood University (W, 8.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 6 K on Apr. 11) and Rosemont College (W, 6.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K on Apr. 26), respectively. After a strong start, Inglisa (7gp-6gs) finished the season 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA over 37.2 innings pitched.

Out of the bullpen, Gwynedd Mercy University relied on sophomores Dylan Ganey (Langhorne, Pa.) (14 games played – 5 games started), Kevin King (Ridley, Pa.) (9gp-1gs), Chase Hamilton (Philadelphia, Pa.) (12gp-0gs), as well as the veteran arms of seniors, Zachary Freas (Mickleton, N.J.) (16gp-0gs), and Ryan Kasper (Levittown, Pa.) (15gp-1gs). Ganey was an AEC Weekly Honor Roll mention on March 23 and he led the group in innings pitched (37.2). King led in ERA (2.11) and Hamilton in saves (2), while Freas (1-0, 1 save) and Kasper (3-2, 1) combined for a 4-2 record and a pair of saves in 31 relief appearances.