2/21/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Winter weather scuttled last week's plans, but the snow won't stop Lackawanna College baseball from travelling to southern Virginia to take on Patrick & Henry CC in a three-game series this weekend in non-region baseball action.
 
The series will start with a doubleheader on Saturday, February 22^nd, at 2:00pm ET from Hooker Field in Martinsville. Then, both teams will play a single nine-inning game on Sunday, February 23^rd, starting at 11:00am ET. There is no video livestream available.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (2-1) have not been in action since February 9^th. Lackawanna won two of three games on the road against Bryant & Stratton (VA) in Virginia Beach that weekend, winning game one 14-9, game two 13-6, and dropping game three 6-5.
 
Through their first three games, the Falcons are hitting a combined .330, compiling a collective .982 OPS, which includes a .454 OBP. Lackawanna has 13 extra-base hits, including nine doubles and four homeruns. The Falcons are slugging at .528, and they have scored 32 runs. Lackawanna has drawn 21 walks and struck out 32 times as a team this year.
 
On the mound, the Falcons have a 6.85 ERA, giving up 21 runs on 30 hits through 22.1 innings pitched. Teams are hitting .316 against the Falcons this season. Lackawanna has struck out 26 batters and walked 21. The Falcons have also plunked seven batters this year.
 
Defensively, the Falcons have seven errors and a .923 fielding percentage. The Falcons have caught four baserunners stealing this year and have forced one double play.
 
First-year outfielder Deacon Brown (Williamsport, PA) leads the Falcons with a .636 batting average this year, posting seven hits in eleven at-bats. Brown leads the Falcons in OPS (1.460), OBP (.733), and total hits (7). He's second on the team in slugging (.727) and he has scored a pair of runs, while driving in four. Brown has three straight multi-hit games to open the season. He scored a pair of runs and drove in two more in the win against Bryant & Stratton to open the season on February 8^th. He was a perfect 3-for-3 in the loss to B&S on Sunday, February 9^th, hitting a double and driving in another run. Deacon has been busy in the field, with eight putouts and a pair of assists this year.
 
Sophomore shortstop Brooks Henderson IV (Feasterville, PA) is second on the team, hitting .400 in his three games this year. Henderson has a .955 OPS with a double and two RBI. He's got a .455 OBP on the year. Brooks has one multi-hit game, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI in the 13-6 win over Bryant & Stratton on February 9^th. Henderson has four putouts and an assist on the year from his shortstop position.
 
Sophomore Louis Kegerreis (Murrysville, PA) is a .308 hitter this season, third on the team amongst players who have played in all three games for the Falcons. Kegerreis is first on the team with six RBI and three extra-base hits. Kegerreis has a 1.092 OPS, which includes a .692 slugging percentage. He has a pair of walks this season. Kegerreis was 3-for-5 in the 13-6 win against Bryant & Stratton, scoring a pair of runs and driving in three with a double and a solo home run. Kegerreis has two putouts and three assists this season.
 
Sophomore first baseman John Hughes (Hamilton, NJ) is a .500 hitter this season in his two appearances, posting a 1.386 OPS. Hughes has four hits and two RBI, hitting a pair of doubles. Hughes has drawn two walks and has been hit by a pitch, and he's got a .636 OBP this season. He's one of five different Falcons with four runs scored. Hughes was 4-for-5 in that 13-6 win against B&S, hitting both his doubles, scoring three runs, and driving in another in the victory. Hughes has eleven putouts on the year.
 
Sophomore catcher Kenny Hirschfeld (New Hyde Park, NY) is a .444 hitter this season in two games, posting a 1.333 OPS. Hirschfeld has a double, a homer, and three RBI, slugging at .889 on the year. Hirschfeld had two hits in each of his first two games, going 2-for-5 with a homer and an RBI in the opener, and then going 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double, and two more RBI in the 6-5 loss to B&S.
 
Sophomore infielder Tyler Lepage (Macungie, PA) is a .300 hitter in his three appearances, with two home runs and four RBI on the year. Lepage has a 1.362 OPS, slugging at .900 this year. Lepage has three walks. Lepage hit both of his homeruns in the first game of the doubleheader against Bryant & Stratton, driving in four RBI and scoring a pair of runs. Lepage has a putout and four assists so far, defensively.
 
Sophomore outfielder Nick Matson (Nanticoke, PA) is a .300 hitter this season through three games, driving in six runs on a pair of doubles this year. Matson has two stolen bases on the year. Matson was 3-for-6 in the opener, driving in six runs and posting both of his doubles. Matson has four putouts on the season.
 
Sophomore pitcher Liam O'Leary (Souderton, PA) has made a relief appearance for the Falcons, posting a 5.79 ERA in his 4.2 innings of action. He has given up three runs on four hits, striking out a team-high five batters and walking three. O'Leary picked up the win in relief in the season opener.
 
Sophomore pitcher Ryan Novakowski (Forty Fort, PA) is second on the team in innings pitched, making a three-inning start for the Falcons in the first game of the doubleheader against Bryant & Stratton. Novakowski didn't get the win, giving up four runs on four hits with four strikeouts and a pair of walks.
 
The head coach for the Falcons is Mike McCarry, now in his seventh season with Lackawanna College. McCarry has had loads of success in his time with the Falcons, making the NJCAA Division II World Series in three of his previous six seasons. In 2019, his first year, the Falcons went 32-17, won the Region XIX championship, and then the Northeast District championship on their way to the national showcase. The Falcons duplicated that result in 2021, going 30-16, winning another region and district title, and then appearing in Enid, Oklahoma for the NJCAA DII World Series. McCarry's 2023 team went 40-17, tied for second all-time in program history in wins, and the Falcons won region and district gold, while also winning two games at the NJCAA DII World Series. McCarry is a southeastern Pennsylvania native, and he has ties to Northeast PA dating back to his time playing at Keystone College in 2003. McCarry started his collegiate coaching career at LaSalle University, where he served as the head assistant. He moved on the Stephen F. Austin as a pitching coach, before joining the Lackawanna staff. He is 168-101 in his career at Lackawanna.
 
About Patrick & Henry CC
The Patriots (7-3) come into the contest as winners of two straight, knocking off Southwest Virginia CC in a pair of games last Friday. PHCC won the first game 11-6, building an early 5-2 lead through three innings and steadily pulling away for the win. In game two, the Patriots were even better, holding SWVCC hitless through seven innings in a 3-0 victory. Pitcher Dylan Grabowski struck out 15 batters for the win.
 
Through ten games, Patrick & Henry is hitting .260 on the year, posting a .787 OPS as a team this season. The Patriots are averaging 5.2 runs per game and have 29 extra-base hits, which includes 21 doubles. PHCC has 35 stolen bases this season and have drawn 40 walks, while striking out 80 times this year.
 
On the mound, the Patriots have a 9.90 ERA, giving up 34 runs, 25 earned, on 48 hits through 70 innings pitched. The Patriots have struck out 77 batters and walked 33. Defensively, PHCC has a .941 fielding percentage with 13 errors.
 
The aforementioned Grabowski is also the best hitter for the Patriots, hitting a team-best .533 this season. Grabowski leads the Patriots in several categories, including hits (16), doubles (4), extra-base hits (6), RBI (10), OPS (1.433), and slugging (.833). Grabowski is tied for the team lead in runs scored with eight this season, and he also has a triple and a homer. He's also second on the team with six stolen bases this year. Grabowski has six multi-hit games on the season, going 3-for-4 with a run scored, a double, and an RBI in a 6-0 win against Caldwell CC Tech. He had a pair of doubles and two RBI in the 3-0 win against SWVCC. Grabowski went 4-for-7 with two runs scored and three RBI in the two games against SWVCC.
 
Andrew Harris is second on the team with a .345 batting average this season, posting ten hits and driving in four runs. Harris has a .854 OPS on the year. Harris has four multi-hit games on the year, which includes going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double in an 8-6 loss to Caldwell CC Tech. He went 2-for-5 with two runs scored in the 11-6 win against SWVCC last week.
 
Caden Richter is hitting .310 this year, tied for second on the team with three doubles, while also sitting at second on the team with nine RBI. He's also tied for the team lead with seven stolen bases. Richter has a .838 OPS this season, and he has four runs scored this year. Richter has one multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, a double, a triple, and a run scored in the 11-3 win against Rockingham CC on February 2^nd. Richter was a combined 1-for-8 with two runs scored and an RBI in the two games against SWVCC.
 
Grabowski leads the Patriots with 17 innings pitched, going 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in three appearances. Grabowski has a team-high 25 strikeouts, giving up five runs, three earned, on eight hits. Grabowski set his season-high with 15 strikeouts in the no-hitter against SWVCC. He was the day one starter for PHCC, striking out seven batters and pitching six scoreless innings in the 3-2 win against Rockingham CC on February 1^st.
 
Picher Ty Goodson is second on the team with 14.1 innings pitched, winning all three of his appearances this season. Goodson has a 1.26 ERA, striking out 12 batters and giving up six runs, just two earned, on nine hits. Goodson has walked a team-high seven batters. Goodson had a season-best five strikeouts in six innings of scoreless pitching against Caldwell CC Tech on February 8^th, coming out with an 8-0 win. He went 3.2 innings, giving up four runs on six hits in the 11-6 win against SWVCC.
 
The head coach for the Patriots is Brandon Nania, now in his third season as the head coach for the Patriots. Nania originally joined the Patriots as the lead assistant in 2020. He helped the Pats to 82 wins, a region title, and a world series appearance in 2021 as an assistant with the program. Nania spent his collegiate career at Patrick & Henry, twice being named to the All-Region squad. Nania graduated from PHCC and then moved on to Winston-Salem State, where he earned a degree in Physical Education and Youth Development. Nania is 63-37 in his time in charge. His team made the Region X tournament last year, falling to eventual national runner-up, Brunswick CC.
 
The Match-Up
Lackawanna has not had much luck against the Patrick & Henry CC since 2020, going 1-7 in the eight games the teams have played in that time. PHCC is 5-1 at home against the Falcons.
 
The weekend series will start with a doubleheader on Saturday, February 22^nd, at 2:00pm ET from Hooker Field in Martinsville. Then, both teams will play a single nine-inning game on Sunday, February 23^rd, starting at 11:00am ET. There is no video livestream available.
 
The Falcons will get back to work with a three-game series on the road at Harford CC, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 1^st, in Bel Air, MD, followed by a single, nine-inning game on Sunday, March 2^nd. The doubleheader on Saturday starts at 1:00pm ET, the game on Sunday is set for 2:00pm ET.