4/12/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College baseball will face its biggest challenge of the season with a three-game set against Mercer County CC this coming Sunday and Monday in Region XIX Division II play.
 
Sunday, April 13^th, the Falcons will travel to take on the Vikings in region doubleheader action. First pitch is set for 12:00pm ET at the Mercer County CC baseball field. There will be a video livestream available for the contest, courtesy of the Mercer County CC Vimeo account, linked HERE.
 
The third game of the series is set for Monday, April 14^th, at 12:00pm ET at the University of Scranton's Volpe Field. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will handle the play-by-play.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (19-12, 8-1) have not played since a 9-8 loss to Sussex County CC last Sunday. The Falcons, after winning the first two games of the series with the Skylanders, led 7-0 against Sussex heading into the fifth inning, but the Skylanders rallied to get within 8-7 into the ninth, then scored two runs on a bases-loaded hit by pitch and then a wild pitch to walk off the Falcons and avoid the sweep. You can read the recap HERE.
 
On the season, the Falcons are hitting a combined .346, compiling a collective 1.019 OPS, which includes a .449 OBP and a .570 slugging percentage, good for ninth in NJCAA Division II. Lackawanna has 132 extra-base hits, 12th in the country, including 87 doubles (8^th) and 41 home runs (15^th). The Falcons have scored 288 runs. this year, a 9.3 runs per game average. Lackawanna has drawn 144 walks and struck out 213 times as a team this year, while stealing 43 bases.
 
On the mound, the Falcons have a 6.41 ERA, giving up 193 runs, 157 earned, on 227 hits through 220.1 innings pitched. Teams are hitting .259 against the Falcons this season, with 12 home runs and 58 extra-base hits. Lackawanna has struck out 247 batters and walked 164. The Falcons have also plunked 50 batters this year.
 
Defensively, the Falcons have 43 errors and a .953 fielding percentage. The Falcons have caught seven baserunners stealing this year and have forced seven double plays.
 
Sophomore shortstop Brooks Henderson IV (Feasterville, PA) is first on the team with 47 hits, tied for third in all of Region XIX, and a .439 batting average in his 30 appearances. Henderson has a 1.178 OPS with nine doubles, fourth on the team, and 40 RBIs, first on the squad and fifth in Region XIX. He's also got five home runs, tied for second on the team. He's got a .496 OBP on the year and has scored 35 runs, second on the team. Brooks has drawn 13 walks on the year and has been hit by four pitches, and he is tied for the team-high with nine stolen bases this year. Henderson has 13 multi-hit games this season. He was a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs scored and a triple in the game one win against Onondaga on March 9^th. Henderson was 5-for-6 in a 21-1 win against Raritan Valley on March 29^th, hitting a three-run homer, scoring three runs, and driving in five total. He went a combined 4-for-6 with two runs and three RBIs in the doubleheader with Monroe CC. Brooks went a combined 3-for-7 with two runs and two RBIs in three games against Sussex last weekend. Defensively, Henderson has 38 putouts, 72 assists, and five errors on the year from his shortstop position.
 
First-year outfielder Deacon Brown (Williamsport, PA) has a .411 batting average and is second on the team with 39 total hits in 31 games. Brown has a 1.230 OPS and a .525 OBP, second on the team in both categories, respectively. Brown has scored 29 runs, fourth on the team, and he has posted eleven doubles, five homers, and 28 RBIs, tied for third on the squad. He's drawn 17 walks and has been hit by eight pitches, second on the team. Brown has nine multi-hit games on the year and had a 21-game hitting streak that came to an end against Monroe CC. He was a perfect 3-for-3 in the loss to Bryant & Stratton on February 9^th, hitting a double and driving in another run. Deacon hit a two-run homer in game one against Onondaga on March 9^th, then hit another two-run homer in game two. Deacon was 4-for-4 with four RBIs, a run scored, and a homer against Delaware County on March 26^th. He had three hits and five runs against Raritan in three games. He was 1-for-9 with two runs scored in three games against Sussex last weekend. Deacon has 45 putouts, three assists, and one error this year.
 
Sophomore Louis Kegerreis (Murrysville, PA) is a .383 hitter this season through 27 appearances, collecting 36 total hits. Kegerreis has 36 runs scored this season, first on the Falcons, and he has a team-high 14 doubles, tied for tops in Region XIX, and 28 RBIs. Kegerreis has a 1.125 OPS this year, with a .465 OBP. He has drawn eleven walks and been hit by six pitches on the season. Kegerreis has ten multi-hit games this season, and he had a 14-game hitting streak ended in the Sussex series. Kegerreis was 3-for-5 against Cumberland on March 12^th, hitting a two-run homer in the first, a double, scoring two runs, and driving in three more. He was a combined 6-for-6 with seven runs, a homer, and six RBIs in three contests against Raritan Valley CC last weekend. He was 4-for-6 with three runs and two RBIs in two games against Rockland on March 30^th. Kegerreis went a combined 1-for-11 with two runs and three RBIs in three games against Sussex last weekend. He has 31 putouts and 27 assists this season in the field.
 
Sophomore catcher and DH Jake Kelleher (Exeter, PA) is a .405 hitter through 27 games this season, compiling a 1.155 OPS on the year. Kelleher has scored 32 runs, third on the team, and has collected 34 total hits, posting nine doubles, four home runs, and 18 RBIs. Kelleher has drawn 12 walks, and he has three stolen bases. Kelleher has seven multi-hit games this season and come into the series with a nine-game hitting streak. He was a combined 6-for-10 with seven runs, two RBIs, two doubles, and one home run against Raritan Valley in three games on March 28^th and 29^th. Kelleher had five hits, two runs, two RBIs, and a double in two games against Monroe CC on April 1st. He was a combined 4-for-10 with three runs and two RBIs in three games against Sussex last weekend. Kelleher has caught two runners stealing this season as a catcher and has eight assists behind the plate this season.
 
Sophomore first baseman John Hughes (Hamilton, NJ) is a .427 hitter with 32 hits in 26 games this year. Hughes has a 1.482 OPS, first on the team, with 28 runs scored and 33 RBIs, second on the team. He has 12 doubles, a triple, and a team-high seven home runs this season, third in all of Region XIX. Hughes has drawn 21 walks, first on the squad, and he has been hit by ten pitches. Hughes has a .589 OBP this year, first on the team and third in Region XIX, and he's slugging at .893, which is first in all of Region XIX. Hughes has ten multi-hit games this season, and he was 3-for-5 with three doubles and three RBIs in the win against Cumberland on March 12^th. Against Raritan, he had three hits, a homer, and four RBIs. He scored a solo homer against Rockland on March 30^th, then hit another homer and had three RBIs on two hits in the game one victory against Monroe CC on April 1^st. Hughes has four homers in his last eight games. He was 5-for-8 with three runs, two doubles, a homer, and eight RBIs in three games against Sussex last weekend. He has 138 putouts and nine assists at first base this season.
 
Sophomore outfielder Nick Matson (Nanticoke, PA) is a .300 hitter this season through 30 games, collecting 27 hits and driving in 24 runs. Matson has scored 18 runs and has put up seven doubles on the year and has three home runs. He has drawn ten walks and has stolen nine bases, tied with Henderson for first on the team. Matson has ten multi-hit games this season, and he was 3-for-6 in the opener against Bryant & Stratton, driving in six runs and posting two doubles. Matson was 2-for-3 with two homers and seven RBIs in the 21-1 win against Raritan on March 29^th. He hit a three-run home run, then a grand slam. Matson was 0-for-3 in the 6-5 win against Rockland on March 30^th. He also pitched two scoreless innings in the 9-4 win against the Hawks in game one. Nick was a combined 2-for-9 with a run scored and an RBI in three games against Sussex last weekend. Matson has 47 putouts on the season.
 
Sophomore utility player Jason Prudente (Bear Creek Twp., PA) is a .390 hitter so far this season, putting up 23 hits so far this season in 24 games. Prudente has a 1.235 OPS and 16 runs scored. He has eight doubles and four homers, driving in 24 runs on the season. Prudente has a .729 slugging percentage, second on the team this season, and his .506 OBP is third on the team. Prudente has 13 walks on the year and he has been hit by three pitches. Prudente has four multi-hit games on the season. He was 2-for-5 with a grand slam homer in the win against Delaware Tech on March 21^st. He hit another homer the next day against DTCC in the first game of a doubleheader. He was 3-for-3 with a homer, a double, and three RBIs in the 20-18 loss to Gloucester on March 18^th. He was a combined 8-for-12 with seven runs, three doubles, and four RBIs in three games against Raritan on March 28^th and 29^th. He had a double, an RBI, and a run scored in two games against Rockland on March 30^th. Prudente was a combined 2-for-8 with a double and two RBIs in three games against Sussex last weekend. He has 12 putouts and 20 assists in the field this season.
 
Sophomore catcher Kenny Hirschfeld (New Hyde Park, NY) is a .349 hitter this season in his 23 appearances, collecting 23 total hits and driving in 16 runs. Hirschfeld has five doubles and two homers, and he has scored 17 runs. Hirschfeld had two hits in each of his first two games and has six multi-hit games on the season. Hirschfeld came into the game against Gloucester on March 18^th as a pinch runner and finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, and an RBI. He played in one game against Raritan Valley on March 29^th, going 3-for-5 with a double, a homer, three runs, and three RBIs. He was a combined 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in two games against Rockland. He was the pinch hit hero in game two, singling home the game-winning run for the Falcons. Hirschfeld was a combined 1-for-4 with a run scored in two games against Sussex last weekend.
 
Sophomore infielder Tyler Lepage (Macungie, PA) is a .476 hitter with a 1.421 OPS through 15 appearances this season. Lepage has five homers, tied with Brown and Henderson for second on the team, and has 13 RBIs. He has a .881 slugging percentage in his 15 games. Lepage has 14 runs scored on the year and carries a .540 OBP. Lepage has drawn five walks and been hit by a pair of pitches. Lepage has seven multi-hit games this season. He was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, two homers, and three RBI in a 15-7 loss to Patrick & Henry on February 23^rd. He went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, four RBI, and two homers in a win against Bryant & Stratton back on February 9^th. Lepage missed four games, but returned to the lineup two weeks ago against RCSJ Cumberland. However, he left the March 28^th game against Raritan Valley early with an injury. He was 1-for-1 with an RBI double. He has not played in the last nine games for the Falcons. Lepage has six putouts and eight assists this season.
 
Sophomore pitcher Liam O'Leary (Souderton, PA) leads the team with 44.2 innings pitched, making eight appearances, seven of which have been starts. O'Leary has a 4-2 record with a 5.04 ERA. He has given up 30 runs, 25 earned, on 47 hits, while striking out a team-high 60 batters and walking 18. The opposition is hitting .260 against him this year, and he has hit a team-high nine batters. O'Leary's best outing happened against Monroe on March 8^th, where he went six innings, striking out nine batters and allowing three runs, all earned, on five hits. O'Leary has recorded at least four strikeouts in all eight of his appearances this season. He went seven innings on March 29^th, picking up the 21-1 win against Raritan Valley CC, giving up just one run on five hits and striking out eight for the win. He went 5.1 innings on April 6^th against Sussex, striking out a season-best eleven batters but giving up four runs on seven hits in a game the Falcons eventually lost, 9-8. O'Leary has struck out at least eight batters in each of his last three games.
 
Sophomore pitcher Ryan Novakowski (Forty Fort, PA) is second on the team in innings pitched, throwing 42.1 innings on the year. Novakowski is 4-2 with a 5.74 ERA in his eight appearances, all starts. Novakowski has given up 29 runs, 27 earned, on 44 hits, with 48 strikeouts and 15 walks. Batters are hitting .267 against Novakowski this year. His best outing came against Allegany on March 15^th in game one of the doubleheader, striking out nine in a complete game shutout in seven innings. He scattered four hits and walked three in the 14-0 win. He pitched seven innings in a win against Delaware Tech March 21^st, striking out a season-best eleven, while giving up six runs, four earned. Against Raritan Valley on March 28^th, he gave up just one run, coming in the seventh inning, while striking out eight and only allowing two hits in a 14-1 win. Novakowski got the win in his last outing, giving up three runs on six hits in five innings, striking out five in a win for the Falcons against Sussex on April 4^th.
 
Sophomore Trey Sajeski (Holland, PA) is third on the team, pitching 30 innings in eight appearances this season. He's 4-1 with a 6.30 ERA. Sajeski has given up 26 runs, 21 earned, on 30 hits, striking out 30 and walking 18 batters. The opposition is hitting .244 against him this season. Sajeski threw his best game on March 9^th against Onondaga, striking out a season-high seven in a season-long six innings. He gave up just one run on five hits for the win in the 11-1 victory for Lackawanna. In his last outing, Sajeski went five innings for the win against Sussex, giving up just one hit and striking out five in the victory for the Falcons.
 
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 185-112 in his career at Lackawanna.
 
About Mercer County CC
The Vikings (24-9, 9-0) are receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division II national polls and are the top team in the region by record this season. Mercer had a nine-game win streak come to an end just before the end of March, and the Vikings had won four in a row before dropping a 20-2 decision in their last game to the Cougars from Camden CC on April 10^th. In that single nine-inning contest, nothing went right for Mercer, as Camden drew eleven walks, got hit by four pitches, and took advantage of three wild pitches and seven Mercer errors. The Cougars had 13 hits and built an 11-0 lead after four innings. Mercer got it within 11-2 after five innings, but Mercer added a run to push it to 12-2, then scored eight runs in a runaway seventh inning to blow things wide open.
 
This season, Mercer is hitting .315 as a team, with a combined OPS of .898. The Vikings have scored 227 runs in 33 games, a 6.9 runs per game average. The Vikings have 94 extra-base hits, which includes 62 doubles, ten triples, and 22 home runs. Mercer has struck out 173 times and walked 138 times this season, and the Vikings have 91 stolen bases this year. They've also been hit by 53 combined pitches this year.
 
The Vikings' pitching staff has a 4.31 ERA, giving up 157 runs, 111 earned, on 201 hits in 231.2 innings on the year. Opponents have struck out 222 times, while drawing 137 walks. Opponents are hitting just .239 against the Vikings this season, and they have 60 stolen bases this year.
 
Defensively, the Vikings have 59 errors and a .942 fielding percentage, catching four runners stealing and forcing five double plays this season.
 
First-year player Jordan Raba is hitting .384 on the season and leads the team with 43 hits this year in 32 games. Raba has scored 33 runs, most on the team, and has 15 extra-base hits, a team-high. Jordan also leads the Vikings with eleven doubles on 21 walks this season. He has a 1.056 OPS, with a .493 on-base percentage and a .563 slugging percentage. Raba has 14 RBIs this year and had stolen 12 bases on the year. Raba has eleven multi-hit games on the year, which includes a stretch where he had four-straight games with two hits in wins over Morris (2x), Gloucester, and Salem in late March. Raba went 3-for-3 with three runs, a double, a triple, and a home run, with three RBIs against Minnesota Itasca on March 15^th. Raba did not play against Camden on Thursday. Raba has 34 putouts and 56 assists on the season.
 
Sophomore Jake Pope is hitting .321 on the season with 36 total hits in 33 games. Pope has scored 32 runs, second on the squad, and he has six doubles and 16 RBIs. Pope has a .781 OPS this year, with 14 walks and a team-best 25 stolen bases. Pope has eleven multi-hit games this year and has a five-game hitting streak coming into the series. Pope was a combined 4-for-10 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBIs in the sweep over Delaware Tech last weekend. He was 1-for-4 with a run scored against Camden on Thursday. Pope has 54 putouts and a team-high 79 assists this season.
 
Sophomore catcher Owen Friddell has a .423 batting average, first on the team, and has 33 hits in 25 games this season. Friddell has scored 27 runs, third on the team, and has 20 RBIs, second this year. Friddell has ten extra-base knocks, including six doubles and three home runs. Friddell has nine walks and nine stolen bases. Friddell's .641 slugging percentage is second on the squad, and he has a 1.136 OPS this season, along with the team-high .495 OBP. Friddell has ten multi-hit games this season, and he enters the series on a five-game hitting streak, with two multi-hit games in that streak. He was 4-for-11 with three runs, two doubles, and three RBIs in the three games against Delaware Tech. Friddell was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs in the win against Brookdale CC on April 9^th. He did not play against Camden on Thursday. Friddell has caught nine runners stealing this season, and he has 14 assists from his position behind the plate this year.
 
First-year outfielder Mikey Amrhein has a .269 batting average in 29 games, posting 25 hits and a team-high 22 RBIs. Amrhein has seven doubles and three homers, and he has scored 22 runs this season. He also has 15 walks, second on the team, and ten stolen bases, while compiling a .889 OPS. Amrhein has also been hit by a team-high seven pitches this year. He has six multi-hit games on the season, posting a pair of them in three games against Sussex, where he ended up a combined 5-for-11 with three runs, two RBIs, and a double, triple, and home run in the sweep on March 28^th and 29^th. Amrhein was 1-for-8 in three games, scoring three runs and driving in two more on a home run in the sweep over Del Tech. he was 1-for-3 with two runs against Brookdale on April 10^th, and did not play against Camden on Thursday. Amrhein has 43 putouts and one assist this season.
 
Sophomore Donald Gallagher is hitting .408 this season in 18 games, posting 20 hits this year. Gallagher has scored 12 runs and driven in 15 more, hitting five doubles and a team-high four home runs. He has a 1.296 OPS and a team-high .796 slugging percentage. Gallagher has six multi-hit games this season, posting four in a row with games against Salem and Sussex. In that four-game stretch, he went 10-for-16 with six runs, three home runs, and seven RBIs. Gallagher was a combined 3-for-8 with a run scored, two doubles, and two RBIs in three games against Delaware Tech last weekend. He was 0-for-4 against Brookdale in his last game, and he did not appear against Camden. Gallagher has 14 putouts this season.
 
Sophomore pitcher Matteo Mannino has thrown the most innings and made seven appearances, going 4-3 with a 3.12 ERA this season. Mannino has thrown 34.2 innings, allowing 19 runs, 12 earned, on 34 hits. Mannino has 17 strikeouts and six walks this season. Mannino has allowed just two runs in his last three games, throwing a combined 20 innings and striking out nine batters in three wins. His best game came in his last appearance, giving up just two hits in eight innings of a 10-0 win against Delaware Tech on April 4^th.
 
Sophomore pitcher Collin Williams has made seven appearances this year and is 6-0 with a sparkling 1.64 ERA. In 33 innings, Williams have given up just eight runs, six earned, on 17 hits, striking out a team-high 50 batters and walking 26 this season. Williams has struck out seven or more batters in five games this season, striking out ten or more batters in three games. Williams struck out ten in six innings against Itasca back on March 15^th, allowing five hits and no runs in the 4-0 win. His best game came against Del Tech on April 5^th, striking out a season-high eleven batters and allowing no runs on three hits in six innings of the 6-0 win against DTCC.
 
The head coach for the Vikings is Russ Stupienski, who enters his third year in charge of the Vikings. Russ was an assistant with the squad for two different stints since 2012, taking over when Fred Carella stepped down after the 2022 World Series run. Stupienski is a New Jersey native, where he was an outstanding baseball player at Northern Burlington HS, before moving on to attend Mercer for two seasons in 2009 and 2010. He was an All GSAC selection his sophomore year, and he went on to play at St. Peter's College, where he led the Peacocks in hits his senior season. Stupienski spent five years as an assistant at Mercer under coach Kevin Kerins, before leaving to be the JV and assistant baseball coach at Limestone College in South Carolina for two seasons. He returned in 2019 as an assistant. Stupienski has guided the Vikings to an 80-55 record in his three years, winning a Region XIX DII championship last year.
 
The Match-Up
Between Lackawanna (8) and Mercer (6), the last 14 Region XIX DII championships have resided in either Scranton or Trenton. The last 17 games have been competitive between the two sides, with Mercer holding a 10-7 edge since 2019. Mercer beat the Falcons in four out of five games last year, winning twice in the regular season and beating the Falcons twice in the Region XIX DII playoffs later in the year, including a come-from-behind 10-8 victory in the region title game.
 
The Region XIX DII standings heading into this series have both Mercer County and Lackawanna on top:
 
Region XIX DII Standings
1 – Mercer County CC (24-9, 9-0) [vs. Lackawanna DH, at Lackawanna]
2 – Lackawanna College (19-12, 8-1) at Mercer DH, vs. Mercer]
3 – CC of Morris (18-14, 4-5) [at Sussex County, vs. Sussex County DH]
4 – Raritan Valley CC (7-13-1, 3-6) [vs. Del Tech DH, at Del Tech]
5 – Sussex County CC (13-14, 2-7) [vs. Morris, at Morris DH]
6 – Delaware Tech CC (8-22, 1-8) [at Raritan Valley DH, vs. Raritan Valley]
 
The three-game set gets underway on Sunday, April 13^th, when the Falcons will travel to West Windsor Twp., NJ to take on the Vikings in a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12:00pm ET at the Mercer County CC baseball field. There will be a video livestream available for the contest, courtesy of the Mercer County CC Vimeo account, linked HERE.
 
The third game of the series will happen Monday, April 14^th, at 12:00pm ET at the University of Scranton's Volpe Field. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will handle the play-by-play.
 
The Falcons are due back for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 15^th, with a home twin bill against Monroe University. First pitch is set for 12:00pm ET at Scranton HS baseball field. Lackawanna and Monroe split a doubleheader already this season.