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| Johns Hopkins fell short of a national title in the final season coached by Bob Babb. The coaching staff has changed over the summer and there will be a lot of new faces on the roster as graduation and the portal took a bite out of the 2025 roster. d3photography photo by Ryan Coleman |
By Jim Dixon, D3sports.com
At the beginning of the 2025, the thought was that at this time we might be talking about that elusive Johns Hopkins title run but that never came to fruition. The Blue Jays though remain a top pick in the region. They are joined by a team that had an improbable season, the Messiah Falcons. Messiah has used an appearance in the Championship Series to stand on the national stage.
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| Darrin Lenhart is getting his first college head coaching job after being an assistant at East Stroudsburg and a head coach of area high schools. Elizabethtown athletics photo |
Lets not leave out Salisbury who has been a lock for the playoffs for decades and has been having their best five year run in school history. Catholic is the final of our four regional favorites. The list does not stop with the Cardinals. Scranton is a dark horse candidate to make the same journey that Messiah showed everyone was possible. If our survey of coaches is any guide, the toughest conference is the Centennial where half of the conference teams appeared on the best-of-the-region lists.
New Faces
Darrin Lenhart, Elizabethtown: Elizabethtown announced Lenhart as the next head baseball coach in December. Lenhart brings over 20 years of coaching experience to Etown after starting his career as the head coach at William Allen High School in 2003. Following his four years at William Allen, Lenhart served as the assistant baseball coach at Emmaus High School. Lenhart last served as the assistant coach at East Stroudsburg University since 2020. "The Elizabethtown College Baseball program has a long-storied history of success", Lenhart said. "I am so grateful to the Etown administration and community for giving me the opportunity to lead the next chapter of this program. I look forward to working with this great group of young men and can't wait to get things going."
Jeremy Hefele, Gettysburg: With former head coach Cory Beddick's departure, current assistant coach Jeremy Hefele will serve as interim head baseball coach. Hefele joined Beddick as pitching coach shortly after he took over as head coach. Prior to his arrival, Hefele spent the 2022 season as the head coach at Clarks Summit and was the interim head coach for the 2021 season at Cairn after serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Highlanders from 2018-20. He was also a head coach in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, guiding the Trenton Generals to the 2021 championship. "Jeremy has played a very important role in helping build the baseball program up to the level that it is now," director of athletics Mike Mattia added. "Having Jeremy at the helm will not only not only stabilize and keep continuity within the program with Cory's departure but he will be able to lead this program to the next levels of growth that were envisioned when he and Cory took over three seasons ago. I am excited for Jeremy to take the reins of the program." "There's no one better to lead the program forward than Jeremy Hefele," Beddick said of his assistant. "Coach Hef has been an integral part of every aspect of the program over the past three years and is ready to carry the momentum we've built. He brings the two most important qualities in a leader – he's a great person and an incredibly hard worker."
Nate Mulberg, Johns Hopkins: Mulberg comes to Johns Hopkins after serving as a full-time assistant coach at the University of Richmond since 2017. He replaces Bob Babb as the Blue Jays’ head coach as Babb wrapped up a remarkable 46-year run as the head coach for the Blur Jays. A 2014 graduate of Rochester, Mulberg joined the Richmond coaching staff in January 2017. There, he has focused his work with the infielders and catchers while also serving as a hitting instructor. "I am honored to be named the next head baseball coach at Johns Hopkins,” Mulberg stated. “Ever since I became a college coach, Johns Hopkins has been a dream job of mine. It is the gold standard of high-academic Division III baseball. I am so excited to get to work with our scholar-athletes to continue Hopkins Baseball's incredible tradition of success." Mulberg got his start in coaching as an assistant coach at Franklin & Marshall, which competes alongside Johns Hopkins in the Centennial Conference. He spent two seasons at F&M (2015, 2016) and helped guide the Diplomats to an appearance in the 2015 Centennial Conference title game. After a brief stop as an assistant at Bucknell in the fall of 2016, he moved on to Richmond in January 2017.
Key Games
Salisbury vs Lynchburg, February 20th - Salisbury always plays a majority of their game in the friendly confines of Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium and 2026 is no different with 28 home dates. The Sea Gulls will face Lynchburg, a championship contender away from Salisbury in the D3 Showcase in Greensboro, N.C. It will not get easier with games also against Denison and Marietta on the weekend. How they fare in the weekend games will show how much one should expect from the latest version of the Sea Gulls.
Elizabethtown at Catholic, March 17th - The only green will be the grass as the top teams in the Landmark meet early in the conference season. They will meet again two weeks later and a final third game two weeks after that.
York at Randolph-Macon, March 25th - An away game for the Spartans will be a challenge as they open the toughest two weeks of their season. Another away game at powerhouse Shenandoah and a showdown with Messiah are the meat of the stretch with a game at Rowan for dessert. A 6-0 record will likely deliver a MACC top finish and setting up York well in the NPI rankings.
Neumann at Marymount, April 2nd - Neumann travels to the Saints for a doubleheader just ahead of the Easter weekend. They will meet again on the 7th with Marymount playing a home-away series with Centenary (N.J.) on the weekend. This eight day period is expected to decide the top of the Atlantic East for 2026.
Haverford at Johns Hopkins, April 11th: To win the Centennial, the Fords will need to win on the home field of the 2025 Champions. It will be a much different team than last year where Johns Hopkins swept the three games.
Conference Previews
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| Marymount outfielder Quincy Via has made the AEC All-Academic Team for three years, the AEC All-Conference team twice and was named an All-Regional player once. d3photography.com photo by Mike Atherton |
Atlantic East Conference: Marymount (11-4, 24-21) and Neuman topped the AEC standings and Marymount took the auto-bid to the Regionals as the only member of the conference to advance. When the Saints joined the DIII ranks, they showed improvement in each of their first three seasons before plateauing. After the COVID year, they made their first Regional appearance and last year was appearance number two. We are expecting this to be two consecutive. Jack McCarthy, the conference Rookie of the Year opteed for a D1 program but remaining with the team is Ryan Cuadros (.356, 40 RBI) and Quincy Via (.331, 26 RBI, 39 SB). While the O is looking good, the pitching staff will need an influx of young talent with their only AEC honoree on the mound, the Co-Pitcher of the Year, graduated.
Neumann (11-4, 27-13) was the biggest surprise of 2025 in the conference and for their efforts, the coaching staff was awarded the top conference honor. They did it with a superb group of seniors who will not be on the roster in 2026, including the 2025 Player of the Year. The sole All-AEC player on the roster is junior infielder Anthony Rakotz (.352, 35 RBI, 12 SB). It will take a better than average incoming class for the Knights to maintain their position in the standings.
Centenary (8-7, 19-22-1) secured a three seed in the Atlantic East tournament despite a losing overall record. Jumping from third to second is a possibility as they return a solid offense. Back in 2026, Dominick Chiego (.282, 42 RBI) and Joseph Frei (.330, 26 RBI) will be swinging a bat. Immaculata (7-8, 13-27) will also be looking to improving in 2026 with the return of the Co-Pitcher of the Year, Alex LePage (7-5, 3.30 ERA, 75K). Part of the team's balance will be outfielder Sal Serici (.331, 25 RBI) in the 2026 lineup.
Marywood (5-10, 16-21) was the first team out of the tournament and took a step back in 2025. After three 20 win seasons, they fell below the 20 win mark for the first time since 2021. Head coach Jason Thiel expects this team will be a lot of fun to lead. The focus of the offense will be to play a lot of small ball, taking advantage of the team chemistry. Their best player is Joel Ayers (.326, 21 RBI). Ayers has made all-conference in each of his first two season and is ready for more of a leadership role this year. Last year he starred in the outfield but will spend time behind the plate with the graduation AJ Giannetti. This will be their last season in the Atlantic East as they will move to the MAC Freedom in 2027. Gwynedd Mercy (3-12, 13-25) will return two All-AEC players in designated hitter Jimmy DeCarlo (.338, 31 RBI) and reliever Michael Inglisa (3-5, 3 Saves, 2.92 ERA, 29K). St. Elizabeth will start a new chapter for their program with their first year in the Atlantic East.
Predicted Champion: Marymount
Centennial Conference: Johns Hopkins (17-1, 44-5) was one of the top stories last year as retiring head coach Bob Babb chased an elusive national championship. It was not the Hollywood ending that the Blue Jay faithful hoped and the question is: will they be a national contender again under new leadership. This will only be answered on the field. It will not be easy as last year's squad featured a host of senior and graduate student talent. The whole infield from last year is gone and almost the entire hitting lineup. Add to the loss of a couple notable pitchers and the task of getting back to East Lake seems daunting. Alex Shane (.332, 11 HR, 41 RBI) and Jacob Harris (.341, 9 HR, 50 RBI) are the top returning position players. The pitching staff will also see a turnover with returning pitchers collectively have less than 10 starts last year. Look for a number of changes in the lineups as Johns Hopkins negotiates their typically tough schedule.
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| Haverford shortstop Jackson Sgro was named the D3baseball.com Rookie of the Year last season. Haverford athletics photo |
Swarthmore (14-4, 24-18) and Haverford (10-8, 24-16) will be looking to take over the top of the Centennial. Haverford returned to the Centennial Conference Championship for the ninth time in the last 18 seasons, and will be looking at earning Haverford's fourth conference title. The school, known more for graduating future MLB General Managers, wants to be a known for graduating baseball players. They made a good step last summer as Harry Genth is now with the Minnesota Twins organization and graduate Anthony Runfola taking his talents to D1 Duke to showcase his baseball talents. Any discussion of the Fords starts with 2025 D3baseball.com Rookie of the Year, shortstop Jackson Sgro (.441, 11 HR, 43 RBI). He will be surrounded with junior Luke Treese (.336, 24 RBI, 15 SB) and senior Chuck Norton (.316, 25 RBI, 13 SB). Haverford will also have a rotation headed by senior San Cohen (5-1, 3.40 ERA 57K) with a couple sophomore starters getting valuable innings. The Garnet will also have plenty of returning talent with Aiden Sullivan (.363, 35 RBI, 23 SB) back for this senior campaign. Further down the list of best hitters is the future with five underclassmen among the top ten players in 2025. Swarthmore's winningest pitcher, Noah Potholm (7-2, 5.32 ERA, 43K) will also be a senior in 2026. We think this will be the Fords year in the Centennials 34th year.
Gettysburg (9-9, 30-11) and McDaniel (9-9, 19-22-1) had to play each other in the tournament play-in game and McDaniel earned the playoff spot despite the Bullets first 30 win season since 2014. Gold Glove shortstop Robert Murphy (.397, 24 RBI) should be back on the lineup for Gettysburg along with designated hitter Dominick Balsamo (.393, 22 RBI). The Bullets will also have the services of Alex Wilkie-Viscio (5-1, 3.36 ERA, 2 CG, 39K) on the mound for one more season. For the Green Terror, they will feature a pair of All-CC players on the infield corners in Ben Davis (.404, 6 HR, 52 RBI) and Shea Mckenna (.368, 42 RBI, 17 SB). Out in the outfield will be the final returing All-Centennial player in Ethan Haddock (.336, 28 RBI). None of the McDaniel pitchers had more than three wins as eleven players logged wins on the 2025 season. The coaching staff was trying to find the right rotation as many of these pitchers were underclassmen. If the wheat has been separated from the chaff, McDaniel would have a rotation that will stick together for two or three years.
Outside the tournament field were Muhlenberg (8-10, 19-20), Franklin and Marshall (7-11, 21-19), Dickinson (7-11, 16-19), Ursinus (5-13, 20-20) and Washington College (4-14, 19-21). The top player from these teams was Muhlenberg's Marc Quarrie but he is now on a DI roster in South Carolina. Unfortunately for the Mules this exhausts their returning All-CC players. The Franklin and Marshall coaching staff is preparing for growing pains after graduating the winningest pitcher in program history and the record holder of almost every offensive category. No matter how talented the freshman class it is hard to replace that experience and leadership. The top returning player is starting pitcher Peter Mullen (1-2, 3.53 ERA, 49K) and he is tasked at leading the young pitching staff. Washington College's young core isn't young anymore and the Shoremen will look to capitalize on the experience and growth over the past years. The presence of first baseman Drew Kinsey (.300, 11 HR, 35 RBI) is why expectations are high for the squad. Ursinus will have Brandon Sullivan (.367, 21 RBI, 42 SB) speeding along the bases, the fourth best bag swipes last season.
Predicted Champion: Haverford
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| AJ Lipscomb earned Landmark Rookie of the Year honors with 18 starts in the batting lineup and six starts on the mound. Elizabethtown athletics photo |
Landmark Conference: Wilkes (19-5, 28-12) earned the top seed but that did not guarantee them a top result as they were out of the Landmark tournament after two games. For a top team the number of All-Conference players was uncharacteristically low but the good news is that the bulk of their honorees were all underclassmen in 2025. First year pitcher AJ Levandoski (8-0, 1 Save, 3.16 ERA, 60K) was named Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year, while sophomores Jack Mathis (.297, 31 RBI, 18 SB) and Nathan Loch (.325, 22 RBI, 26 SB) were named as honorable mention hitters. One thing to keep your eye on is how Wilkes navigates their non-conference schedule. They have a good mix of traditional powers and top teams from 2025 and if they can get back to 28 wins, they should be looking at more than conference glory.
Elizabethtown (19-5, 29-13) will have a good mix of junior/senior experience and leadership in the field in 2026 with eight position players and six pitchers who started at least one game last year back on the roster. The missing offensive starter is Quinten Perilli who will play for Rutgers in his final year of eligibility. Top hitter AJ Lipscomb (.391, 9 RBI; 5-0, 1.89 ERA, 48K) is just one of six players who hit .300 or better. Lipscomb will also be back on the mound as he had his 2025 season cut short with an injury. If the starters falter, a duo of sophomore closers will be available to lock down the win. Cory Rible (0-1, 6 Saves, 4.20 ERA, 12K) and Paul Kvech (2-1, 4 Saves, 1.23 ERA, 15K) combined for 10 saves as freshmen. Last year the Blue Jays missed out on a fourth consecutive playoff bid and have a good shot of making it four in five years.
Scranton (15-9, 22-20) will have some major holes to fill in the infield as they lost some good team leaders to graduation and the portal. The outfield will be just fine with their best hitters, John Heitzman (.353, 7 HR, 55 RBI, 10 SB) and Conor Campbell (.365, 31 RBI, 10 SB) patrolling the outfield grass. Chris Correll (3-0, 6.09 ERA, 23K) and Mason Fischer (5-1, 6.00 ERA, 22K) are the top starters with an even better pitcher cooling his heels in the bullpen - Logan Mason (4-0, 4 Saves, 1.17 ERA, 14K). If the team chemistry gels, the expectation is that Scranton will be a much better team the last 20 games of the season, just in time for the Landmark tournament and the big prize, a trip to the NCAA Regionals.
Catholic (14-10, 29-18) earned the number four seed and advanced to the NCAA regionals with a Landmark tournament crown. It was reminiscence of their 2022 World Series run but there was no magic for the Ross Natoli led team in 2025. Natoli will have his work cut out for him as he graduated a transformational class and now it is time for younger players to cement roles and continue our tradition. To guide the youth will be Roman Tozzi (6-3, 4.73 ERA, 52K) and Sammy Burman (.353, 40 RBI, 10 SB). Burman is a senior who has been a consistent bat at the top of the order and one of the best center fielders in the country. Tozzi is a senior workhorse, leading the conference in innings pitched and going five innings or more innings in each of his starts in the regular season.
Lycoming (12-12, 21-21) will be playing their fourth season since baseball came back to campus and all those freshmen in 2023 are now seniors in 2026. After making the conference tournament for the first time, the team has momentum on their side with a 12 game improvement in the win column. 2025 Rookie of the Year A.J. Llorente (.338, 22 RBI; 4-2, 4.11 ERA, 57K) might be the most important player with contributions on both sides of the ball but Brody Lindsey (.325, 11 HR, 42 RBI) is the best player on the roster for the Lycoming squad. Expectations are for program highs but only time will tell how far this team go.
Susquehanna (11-13, 18-22) did not reach 20 wins for the first time in three years and gave diplomas to all their All-Landmark players in 2025. The prospects for 2026 are about he same for the River Hawks. Drew (9-15, 19-21), Moravian (6-18, 13-27) and Juniata (3-21, 10-29) round out the rest of the Landmark. Troy Rabosky (.267, 7 HR, 33 RBI) excelled in his freshman year for the Greyhounds but it is the Juniata Eagles that have the best crop of returning players with Jace Irvin (.328, 26 RBI) and Zach Johnson (.358, 32 RBI, 10 SB) back for another year.
Predicted Champion: Elizabethtown
Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth: Well I am a believer. Messiah (18-3, 39-16) turned heads with a Championship Series appearance in 2025 and suddenly the Falcon's approach is all the rage. It takes more than a system to win and Messiah returns their entire starting pitching staff and offensively have players in the program ready to fill rolls lost to graduation. Isaiah Parido (.319, 6 HR, 50 RBI, 20 SB) at the top of the order is back after a successful summer season from Alaska to the Northwoods. He is joined by another speedster, Luke Ott (.304, 42 RBI, 21 SB), with three other players with double digit steals. Messiah's opponents need to keep these players off the bases. The top pitcher in wins, Zach Harris (9-3, 3.89 ERA, 78K) will guide an experienced rotation. Confidence is high on a team that plays like a team to continue their run of success.
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| York (Pa.) junior Dillon Michaloski had the same number of appearances in 2025 as 2024 but made seven more starts in 2025. York (Pa.) athletics photo |
I am looking forward to seeing the delegation from York at the DIII World Series. If it is not York (Pa.) (15-6, 25-19), then it will be just the organizing committee for when the World Series moves to York in 2027. The baseball team will feature a weekend rotation with a sophomore and freshman group so the real team might not emerge until late. The top upperclassman will be junior Dillon Michaloski (2-3, 6.13 ERA, 26K). The rest of the team will have a balanced offense and solid defensively. Second baseman Lucas Prendergast (.358, 6 HR, 39 RBI) is a four-year starter, All Region player and runner up for conference POY. With the highest career OBP in program history through three season, he will be key to successful season. All the other bases will be staffed by All-MACC players with first - Ryan Niedzialkowsk (.325, 16 RBI), third - Joe Urban (.315, 17 RBI) and home plate - Matt Wade (.277, 5 HR, 26 RBI).
Alvernia (14-7, 24-18) will be on the rebound in 2026 as they battled injuries in the infield all season, particularly potential draft pick shortstop Bobby Hansen (2024 stats: .280, 22 RBI), back from TJ surgery. With the top offensive players in their junior year, head coach Yogi Lutz, the dean of coaching with the most wins in the division among active coaches, will be wise to coach for the next two years. Last year in East Lake we saw him in the stands and it would be great to see him in the dugout with his team either in Ohio in 2026 or Pennsylvania in 2027. If he wants to win in 2027, he will have to say goodbye to his top two starters, Chris Sasso (3-3, 3.25 ERA, 61K) and Nick Ferraioli (7-3, 3.05 ERA, 53K) will be finishing up their final year of eligibility in 2026.
Widener (12-9, 20-21) was the final tournament team but lost to Messiah as Messiah chased history in 2025. Eastern (8-13, 17-23), Hood (7-14, 12-28), Albright (6-15, 19-20) and Stevenson (4-17, 10-29) all finished on the outside of the tournament field and with the top of the conference returning major pieces of the puzzle, will have to battle it out with Widener for the final playoff spot. Good news for these quintet, the majority of their All-MACC honorees were in sophomores in 2025. Widener led the group with three named and two, Kevin Bukowski (.356, 10 HR, 38 RBI, 10 SB), Jack Balcer (,388, 5 HR, 41 RBI) were tabbed first teamers.
Predicted Champion: Messiah
Coast to Coast Athletic Conference: The Salisbury coaching staff stresses defense and pitching and nobody can debate the results. Salisbury (3-1, 34-10) has been the mark of consistency with only two seasons without a 30 win season (excluding the Covid year) in the last fifteen. This explains their string of 18 consecutive playoff appearances, second only to Cortland. Success in the roost will start with dominating starting pitching with the likes of Tyler Villa (7-1, 2.96 ERA, 44K), Aidan Brinsfield (5-0, 3.29 ERA, 67K) and Cole Williams (6-2, 3.69 ERA, 48K) taking the mound for 80% of the Sea Gull starts. The relief corps is also deep with four relievers with at least 14 appearances last year returning in 2026. The offence lost three top hitters but a solid core returns with Jackson Inman (.353, 44 RBI) leading the cast. Transfers from both D1 and other D3 programs will bolster the lineup as well as 11 freshmen entering the program this year. Look to Nathan Tondreault, a transfer from James Madison, to make an immediate impact. A five tool player, he is expected to produce from the middle of the Sea Gull lineup.
Predicted Champion: Salisbury