IMMACULATA, Pa. - The stage is set as the Immaculata Mighty Macs baseball team is set to host its first conference tournament in program history after securing the Atlantic East regular season title on the season.
"Our team did a phenomenal job all year to put us in a position to have home field advantage throughout the playoffs," opened head coach Josh Copskey. "Winning the regular season championship for the first time in school history is a testament to their hard work."
The Mighty Macs earned the regular season title, as well as the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic East Tournament following a dominant 14-4 record in Atlantic East play on the year, paired with an overall record of 25-12. The Mighty Macs secured series victories in each of their six Atlantic East regular season series.
In order to reach the program's second straight Atlantic East Championship game, the Immaculata will have to manage a double elimination tournament featuring the top four seeds in the conference: No. 2 Cabrini, No. 3 Gwynedd Mercy, and No. 4 Marymount. The first two games of the tournament, to be played on Wednesday, May 11th, will featuring No. 1 Immaculata hosting No. 4 Marymount while No. 2 Cabrini hosts No. 3 Gwynedd Mercy. Immaculata will then host the remainder of the conference tournament beginning on Thursday, May 12th and concluding on Friday, May 13th. Thursday's schedule has first pitch scheduled for 9:00 A.M. and will consist of three games, including two elimination games, leaving the two teams remaining to compete in the Championship on Friday. Game one on Friday will begin at 12:00 P.M. with game two taking place if necessary at 3:30 P.M.
For the Mighty Macs, their journey to the championship will begin on Wednesday as they face a familiar foe in Marymount University. The Saints defeated the Macs in the Championship game in 2021. The Mighty Macs then swept their regular season series against the reigning champions, winning the games by scores of 4-1, 3-1, and 14-10.
The Saints ended their season with a 27-13 overall record, posting a 9-9 record in Atlantic East play, securing the fourth seed on the tournament. They are led offensively by senior Alex Lemery, who led the team with a .389 average, scoring 53 runs while hitting seven home runs on the season. Kenny Sysyn and Drew Mead, meanwhile, lead the Saints offensively, starting in 21 games while combining to throw 112 innings on the year, owning a combined 4.74 ERA.
"Marymount is a good ball club that is well-coached and will be ready to play," described Copskey. "We need to be ready to go from the start as it is set to be a great game."
The Cabrini Cavaliers and the Gwynedd Mercy Griffins will also compete in the Atlantic East Tournament, starting with their contest hosted by the Cavaliers on Wednesday. The Cavaliers enter the tournament as the third seed following a 30-win season, earning a 13-5 record in Atlantic East play. Gil Peralta serves as the Cavaliers' main offensive powerhouse, leading the team in hits, runs scored, home runs, and stolen bases on the season. Jonathan Baker leads the Cavaliers from the mound, pitching 73 innings on the season for a 4.32 ERA overall.
The Griffins, meanwhile, enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed, earning a 10-8 record in conference play while earning a 17-20 overall record. Jake Martell leads the Griffins offensively with a .372 batting average while T.J. Brasier has recorded 10 home runs on the season, leading the Griffins with 43 runs and 40 RBI. Frank Ebling is the Griffins' lead starting pitcher, owning a 3.51 ERA on 10 starts on the season.
Junior catcher Josh Crowding and senior outfielder Frank Margiotta have led the Mighty Macs at the plate on the season, leading the Macs with 52 hits each. Crowding leads the Macs with a .380 batting average on the season, hitting 14 extra base hits. Margiotta, meanwhile, serves as the Macs' leadoff man, swiping 23 bags this season while scoring a team-leading 53 runs. Joey Wright also aids the Macs offensively, leading the team with 25 extra base hits, six home runs, 49 RBI, and a .565 slugging percentage on the year.
The Mighty Macs have put up an impressive year as a pitching staff, leading the Atlantic East with a 2.78 ERA in conference play, also leading the conference in walks (56) and strikeouts (144). Sophomore Jason Hughes has put together an incredible season for the Mighty Macs, yielding only eight earned runs across 49.2 innings pitched while striking out 57 batters. Fellow starting pitchers Ryan Crowell and Mason Keller, meanwhile, have earned ERA's of 3.28 and 3.86, respectively, shutting down the opposition. Senior Trevor Wagner has acted as the Macs' closer on the season, leading the Atlantic East with seven saves, striking out 31 batters in 25 innings of work.
The Macs' campaign to secure the 2022 Atlantic East Championship, along with the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, will begin on Wednesday as they host Marymount University at 2:00 P.M. at the Immaculata Baseball Stadium.
"We need to do the things that we do well to the best of our ability. We need to compete one pitch at a time. In order to be successful, we need to focus on what we can control which is our style of baseball," concluded Copskey.
For more information regarding the Atlantic East Tournament, click here.
