Manchester, N.H. – The Le Moyne College baseball team (34-20) began the 2023 campaign with four games at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina on February 17-19, and on May 25 they are just two wins away from returning to Cary and the USA Baseball NTC for the Division II world series. To become one of the final eight teams standing in the NCAA Championship, the Dolphins will have to win a three-game series against the East Region's top seed, Southern New Hampshire University (40-11).

Game one of the series will be played on Friday at 3:00 p.m. at SNHU's Penmen Field, and game two is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Game three of the series, if necessary, will start 60 minutes following the conclusion of game two.

The Penmen, who have appeared in the eight-team Championship Round in three of the last four seasons, earned the right to host the East Super Regional for the fourth consecutive year after defeating fourth-seeded Franklin Pierce University and fifth-seeded Pace University in Hooksett in the East Regional #1.

Le Moyne, the #3 seed in the East Region, bested sixth-seeded Queens University in their first game of East Regional #2 at the University of Delaware, then they took two of three from the host team, second-seeded Goldey-Beacom College to earn the program's first trip to an NCAA Super Regional, and their first appearance in the East Region finals since 2012.

The Dolphins have won 19 of their last 24 games, which has vaulted them into the most recent Collegiate Baseball Top 30 Poll. Le Moyne is ranked 26^th in Collegiate Baseball's DII Poll, while the Penmen are 13^th in the Collegiate Baseball Poll and tied for 10^th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 25 Poll.

SNHU dominated the NE10 Northeast Division during the 2023 regular season, going 23-1 during league play while leading the division in runs scored (274), hits (298), doubles (61), home runs (46), runs batted in (244), walks (138), stolen bases (81), batting average (.363), on base percentage (.407), slugging percentage (.615), team ERA (3.42), strikeouts per nine innings (10.11), hits allowed (175), fielding percentage (.977) and doubles plays (17).

During Le Moyne's 20-game NE10 Southwest Division schedule, the Dolphins led their division in runs scored (140), doubles (45), home runs (26), runs batted in (131), on-base percentage (.396), slugging percentage (.498) and doubles plays (18).

Both teams won the regular season title for their respective divisions.

Le Moyne advanced to NE10 Championship Weekend after defeating Adelphi University in the first round of the conference tournament, while SNHU was eliminated in the first round after falling to the fourth seed in the Southwest Division, Bentley University. Le Moyne was eliminated from Championship Weekend at Dick Rockwell Field after losing back-to-back games to Pace and Franklin Pierce. Outside of the NE10 Championship, the Dolphins have not lost consecutive games since the beginning of April, during their very first conference series.

The Penmen have not lost back-to-back games since the middle of March, when the Goldey-Beacom Lightning took the final three games against SNHU during a four-game non-conference series.

Southern New Hampshire senior right-handed pitcher Jeffrey Praml was named the NE10 Northeast Division Pitcher of the Year and was subsequently selected as the East Region Pitcher of the Year according to the D2CCA.  Junior catcher Nick Schwartz earned the division's Player of the Year for the Penmen and was later named the East Region Player of the Year by both the D2CCA and the NCBWA.

Schwartz, Praml, junior first baseman Mike La Rocca, junior outfielder Cam Caraher, and junior shortstop Danniel Rivera each earned All-Conference First Team recognition for SNHU, while Le Moyne junior left-handed pitcher Max Parker (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) and freshman left fielder/third baseman Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) were both named to the All-Conference First Team, and Sullivan received the Southwest Division Rookie Hitter of the Year Award.

Both Parker and Sullivan subsequently earned all-region recognition. Parker was named to the All-East Region Second Team according to both the D2CCA and the NCBWA, while Sullivan was named to the D2CCA Second Team.

Through 51 games started in 2023, Schwartz is slashing .400/.493/.733 with 60 runs scored, 20 doubles, 12 home runs, 64 runs batted in, 31 walks and eight stolen bases. All 13 of Praml's appearances this season have been starts. The 6'5" righty holds a 10-3 record with a 2.50 ERA with 72 strikeouts and a .234 opposing batting average in 90.0 innings of work.

Southern New Hampshire graduate right-handed pitcher Josh Roberge, a 2023 NE10 Second Team All-Conference selection, has made 12 starts this season and holds a 3.28 ERA with an 8-4 record, four complete games and a team-best 92 strikeouts in 74.0 innings of work.

Junior left-handed pitcher George Welch, a third team all-conference honoree, has made eight starts for the Penmen and currently holds a 5-0 record with a 3.07 earned run average and 62 strikeouts in 44.0 innings of work.

During SNHU's three games in East Regional #1 from May 18-19, they used a starting pitching rotation of Jeffrey Praml (9.0 innings pitched, six hits, one run, zero walks allowed with six strikeouts during a 6-1 win over FPU in game one), Josh Roberge (7.0 innings pitched, nine hits, three runs, three walks allowed with five strikeouts during 6-3 win over Pace in game two), and sophomore righty Frankie Sanchez (7.0 IP, six hits, four runs, three walks allowed with five strikeouts during 14-4 win over Pace in game three). Sanchez improved his record to 6-1 this season following the victory.

Schwartz was held to just two hits, two runs and one RBI during the three-game East Regional #1, while sophomore outfielder Anderson Moreno tallied a team-best five hits during the three postseason contests to go along with two runs and four runs batted in. Freshman DH/catcher Kyle Lavigne was inserted into the lineup for the final two games of East Regional #1 and provided a combined five hits, six runs scored, two home runs and three RBI during two SNHU wins.

La Rocca has recorded 48 runs, 68 hits, 16 doubles, 10 home runs and 52 RBI with a .364/.467/.610 slash line through 49 starts in 2023. La Rocca was also kept in check during East Regional #1, tallying three hits, one run, one extra-base hit and one RBI during the three-game set.

Caraher and Rivera are both hitting above .350 in 51 starts this season for the Penmen with a combined 78 stolen bases. Caraher is slashing .353/.474/.647 with 60 runs, 61 hits, 14 home runs, 48 RBI, 32 walks, and 32 stolen bases in 34 attempts. Rivera currently holds a slash line of .366/.469/.608 with 59 runs, 68 hits, 14 doubles, nine home runs, 36 RBI, 35 walks and a team-high 46 stolen bases in 54 attempts. Both players received All-East Region First Team honors according to both the D2CCA and the NCBWA.

Le Moyne graduate first baseman Dewey Roden (Sherill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill/UMass Lowell), who was named to the All-Conference Third Team, led all NE10 Southwest Division hitters with 22 RBI during the 20-game conference schedule, and on the year he leads the Dolphins in hits (67), doubles (18), runs batted in (56), slugging percentage (.584) and is tied for the team lead in home runs (11). Roden has also drawn 30 walks this season and holds a slash line of .332/.426/.584 through 53 starts.

During the month of May (12 games), Roden is slashing .471/.534/.882 with 11 runs scored, 24 hits (including nine doubles and four home runs), 19 RBI and two stolen bases. The Sherrill native is currently on an 11-game hitting streak. During Le Moyne's four games in East Regional #2, Roden contributed a combined eight hits, five runs, three home runs and seven RBI.

Le Moyne fifth-year shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham), who has recorded at least one hit in all eight of Le Moyne's postseason games, is slashing .333/.414/.549 for the 'Phins in the month of May with 12 runs, 17 hits (including eight extra-base hits), eight RBI and six walks.

Nevins contributed a combined eight hits and five runs during East Regional #2, including a career-high four hits and a season-high three runs during the winner-take-all title game on Sunday.

After two consecutive dominant postseason starts, Le Moyne senior right-handed pitcher Sam DiGeorge (Canastota, N.Y./Canastota) currently holds an NE10-best 1.52 earned run average with a 7-1 record in 65.1 innings pitched.

DiGeorge most recently threw a complete-game gem against Goldey-Beacom during the second day of the NCAA East Regional #2. DiGeorge, who did not allow a runner to reach third base in 7.0 innings during his previous start in the NE10 Championship against FPU, held the Lightning to just four hits, one run, and zero walks with seven strikeouts in 9.0 innings of work during Le Moyne's second consecutive NCAA tournament win. DiGeorge did not allow a Goldey-Beacom runner to reach third base until the ninth inning on Friday, when the Lightning recorded two hits and one run in the final frame before DiGeorge got the final out to secure the 6-1 win for the 'Phins.

Parker established a league-best 1.55 ERA in four NE10 starts, and on the year he holds a 4-2 record with 58 strikeouts compared to just 16 walks in 66.1 innings of work.

Freshman DH Brody Keneston (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), who was named to the 2023 NE10 All-Rookie Team, delivered a special performance during Le Moyne's 6-1 win over Goldey-Beacom on Friday. Keneston smashed three home runs against the Lightning to become the first Le Moyne player to record three long balls in an NCAA tournament game. Keneston finished the postseason battle with four hits and five runs batted in. Through 49 starts in 2023, Le Moyne's rookie cleanup hitter is slashing .310/.402/.573 with 41 runs, 53 hits (including 13 doubles, one triple and 10 home runs), 49 runs batted in and 26 walks drawn.

Le Moyne received a number of important contributions from their bullpen during East Regional #2. In the opening game against sixth-seeded Queens, 6'5"  junior right-handed pitcher Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) shut down the Knights in the top of the eighth to maintain Le Moyne's deficit at one run, then after the Dolphins tied the contest at 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth, 6'5" senior right-hander Jed Boyle (Syracuse, N.Y./Corcoran) tossed back-to-back scoreless frames in the ninth and 10^th, which allowed the 'Phins to claim a walk-off victory in the bottom of the 10^th.

DiGeorge saved some bullpen arms during game two of the East Regional by tossing a complete game, then Le Moyne's relievers came up big again in the title game.

Freshman right-handed starting pitcher AJ Petraitis (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) held the Lightning to five hits and three runs over the first 4.0 frames on Sunday, then freshman righty Eric Swiencicki (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) gave the 'Phins 3.2 solid innings in relief before Boyle came in to record the final four outs and earn his second save of the campaign. Swiencicki was credited with the win, improving his 2023 record to 3-1.

During Le Moyne four games at the NCAA Championship East Regional #2, the Dolphins used a starting pitching rotation of Parker (game one), DiGeorge (game two), sophomore left-hander Jacob Crystal (game three) and Petraitis (game four).

Southern New Hampshire has won an NCAA Region Championship four times (2012, 2018, 2021, 2022). The last time a Le Moyne team was crowned Region Champions was during the 1981 campaign.

The last meeting between the two NE10 programs was during the 2022 conference championship, when the Penmen defeated the Dolphins 7-0 during the opening game of championship weekend. Roberge tossed a complete-game shutout during the SNHU victory.

The last time the Dolphins appeared in the East Region Championship game was in 2012, when they faced off against Southern New Hampshire and suffered a 4-3 defeat.

There are now 16 teams remaining in the 2023 NCAA Baseball Championship. The eight-team double-elimination championship round will take place from June 3-10 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

SNHU defeated Molloy College in three games during the 2022 East Super Regional to advance to their second consecutive DII world series.