Erie, Pa. – The Le Moyne College baseball team will play its final road series of the regular season this weekend against Mercyhurst University.

In the first-ever meetings between the two programs as Northeast Conference opponents, the Dolphins and the Lakers will play game one on Friday at 3:00 p.m., with game two slated for Saturday at 1:00 p.m., followed by game three on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.

All three contests will be streamed on NEC Front Row.

Le Moyne and Mercyhurst split a non-conference doubleheader as Division II opponents during the 2016 season, with the nationally ranked Lakers taking game one by a score of 8-1, and the Dolphins responding with a 7-4 win in game two.

Le Moyne currently sits in fifth place, and one game back from fourth place, in the Northeast Conference Standings with a 15-9 conference record, while Mercyhurst is in eighth place in the league standings with a 12-15 conference record so far in its inaugural campaign in the NEC.

DOLPHIN RUNDOWN:
Le Moyne most recently claimed a 9-3 non-conference win at Niagara on Tuesday. Sophomore infielder Ethan Farina (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa/Saint Rose) launched his second home run of the season and finished the contest with a game-high three RBIs, while sophomore outfielder Chaz Anthony (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) recorded three hits in a game against Niagara for the second time this season, and graduate right-handed pitcher Joel Connors (Brampton, Ontario/Heart Lake/Lakeland C.C./St. Andrew's/St. Bonaventure) improved his record to 3-0 on the year after tossing 2.0 innings in relief.

In their most recent conference series, the Dolphins took one of three games last weekend at home against LIU, which is tied for first place in the league standings.

During Le Moyne's 12-11 extra-innings win in game two against the Sharks, senior infielder Benji Ries (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) recorded his second multi-home game of the season, delivered a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 10^th inning, and finished the game with a career-high five RBIs.

Junior right-handed pitcher Luke Connors (Brampton, Ontario/Heart Lake/Monroe C.C.) delivered a great outing in relief during the extra-innings win. Connors entered the game to begin the top of the seventh inning with the Dolphins trailing 11-6 and held the visitors to two hits, one walk and zero runs with four strikeouts over the final 4.0 innings as the Dolphins mounted their comeback. Connors collected his first victory as a Dolphin during the win.

The Dolphins have collected three conference sweeps this season against Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State and Coppin State.

Ries (.313) and sophomore outfielder Jack Cannon (.304) are two of 27 qualified hitters in the NEC with a batting average above .300 on the year.

In 24 conference games played, Ries is slashing .367/.509/.633 with five home runs, six doubles, 18 walks and 27 runs batted in.

Sophomore catcher Cooper Romich (North Chili, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) is slashing .383/.513/.533 with nine doubles in 20 conference games played. Romich (.513) and Ries (.509) rank third and fifth, respectively, among NEC players in on-base percentage during conference play.

Cannon leads the Dolphins in RBIs on the year with 31, and put together a 20-game hitting streak from March 22 through May 3.

Freshman infielder Tim Denet (West Harrison, N.Y./Iona Prep) leads the team in hits (38), walks (28) runs (36) and is tied for the team in lead in home runs alongside senior outfielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) with six.

Le Moyne junior outfielder Paulie Goodness (20) and Cannon (19) rank first and second among NEC players in stolen bases during conference play.

Goodness currently holds a .341 batting average and a .492 on-base percentage with a team-high 28 hits and team-high 26 runs against NEC competition.

Le Moyne's starting pitching rotation for the last three weekend series has featured graduate left-hander Max Parker (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius), redshirt-sophomore right-hander AJ Petraitis (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) and fifth-year senior right-hander Bobby McBride (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster/UConn/Coastal Carolina).

Parker leads the team in innings pitched (68.1) and strikeouts (58) with three victories and one complete game through 12 appearances and 11 starts. Parker made his 53^rd career start as a Dolphin (2^nd most in program history) in game one of the LIU series.

Petraitis has also earned three victories with one complete game in 12 appearances on the mound, including 11 starts, and 63.0 innings pitched.

Through 10 appearances and nine starts on the mound this season, McBride holds a 3.79 ERA with a .172 opponent batting average and 43 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched.

Joel Connors and redshirt-senior right-handed pitcher Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) have both registered three wins and one save in relief roles this season for the 'Phins.

Junior left-hander Colin Skermont (Yorkville, N.Y./Whitesboro/Herkimer) has made seven relief appearances in conference play for the Dolphins, compiling a 2-0 record with a 2.89 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 18.2 innings of work.

With six conference games remaining in the regular season, the Dolphins are one game back from Stonehill for fourth place in the NEC standings and the final spot in the conference tournament.

Wagner sits in third in the league standings behind CCSU and LU with an 18-6 conference record.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS:
During their first season as a Division I member of the Northeast Conference, Mercyhurst (14-32, 12-15 NEC) has earned series victories against Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore, Wagner and Norfolk State.

The Lakers most recently took two of three games at Norfolk State last weekend.

During a 9-5 win in game two against the Spartans, third baseman Ranciel Ventura tallied two doubles and a sacrifice fly to finish the contest with a game-high three RBIs. Senior Jayden Walker was named an NEC Prime Performer after 6-for-12 with five runs and four RBIs during the NSU series.

Walker (.314) and senior outfielder Eric Chorba (.329) are both batting above .300 this season for the Lakers in 46 and 45 starts, respectively. Walker has tallied team-highs in runs (33), home runs (11) and RBIs (35) so far in 2025 in addition to 10 doubles and 28 walks.

Through 26 conference starts, Walker is tied for fourth with Denet among all NEC players in runs (28), he ranks first in home runs (10), second in slugging percentage (.707), fifth in hits (35), sixth in OPS (1.162), 10^th in walks (20) and 10^th in RBIs (25).

Senior outfielder Chris Juchno, a First Team All-PSAC honoree for the Lakers during their last season at the Division II level in 2024, has compiled 31 runs, 36 hits, eight doubles, four home runs, 20 RBIs, a team-high 38 walks and a team-high 18 stolen bases in 46 starts this season.

Senior catcher Landon DiBeradin (26) and freshman infielder Ethan Adams (22) rank second and third on the team in RBIs, while Ventura has registered a team-high 11 doubles to go along with 23 runs, 22 walks, 10 stolen bases and 20 RBIs.

Senior right-handed pitcher Jacob Bazala, a Second Team All-PSAC selection for Mercyhurst in 2024, leads the Lakers in innings pitched with 67.0 through 18 appearances and eight starts, and holds a 6-3 record with 70 strikeouts.

Against NEC competition, Bazala holds a 5-1 record with a 3.63 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 52.0 innings of work. He has gone at least seven innings in each of his last three outings and tossed 9.0 innings with six strikeouts and two runs allowed during a 3-2 extra-innings victory over Wagner on April 26.

Senior right-hander Aidan Kelly has made eight conference starts during which he has recorded a .261 opponent batting average with 39 strikeouts in 41.1 innings of work.

Sophomore right-hander Nolan Kirsch has made 10 relief appearances during conference play for the Lakers, tallying 15 strikeouts in 13.0 innings.

Mercyhurst is led by head coach Jimmy Latona, who is in his second season at the helm of the program.

UP NEXT:
Following the weekend series at Mercyhurst, Le Moyne will close out the regular season with a four-game home stand. The Dolphins will host UAlbany for a midweek contest at 3:00 p.m. on May 13, then they will play a conference series against Central Connecticut State at Dick Rockwell Field from May 15-17.