YORK, PA – The York College baseball team is locked and loaded for their 2024 season as they open the campaign at #6 University of Lynchburg on Saturday.
 
Head coach Mike Scappa welcomes back six starters from the every day lineup while five of the seven pitchers who threw at last 20 innings last year are also back.
 
The Spartans kick off the campaign with a three-game series against sixth ranked, and defending national champions, Lynchburg March 2 and 3.
 
York kicks off their 17-game home schedule on March 5 against Franklin & Marshall College. The home schedule features non-conference match ups against nationally ranked Misericordia (#11) on March 12 and perennial power Randolph-Macon on April 11. Other non-conference home games include St. Mary's (Md.) on March 10, Elizabethtown on April 9, Penn State Altoona on April 22 and Susquehanna on April 30.
 
The Spartan non-conference road slate includes the season opening trip followed by visits to Rutgers-Camden on March 7, St. Mary's for a twin bill on March 9, Penn State Harrisburg on March 19, former MAC Commonwealth rival Lebanon Valley on March 26, #2 Salisbury on April 3, #14 Rowan on April 16, and #7 Shenandoah on April 29.
 
MAC Commonwealth play opens on March 15 at Albright followed by a double header against the Lions on March 16. The Spartans will play each Commonwealth three times with single games on Friday followed by a doubleheader at the opposite site on Saturday. York's Saturday doubleheaders include Albright, Widener (April 6), and Hood (April 20).
 
The MAC Commonwealth tournament kicks off with the semifinals on May 3 and 4. The championship round will be May 10 and 11. Both the semifinals and championship will be a best of three series.
 
The Spartans were pick to finish third in the eight team Commonwealth. York received 36 points and two first place votes. Alvernia received three first place votes and 45 total points as they were selected as the conference favorite. Messiah is second with 42 points and two first place votes. Widener rounds out the top four with 33 votes in the poll.
 
2024 SPARTAN BASEBALL FAST FACTS
Head Coach: Mike Scappa (13^th Season, 237-218-2)
2023 Overall Record: 20-20
2023 MAC Commonwealth Record: 14-10
2023 MAC Commonwealth Tournament: Won 4/5 Play in vs. Messiah (7-5) and then lost in Semifinals to #1 Lebanon Valley (8-2, 5-4)
Starters Returning: Robby Elzinga (Grad CF), Andrew Santarpia (Jr. 1B), Gabe Trevina (Jr. 2b), Michael Tinneny (Jr. 3B), Lucas Prendgast (So. SS), Chris Betler (Jr. LF)
Returning Pitchers: Brandon Purdy (Jr.), Bryce Shaffer (Jr.), Ethan Kennedy (Sr.), Yandel Tolentino (Jr.), Dawson Rightenour (Jr.), Sam Gardner (Sr.), Eric Chaney (So.)
Starters Lost: Brendan Martin (LF), Brian Jakubek (C)
Pitchers Lost: Zach Reed, AJ Vincenzi, Ryan Kulick
2023 MAC All-Commonwealth: Ethan Kennedy (1^st Team), Robby Elzinga (1^st Team), Gabe Trevena (HM), Brendan Martin (HM)
ABCA All-Region V: Robby Elzinga (3^rd Team)
 
2024 Spartan Baseball Outlook
The Spartans will be carried through the season by their balance, their defense and the expectation of a strong pitching staff.
 
The lineup is anchored by an experience group of players headlined by All-Region centerfielder Robby Elzinga. The grad student's return to the program gives head coach Mike Scappa a plus defender and a middle-of-the-order bat that has a three-year track record of production.
 
The depth in the outfield surrounding Elzinga is one of the strengths of the Spartans as Scappa has a multitude of talented choices for right and left field. Chris Betler and Connor Pickle are slated to start in left and right to kick off the year but Scappa has great depth. Jacob Deimling, Dawson Shelley, Chris Nesensohn, and Brett Michael all have the ability to step into the line-up for York.
 
The infield is filled with experienced players as three of the four positions feature returning starters. Junior Andrew Santarpia returns at first base as he will hit in the heart of the lineup. Santarpia has the ability to change the game with one swing of the bat. Lucas Prendergast moves over to second base after playing short as a freshman last spring. Last year's second baseman, Gabe Trevena, will see most of his at-bats come from the designated hitter position but could also see innings at second. Trevena and Prendergast will hit one-two in the Spartan lineup regardless of who plays second base.
 
Sophomore Luke Moser takes over at short after getting into 12 games as a freshman last year. Senior Garrett Kile provides the Spartans with great depth at short as he one of the best defenders in the conference. Third base is anchored by junior Michael Tinneny as he begins his third year as a starter for York. Tinneny is a career .288 hitter with a .440 slugging percentage. Freshman Jason Cassidy is one of York's top newcomers and gives Scappa depth at third while Cassidy will likely get at-bats during his first year in the Green and White.
 
The one question mark comes behind the dish for the Spartans as they have to replace the two catchers who saw time last year. Senior Brett Dewees is the most experienced returning catcher but injury limited his time last spring and this fall. Dewees has the early edge for playing time but newcomers Gehrig Fleming, Matthew Wade, Kenny Bamrick, and Dylan Leidy will all have the chance to earn time for the Spartans. Each catcher brings something different to the Spartans but Scappa would like to see one of the foursome step up and seize the starting job.
 
The pitching staff is deep and should keep the Spartans in every game. The starting rotation entering the season includes a pair of seasoned juniors, a freshman and a sophomore. Brandon Purdy and Bryce Shaffer front the rotation as they went a combined 10-5 last year in 20 starts. They are joined by freshman righty Evan Hughes and sophomore lefty Owen Brockner.
 
In the bullpen, All-Commonwealth closer Ethan Kennedy gives Scappa an experienced pitcher for high-leverage situations. Scappa expects a core of his pen to be able to cover late innings to get to Kennedy. Junior Dawson Rightenour, sophomores Eric Chaney, Jesse Bitzer and Lane Berkey along with freshmen Dillon Michaloski and Jason Cassidy give York a number of options on the bump.
 
Also in the bullpen, the Spartans have seniors Sam Gardner and Teegan Starr, sophomore Josh Edwards, along with freshmen Jackson Kelley, Seamus O'Connor, Adam Baeumel, and Jayden Kerr providing depth for the Green and White.
 
"I like this team a lot," says Scappa. "We should have a deep lineup and be able to keep pressure on our opponents. I expect us to be good defensively while our pitchers can attack and be aggressive on the mound. I believe our experience and talent should enable us to compete with every team on our schedule."
 
2024 YORK COLLEGE BASEBALL ROSTER
2024 YORK COLLEGE BASEBALL SCHEDULE