Baseball Sacred Heart Home Game Series

Kelby Chichester

Mount St. Mary's baseball kicked off their 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) schedule with a three-game home series against Sacred Heart. Entering conference play with a 6-5 record after a four-game stint in Florida against Indiana and Stetson, the Mountaineers looked to establish themselves early in MAAC competition.  

As of March 13, 2025, the Mountaineers hit the road for their second week of conference play, traveling to New York to take on Iona. Following a 2-1 series loss to Sacred Heart and a midweek defeat at Maryland, the team held a 7-8 overall record and a 1-2 mark in conference play.  

In their March 12 matchup against Maryland, the Mount fell 9-3 in College Park. The Mountaineers struck early, with a first inning double from Ty Fredo (C’27) bringing home Sam Grube (C’28) and Alex Mendes (C’26). However, Maryland’s strong pitching and offensive firepower stifled the Mount’s scoring opportunities until the eighth inning, when a Fredo groundout plated Stephen Katch (C’27).  

Despite the loss, Fredo remains the team’s offensive leader, boasting a .397 batting average and a 1.031 OPS, along with 16 RBIs and 32 total bases. He is also tied with Grube and Mendes for the team lead in stolen bases, each swiping nine bags in 15 games. As a team, Mount St. Mary’s ranks third nationally in stolen bases with 56, trailing only Wofford (60) and the Virginia Military Institute (114).  

The Mount rebounded in their second MAAC series opener, securing a thrilling 9-8 victory over Iona to even their conference record at 2-2 while improving to 8-8 overall.  

The game saw an early 1-0 lead for the Gaels in the first inning, but the Mountaineers responded in the third when a Fredo single to right field scored Grube to tie the game. Iona then erupted for a five-run inning to take a 6-1 lead. The Mount chipped away, starting in the fourth with an infield single by Mendes that brought in Mateo Zeppieri (C’25). In the sixth, Grube’s RBI single scored Ethan Flaugher (C’28), followed by Mendes scoring after Fredo reached on an error, cutting the deficit to 6-4.  

The momentum continued into the seventh as Mikey Rodriguez (C’26) lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Nick Fleming (C’25). In the ninth, Rodriguez delivered a clutch double down the left-field line, clearing the bases and giving the Mount an 8-6 advantage. Mendes then grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Rodriguez to cap off the team’s final run. Despite a tense bottom of the ninth, Iona’s Nickolas Mora (C’26) out to Mendes in right field, sealing the victory.  

Grube led the charge at the plate, going 4-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored. Rodriguez made the most of his substitution appearance, driving in four RBIs while going 1-for-1 with a sacrifice fly. Mendes and Flaugher both contributed 2-for-5 performances with a run each. On the mound, Josh Halcisak (C’27) earned the win, improving to 2-2 on the season, while Maximus McCrary (C’26) recorded his first save of the year with a steady ninth-inning relief effort.