WAYNESBURG, Pa. (February 12) – The Waynesburg University baseball team looks to build off a successful 2024 campaign and return to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament in 2025 under first-year head coach Michael Impellittiere.

The Yellow Jackets begin their season with a doubleheader against La Roche on Feb. 22. 

2024 Season Review: Waynesburg matched its single-season wins record with a 23-19 overall mark in 2024. The Jackets went 15-5 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play to finished tied for second in the league standings and matched the highest conference winning percentage (.750) in team history.

In April the Jackets notched their longest winning streak in in the last 20 years as they won seven-straight games in six days, all against PAC opponents. Overall, the Jackets notched six sweeps in 10 PAC doubleheaders, including over PAC Tournament qualifiers Allegheny and Westminster.

There were plenty of late-inning heroics to go around as Waynesburg won four games via walk-off and another four road victories with the game-winning run scored in the final inning. The Jackets outscored opponents 53-27 over the eighth, ninth and extra innings.

The Jackets made their first PAC Tournament appearance since 2019. Waynesburg fell 4-2 to Allegheny in the conference tournament opener and were eliminated by eventual champion W&J the following day.

Waynesburg had five players collect all-conference honors, the most for the program since 2014.

Former Waynesburg head coach Perry Cunningham stepped down after 17 seasons with the Jackets over the summer. Impellittiere was announced as Waynesburg's next manager in August 2024.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to lead this program and build on the strong foundation already in place," said Impellittiere. We have a veteran-led team with an excellent culture, which speaks to the character and work ethic of our players. This group has embraced the challenges of growth and competition, and I'm looking forward to watching them come together and compete at a high level this spring."

2025 PAC Preseason Poll: The Jackets were selected fifth of 11 teams by the conference's coaching in the PAC Preseason Poll. Waynesburg was tabbed for seventh in last year's poll before finishing tied for second in the final 2024 standings.

# School (first-place votes) – points – 2024 record (PAC record)
1. Washington & Jefferson (9) – 99 – 34-14 (16-4 PAC)
2. Grove City (1) – 89 – 27-14 (15-5 PAC)
3. Allegheny (1) – 82) – 26-15 (14-6 PAC)
4. Westminster – 67 – 20-22 (11-9 PAC)
5. Waynesburg – 65 – 23-13 (15-5 PAC)
6. Chatham – 60 – 18-21 (9-11 PAC)
7. Thiel – 43 – 15-24 (10-10 PAC)
8. Saint Vincent – 41 – 11-25 (8-12 PAC)
9. Geneva – 26 – 16-20 (6-14 PAC)
10. Bethany – 17 – 10-28 (3-17 PAC)
11. Franciscan – 16 – 10-26 (3-17 PAC

Key Returners: The Jackets bring back four all-conference performers and the entire pitching staff from the 2024 season.

"Our group of returners provides a strong foundation for our team," said Impellittiere. "They bring valuable experience, leadership, and a clear understanding of the expectations within our program to make the playoffs and win in the playoffs. Their commitment to hard work and development has been evident from day one, and they've done a great job setting the tone for our younger players. I'm excited to see them take the next step and lead us into a competitive spring season."

Junior pitcher Dalton Lucey (Waynesburg, Pa. / West Greene) was an All-PAC Second Team selection as Waynesburg's No. 1 starter in 2024. He went 6-4 with a 3.92 earned run average in 78.0 innings. He led the Jackets in starts, innings, WHIP (1.37) and strikeouts (48). Lucey ranked second in the conference in innings pitched, fourth in ins and 11th in strikeout. In conference play, Lucey went 4-1 with three complete games in six conference starts. He struck out seven in a complete game win over Geneva and went the distance in Waynesburg's first-ever PAC win over Allegheny.

"Dalton is driven by an unmatched work ethic and unwavering toughness," said Impellittiere. "Dalton is the kind of competitor every team needs. He embraces every challenge, thrives under pressure and refuses to be outworked. His passion for the game and relentless desire to win set him apart as a true leader on the field."

Graduate Seth Burgdolt (Taylorstown, Pa. / McGuffey) earned All-PAC Second Team laurels as a catcher. He finished second on the roster among qualifiers with a .318 batting average and the led the team slugging (.467). He totaled nine extra base hits, three of which were home runs, and finished fourth on the team in RBI (22) and fifth in runs (22). Behind the plate, Burgdolt threw out a dozen baserunners attempting to steal. He blasted a walk-off home run to beat Bethany and was named the PAC Hitter of the Week following day.

"Seth is a great ball player, coming off of a knee injury his time behind plate will be limited but we expect his bat to be in the line-up," said Impellittiere. "Great person, another true competitor within our team."

Graduate Mike Bell (Herminie, Pa. / Yough) was an All-PAC Honorable Mention pick as a senior. He hit .303 and ranked seventh in the PAC with .471 on-base percentage. Bell struck out only four times while totaling 29 free bases (20 walks, nine hit by pitch). He drove in 23 runs and scored 22 times, both top-five marks on the team, and had seven extra-base hits.

"Michael, is one of the best hitters within the conference and showcases among the top third base in region," said Impellittiere. "His ability to hit to all fields is terrific, his competitive spirit, maturity as a player and the love he has for the game and his teammates is unmatched. He is a special type of player who any coach would be blessed to be around. We are lucky to have him as a yellow Jacket!"

Senior Alec Engelmore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) returns as a two-time All-PAC utility player after collecting All-PAC Honorable Mention status last spring. He led the Jackets in batting with a .328 average as a corner outfielder. He ranked third on the roster in runs (27) and fourth in walks (13). He drove in 19 runs and notched four doubles, one triple and one home run. Engelmore recorded 10 multi-hit outings and had a season-long 10-game hitting streak. 

As a pitcher, Engelmore made eight relief appearances, went 2-0 with two saves and had four scoreless outings over 16.1 innings. He finished with a 4.41 ERA and struck out seven. Engelmore earned saves in conference wins over Saint Vincent and Grove City.

"Alec, is a premier two-way athlete who consistently dominates on the field, but what truly sets him apart is the kind of person he is off the field," said Impellittiere. "Leads by character, humility and a team-first mentality. His dedication, work ethic and integrity make him a great teammate. We are excited to see what his senior season turns out."

Sophomore Trent Giraffa (Hanover, Pa. / Delone Catholic) turned in a strong freshman campaign at the corner infield spots in 2024. He finished third on the team with a .313 batting average and tied for the team lead with nine doubles. He led all qualifying players with a .433 on-base percentage and finished second on the roster in walks (20). Giraffa drove in 20 and scored 17 runs. He had a team-best 11-game hitting streak and reached base in 20-straight games.

Senior Dalton Mount (Sykesville, Md. / Westminster) started all 42 games at second base and in the leadoff spot in the Waynesburg lineup last spring. He led the Jackets in hits (47), runs (34), walks (28), total bases (59), stolen bases (17) and multi-hit games (17). He hit .297 with one home run and 16 RBI, along with nine doubles. and finished second in the PAC in walks and fourth in stolen bases and fifth in program history in both categories. 

Sophomore outfielder Garrett Comer (St. Albans, W.Va. / St. Albans) started 40 games, primarily in center field, as a freshman last year. He hit .288 and tied for the team lead with 24 runs batted in. He notched six doubles, two triples, scored 18 times and had five stolen bases. Comer had a dozen multi-hit games and drove in multiple runs five times. He caught fire in April with a 10-game hitting streak that features seven multi-hit outings. Comer had three hits, three RBI and robbed a home run in the ninth inning in a win at Saint Vincent. He also had a walk-off single against Geneva.

Senior Aidan Williams (Shaler, Pa. / Shaler) appeared in 34 games and started games at catcher, first base and designated hitter. He hit .264 with one home run, 17 RBI and 10 runs scored. He reached base in 12-straight games and had seven multi-hit games and five appearances with multiple RBI. As a catcher, he threw out five baserunners attempting to steal. Williams made five appearances as a relief pitcher and gave up five earned runs in 5.0 innings.

Graduate first baseman/designated hitter Marcos Mendez (Ponce, Puerto Rico / Westminster (Md.)) returned from injury to give the Jacket offense a boost over the final month of the season. In 29 at bats, he hit .448 and had a hit in nine-of-10 games with four multi-hit games. Mendez was named to the PAC All-Tournament Team after doubling and driving in two runs against Allegheny and homering against W&J in the conference tournament.

Senior pitcher Gavin Pratt (Carmichaels, Pa. / Carmichaels Area) finished third on the team with 39.1 innings pitched and was tied for second on the roster with 32 strikeouts. He made seven starts on the mount and went 2-3 with a 7.78 earned run average. He tossed a complete game win over Allegheny to secure a conference sweep.

Junior Ethan Erhard (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield) served as the Jackets' No. 2 starter last year as he started 11 games and finished second on the roster with 53.2 innings pitched. He went 3-3 with a 5.37 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. His 32 strikeouts tied for second-most on the team and he fanned at least five batters four times. He limited W&J to one run over the first five innings in the Jackets' PAC Tournament matchup with the Presidents.

Sophomore pitcher Ryan Opfer (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) contributed as a starter and reliever as a freshman. He finished fourth in the team in starts (four) and innings pitched (37.0). He went 2-2 with a 4.38 ERA, three complete games and one save. Opfer tossed a nine inning complete game win at Westminster and threw a seven inning complete game in a run-rule victory at Thiel.

Sophomore Mike McCready (Greensburg, Pa. / Greensburg Central Catholic) and senior Matthew Corte-Gaskill (Wake Forest, N.C. / Knightdale) emerged as Waynesburg's top bullpen arms in 2024. Both players made a team-high 11 relief appearances last season with six scoreless outings each.

McCready went 2-0 with a 3.80 ERA in 23.2 innings. He ranked second on the roster with a 1.44 WHIP. He earned a pair of conference wins by going three scoreless innings against Bethany and four scoreless at Westminster. 

Corte-Gaskill posted a 2-0 record with a 3.72 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 19.1 innings. He led the Waynesburg pitching staff with a .222 batting average against and was third with a 1.50 WHIP. He threw tossed scoreless seventh, eighth and ninth innings and was the winning pitcher in an extra-inning win over Grove City. 

Junior outfielder Hunter Hamilton (Holbrook, Pa. / West Greene) served as Waynesburg's fourth outfielder last season. He played in 28 games with 15 starts and hit .208 in 53 at bats. He scored eight times and drove in six runs.

Junior pitcher Zach Scibelli (Ravenna, Ohio / Ravenna) appeared in seven games with three starts. He went 2-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 20.0 innings. He notched two scoreless relief appearances and struck out five in a conference win over Franciscan.

Junior Hudson Pincavitch (Waynesburg, Pa. / Waynesburg Central) pitched in nine games with one start. He allowed 19 earned runs in 19.1 and went 1-0. Pincavitch pitched eight innings and allowed just one run in a conference win against Franciscan. He also worked a scoreless inning at No. 3 Dennison.

Sophomore pitcher Alex Nicholson (Cortland, Ohio / Mathews) appeared in nine games and tied for third on the roster with eight relief appearances. He allowed nine earned runs in 13.2 innings and recorded one save. He logged three scoreless outings and four appearances with one run allowed. Nicholson notched a four-out save against Pitt-Bradford. 

Utility Jordan Mosley (St. Albans, W.Va. / St. Albans), infielder Alex Ashbery (Moon Township, Pa. / Moon), catcher Hunter Mamie (Eighty Four, Pa. / Ringgold) and third baseman Ian Trott (Clairton, Pa. / Pittsburgh Central Catholic) each appeared in double-digit games last year as freshmen.

Newcomers: The Jackets add 15 newcomers to the mix with 12 freshmen and three transfers for 2025. 

"We are excited to add this talented group of newcomers who bring skill, toughness, and a winning mentality," said Impellittiere. "They've already embraced our culture and will all make an immediate impact when called upon."

Junior infielder Noah Gabriel (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) (Marietta) and sophomore outfielder Lucas Lybarger (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park) (Slippery Rock) begin their Yellow Jacket careers as transfers. Several freshmen, including outfielder Landen Lydick (Woodsfield, Ohio. / Monroe Central), infielder Kaden Flambard (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park) and pitcher Aiden Adamson (Carmichaels, Pa. / Carmichaels Area) look to contribute in 2025.

Looking at the Schedule: The Jackets host La Roche and Penn State Altoona at the Waynesburg University Baseball & Softball Complex in February before heading to Florida for spring break.

Upon returning from Florida, the Jackets have games against Muskingum, Pitt-Greensburg and Pitt-Bradford before starting PAC play. The PAC schedule is 20 games with doubleheaders against the opposing 10 conference schools. The top six teams qualify for the PAC Tournament, hosted at W&J.

Three of Waynesburg's four home PAC doubleheaders are against fellow 2024 conference tournament qualifiers. The Jackets open league play against Allegheny and (March 22) and then host Washington & Jefferson on March 29 and Grove City on April 17.

The PAC Tournament is scheduled for May 7-10. The winner of the tournament receives the PAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.

Last Word: "Our goal is to play in the PAC championship game in 2025 at W&J," said Impellittiere. "We want to play at the highest level every day, holding ourselves to a higher standard of excellence. We expect our team to play with discipline, toughness, and relentless work ethic, while holding ourselves to an A+ character. I believe our potential is limitless we are focused, we know what we are working for and striving for success in every opportunity presented to us."