2026 Mount St. Mary’s Baseball Season Recap: Mountaineers Continue Building Under the MAAC Banner

The Mount St. Mary’s University baseball program took another positive step forward during the 2026 season. Although the Mountaineers did not qualify for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament, they remained competitive throughout league play and finished with a 22-26 overall record and a 13-17 MAAC mark, showing they can compete with the middle tier of one of the nation’s deeper mid-major baseball conferences.

For a program still establishing itself in the MAAC after moving from the Northeast Conference just a few years ago, the season featured several encouraging developments. The Mount played solid baseball for long stretches, earned quality non-conference victories, stayed in postseason contention until late in the year, and developed several players who should help the program moving forward.

Fast Start

The Mount opened the season with an impressive 8-5 victory over Missouri, immediately proving it could compete against a Power Conference opponent. The opening weekend also illustrated the inconsistency that would follow throughout the spring, as the Mount split close contests before suffering a lopsided defeat in the finale.

The team rebounded with an in-state victory over Coppin State Eagles and continued to battle through one of its toughest non-conference schedules in recent memory.

Rather than padding the record with easier opponents, Mount St. Mary’s challenged itself against quality competition, a move that should continue paying dividends in recruiting and player development.

MAAC Play

Conference play brought a mixture of highs and lows.

The Mount never allowed itself to fall completely out of contention. Throughout April the club hovered around the middle of the standings and entered the final weeks still mathematically alive for a postseason berth. A key midweek victory over Coppin State improved the Mount to 19-22 overall and 11-13 in conference play, keeping hope alive entering the final home conference series.

The regular season concluded with a road trip to Niagara where the Mount salvaged the finale with a convincing 12-5 victory after dropping the opening games of the series.

Ultimately, the Mount finished tied with Sacred Heart at 13-17 in conference play but narrowly missed postseason qualification.

Offensive Leaders

Several hitters emerged as dependable producers.

David Stokely became one of the lineup’s anchors, batting .304 while driving in 26 runs, collecting 34 hits, four home runs and posting an .861 OPS. His consistency helped stabilize the middle of the batting order throughout conference play.

Phoenix Williams also hit .304, adding 28 hits and providing steady defense while reaching base at a strong rate.

Although the offense lacked one dominant slugger, the lineup consistently manufactured runs through quality at-bats, aggressive baserunning and situational hitting.

Pitching Staff

The biggest strength of the 2026 Mountaineers proved to be the pitching staff.

Serigne Sarre emerged as the ace.

His season included:

• 70.0 innings pitched
• 90 strikeouts
• 4.11 ERA
• Four victories
• Thirteen starts

The strikeout total ranked among the conference leaders and demonstrated swing-and-miss stuff capable of competing against anyone in the MAAC.

Maximus McCrary developed into another reliable arm.

His season featured:

• Five wins
• 52.2 innings
• 54 strikeouts
• 4.78 ERA

McCrary’s versatility allowed the coaching staff to deploy him in several different situations.

Eli DeRossi-Cytron worked through a challenging season while still making 12 starts and striking out 50 hitters across 53 innings.

JB Manarchuck Emerges

Perhaps the biggest individual breakthrough belonged to JB Manarchuck.

The right-handed reliever became one of the conference’s top closers.

According to Mount statistics, Manarchuck finished with:

• 3-3 record
• 2.83 ERA
• Seven saves
• 41.1 innings
• 37 strikeouts

That breakout campaign eventually earned him a transfer opportunity to TCU Horned Frogs baseball following the season.

Losing Manarchuck will leave a significant hole in next year’s bullpen.

Season Highlights

Some of the year’s biggest moments included:

• Opening-day upset victory over Missouri.
• Multiple conference series victories.
• Staying alive in the MAAC race into May.
• Strong pitching performances throughout league play.
• Several players earning All-MAAC recognition.

Areas for Improvement

The Mount will look to improve several areas entering 2027.

Consistency remained the biggest issue.

The team frequently followed impressive wins with difficult losses, preventing extended winning streaks that could have moved them into the upper half of the standings.

Offensively, adding more power would also help. Generating extra-base hits more consistently should relieve pressure on the pitching staff.

Replacing Manarchuck’s production at the back end of games will become another major offseason priority.

Outlook

Despite finishing below .500, the trajectory of the program continues pointing upward.

Since joining the MAAC, Mount St. Mary’s has steadily become more competitive each season. Recruiting continues to improve, the pitching staff developed considerably in 2026, and the Mount remained relevant in the conference race until the closing weeks of the regular season.

If the offense can become more explosive while the starting rotation continues developing, the Mountaineers should enter 2027 with realistic aspirations of qualifying for the MAAC Tournament.

Final Grade: B-

A 22-win season and competitive conference record represent another step in the right direction for Mount St. Mary’s baseball. Missing the MAAC Tournament prevents a higher grade, but strong pitching, continued program growth, and meaningful late-season games provide optimism that the Mountaineers are closing in on becoming a consistent postseason contender.