LATHAM, N.Y. - The United East has rolled out its baseball Skye Division preview for the 2024 season. The Skye Division consists of seven teams, with each program squaring off against one another in a home-and-home three game series over the season.
The top four teams will earn bids to the postseason which begins on Friday, May 3, 2024 with the Divisional Playoffs. Those four teams will play a double-elimination tournament at the highest seeded team to determine the Skye Division championship over the weekend of May 3-5, 2024.
The Skye Division Champion will then advance to a three-game series against the Volt Division champion beginning on Friday, May 10, 2024. The winner of that series will be crowned United East Champion and earn the conference’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
Cairn University
Brett Marks begins his third season at the helm of Cairn University Baseball in 2024. With an experienced team returning this season, the Highlanders have high hopes entering the season. Junior Tyler Warr returns after a massive 2023 where he broke the Cairn University single-season records in OBP (.544), Triples (7), Batting Average (.491), and Hits (79). Wart was a First Team All-Conference honoree in addition to a 2nd Team (ABCA) and 3rd Team (D3 Baseball) All-Region honors. Junior pitcher Ronaldhino Alcin (5-1, .261 Opp BA) broke the single-season strikeout record (59) en route to First Team All-Conference honors. Senior RHP/Utility Sam Spadea hit .317 with 52 H, 13 2B, and 60 RBI en route to breaking the single-season record for HR’s with 11. On the mound, Spadea was 5-1 with 33 K’s. Cairn takes a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. before opening United East play with a series against Valley Forge beginning March 15th.
Coach’s Outlook: “This Year we return our top six hitters in the lineup. We also return our top five arms from last season. With the addition of two upperclassmen transfers and a strong freshmen class we expect to compete for a United East title this season. Before our conference slate begins, we open up with Cabrini, Rowan, Swarthmore, Johnson & Wales (During our Spring Break Trip in Myrtle Beach), and Johns Hopkins.
We are excited to bring back a majority of our team featuring a strong returning core of 8 All Conference selections. We are coming off of a season where seven school records were broken, another 20+ win season and we are expecting some key freshmen to contribute this year on the mound and at the plate the future is bright for the Highlanders.”
Clarks Summit University
Josh Knight begins his 2nd season at the helm of Clarks Summit University baseball and has a group of players who are looking to take a step forward in 2024. A trio of sophomores lead the Defenders after logging big innings in 2023. Tanner Smith hit .345 with 48 Hits, 12 2B, 28 Runs, while Daniel Knight was a 2nd Team All-Conference honoree on the mound while hitting .322 with 37 Hits and 27 Runs at the plate as well. Braxton Richardson was used both on the mound and in the OF; hitting for a .319 Batting Average with 37 Hits, 31 RBI, and 26 BB’s. The Defenders take a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. in early March before opening United East play with a series against Rosemont College on March 22nd.
Coach’s Outlook: “We have a very young, developing group of guys who instill a lot of confidence in each other. We are very excited about our group of talented, young players and the respectful, God-honoring culture that they have established.”
Keystone College
Head Coach Jamie Shevchik begins his 22nd season with the Keystone College Baseball program entering United East play in 2024 after winning 18 consecutive conference titles in the CSAC. Brayan Villar (Gr., RHP, 7-2, 55.2 IP, 61K, 22 BB) returns after an Honorable Mention honor in 2023 and topped off the season by pitching for the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Junior 1B Griffin Yastremski (.423 BA, 32 R, 44 H, 9 HR, 43 RBI) was named D3Baseball Third Team All-Region and First Team All-Conference in 2023. The Giants picked up a junior transfer in RHP Quinn Holt who pitched in the Cape Cod League for the Wareham Gatemen. The Giants have a strong non-conference schedule highlighted by a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. as well as the spring break trip to Florida before a United East cross-divisional DH with Penn State Harrisburg (April 6). United East play is scheduled to begin on March 20 with a series against Cairn University.
Coach’s Outlook (Ethan Kagno, Director of Baseball Operations): “Fresh off their 18th straight conference championship in the CSAC, Keystone College received 40 votes in D3baseball.com’s National Preseason Poll; sitting just outside the Top 25. The Giants are highlighted by numerous key returnees including conference Rookie of the Year, Justin Mann, Griffin Yastremski, and Brayan Villar, among others. Keystone dabbled in the transfer portal, landing key arms in Quinn Holt, Aidan Pawlak, Matthew McElligott, Cruz Hamilton, and Ryan McCauley, in addition to two-way player Jacob Yager.”
Rosemont College
Head Coach Ross Trachtenberg begins his 3rd season at the helm of Rosemont Baseball returning an experienced squad who just missed out on the conference championships last year in only the second year of program existence. Junior Jamen Palladino (OF/1B) hit .351 with 32 RBI and a .559 Slugging Percentage while classmate David McKinney (RHP/DH) started 12 games on the mound striking out 24 batters in 48 Innings Pitched while hitting .432 in limited plate appearances. Graduate student Dominic Fernicola (OF) returns after hitting .317, stealing 8 bases and driving in 28 runs. The Ravens open up the season with a matchup against future United East opponent Penn State Brandywine on February 17th and have non-conference matchups with Lancaster Bible College (March 12th), Ursinus College (March 13th), and Haverford College (April 10) on the schedule. United East play begins on March 15th with a series against Wilson College.
Coach’s Outlook: “The 2024 spring season will be the third for the Rosemont Baseball Program. The majority of the team are juniors. With a large amount of experience, the team looks to compete for its first playoff appearance and a winning record at the end of the season.”
Saint Elizabeth University
Daniel Furbeck begins his first season as Head Coach of Saint Elizabeth University Baseball after spending the previous four in an assistant role. After graduating the program’s first recruiting class, the Eagles will need to rebuild the position players but have a strong group of pitchers returning. Sophomore LHP Brady Parks returns after throwing 34.1 Innings with only 11 BB’s, 1 Win, and a Complete Game in his debut season while classmate Aidan Folsom (So., RHP) finished 26.2 Innings Pitches with 20 K’s and 2 Wins. Junior Maxwell Soloman was the main guy out of the bullpen picking up 14 K’s in 18.1 Innings. The Eagles open with Drew University and FDU-Florham on February 23rd and 24th before embarking on their Spring Break Trip from March 1-10th. United East play begins with a series against Wilson College on March 22nd.
Coach’s Outlook: “We graduated our inaugural class in 2023. We have a lot of position players building off roles from last year and have brought in many transfer students and freshmen. Our pitching staff is young, a lot of guys who threw many innings as freshman and sophomores and have a good amount of experience. Over the first class’s tenure, our program has grown tremendously, and our recruiting has grown each year; so I expect us to be as complete across the board as ever.”
University of Valley Forge
Head Coach Neil Herman begins his first season with Valley Forge Baseball looking to take a step forward in 2024 with a strong group of returning players. Junior Colin Orndorff was an Honorable Mention honoree in 2023 after hitting .395 with a .483 On-Base Percentage, tallying 28 RBI’s and scoring 30 runs. Orndorff is 17 hits away from the school record. Classmate Carlos Terc mans the outfield and hit .324 with a .492 OBP, driving in 21 runs, and scoring 30 on his own. The Patriots open the 2024 season with matchups against Elmira College, Penn State Scranton, and Marywood University before heading to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for spring break contests. United East play begins on March 15th with a series against Cairn University.
Coach’s Outlook: “We are working hard and look forward to competing in the United East, which is now a nationally elite baseball conference.”
Wilson College
Vaughn Parker, II takes over as Head Coach Wilson College after serving as an assistant in 2023 where the Phoenix went 34-10 and an appearance in the Championship Series. Returning to the lineup is senior outfielder Jordan McKenzie after a 2023 season that saw him named D3Baseball.com All-Region, and First Team All-Conference after hitting .450 with 9 HR, 14 2B’s, 5 3B’s and 55 RBIs. Senior infielder Dean Mercer returns after an All-Region and First Team All-Conference season where he hit .389 with 3 HR and 34 RBI. On the mound, sophomore Emilio Rodriguez was a First Team All-Conference honoree in his first season after having a 3.18 ERA with 2 wins, 2 saves and 41 strikeouts. Wilson opens up the 2024 season with a doubleheader at Washington College and has a trip to Morehead City, N.C. March 9-10 on deck. United East play begins with a series against Rosemont College on March 15th.
Coach’s Outlook: “Coming off a successful 2023 season, our expectations are lofty. We've added high impact players that are able to rely on the leadership of a great group of returners. The team's offseason work ethic was commendable. Players come to the field ready to compete. This is going to be an exciting team to watch!”
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The United East boasts 17 NCAA Division III full member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Clarks Summit University, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Harrisburg, Rosemont College, Saint Elizabeth University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College. For more information, please visit gounitedeast.com.