WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University baseball team is set to begin its 2023 season on Sunday under the direction of head coach Kevin Gryboski '95 in his fifth year.
 
The Colonels went 24-15 overall last year and 10-11 in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play.
 
Gryboski stated in terms of starting the season, "With the weather we've had the past month we've had the opportunity to get outside more and I think the guys are ready to get outside and compete."
 
The Colonels welcome back nine seniors as well as a graduate student.
 
AJ Brosious (Laurys Station, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) returns for the Colonels playing the outfield and infield. He was named to the D3baseball.com Team of the Week on March 2, 2022 as a junior, and started 33 of the 35 games he appeared in. Last season Brosious had a batting average of .298, 26 RBI, six doubles, four triples, and one home run. Max Alessi (Wallenpaupack, PA/Wallenpaupack) returns as a catcher and playing infield after earning a batting average of .292, eight doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He also earned 14 RBI on the season and threw out four base stealers.
 
Alexis Velez (Caguas, PR/Notre Dame) returns as a catcher and infielder with a batting average of .143 last season, earning one double and two RBI. Peyton Schuck (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan Academy) returns as another catcher as well as an outfielder, with a batting average of .313 and earning 13 RBI last season.
 
Jonathan Martens (Mt. Pocono, PA/Scranton Prep) returns for the Colonels as a pitcher, appearing in 17 career games with a 3-3 career record. Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) returns as an outfielder, earning 35 putouts and 16 RBI in the 2022 season. Kerdesky was named First Team All-MAC Freedom as a sophomore in 2021.
 
Sawyer Kemp (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) and Jack Gordon (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) come in for their senior year as pitchers. Kemp was named Honorable Mention All MAC-Freedom last year as a junior after appearing in 15 games for the Colonels. Gordon had a 1-0 record last season on five appearances. Rounding out the senior class is Jason Spezzaferra (Maywood, NJ/Hackensack), who comes back as infield. Spezzaferra had a batting average of .471, starting 14 of 24 appearances last season, earning a double and two home runs. Graduate student Tony Molitoris (Hanover Twp., PA/Holy Redeemer) comes back for a fifth season with the Colonels, with an ERA of 3.04 last season pitching 56.1 innings and starting nine of 10 games he appeared in. Molitoris was named Second Team All-MAC Freedom last season as a senior.
 
Four Colonels make up the junior class. Justin Stefanowicz (Hanover Twp., PA/Hanover Area) appeared in six games as a catcher last season, earning one double and two RBI. Loch Williams (Elkton, MD/Tome) returns as an infielder and has appeared in six games in his career.
 
Ryan Sanderson (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) comes back as a pitcher after appearing in six games for the Colonels last season. Sanderson had an ERA of 2.35 with 15.1 innings pitched. Finishing out the junior class is infielder Ruben Ortiz Montemayor (Veraguas, Panama/Iclave), who has appeared in seven games in his career earning two RBI.
 
There are 13 Colonels who make up the sophomore class. Jimmy Brazofsky (Park Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge) comes back for Wilkes as an outfielder along with Connor Morgan (Dallas, PA/Lake Lehman) and Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) who pitch as well. Brazofsky appeared in 22 games last season earning two RBI and 15 putouts. Morgan appeared in 19 games last season and started nine of them, earning three doubles, five RBI, and 12 putouts. Show appeared in 16 games last season with a batting average of .261 earning one double and three RBI.
 
Aiden Murphy (Mountain Top, PA/Wyoming Seminary), Tyler Hoedl (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) and Tegan Shortlidge (Berwick, PA/Berwick) return as sophomore pitchers while Colby Butczynski (Nanticoke, PA/Greater Nanticoke) transfered into the program. Murphy started all five of the games he appeared in last season, pitching 26.2 innings and earning an ERA of 1.01. Shortlidge had a 3-2 record last season, starting five of seven appearances.
 
"We have transfers who have come in and I think they're going to help us out well."
 
Aiden Velez (Bronx, NY/St. Raymond High School for Boys), Chase Vrabel (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland), and Adam Grundt (Archbald, PA/Valley View) come back as infielders, while Todd Kolbicka (Hanover Twp., PA/Hanover) comes back pitching as well. Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) tansfered in as an infielder. Zack Luksic (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) returns to the infield and comes back catching as well. Vrabel started 30 of 35 games in his freshman season, earning a batting average of .305 with seven doubles, one triple, a home run, and had 15 RBI. Grundt returns after earning a batting average of .333 in four appearances last season. Kolbicka started eight of 19 appearances last season with a batting average of .258. He also saw four appearances on the mound. Luksic returns with a batting average of .310 after starting 30 of 32 appearances. He had a total of 92 putouts and was named Honorable Mention All-MAC Freedom as a freshman last season.
 
Seven first-year players join the Colonels for the 2023 season. Ethan Fuller (Smyrna, GA/Campbell) and Griffin Coyne (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) come in as pitchers, and Hunter Lawall (West Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area) and Braydon Wuestner (Gales Ferry, CT/Ledyard) play the infield as well. Jake Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) comes in playing the infield, Ryan Johnston (Garden City, NY/Chaminade) comes in as utility, and Evan Melberger (West Pittston, PA/Wyoming Area) comes in as an outfielder.
 
"Some of the freshmen that came in are going to help us out a lot and have the opportunity to get some playing time early in the year," Gryboski stated.
 
The Wilkes baseball team opens their season on Sunday hosting SUNY Cobleskill for a double-header at 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
 
"It's going to be a tough schedule throughout the year and I'm looking forward to getting started and I'm sure the guys are as well."
 
The Colonels kick off MAC Freedom play on March 11 when they host DeSales University for a double-header at 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
 
"If everyone stays healthy I think we could do some damage in the MAC."