WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes University baseball team takes the field this weekend for the start of their 2026 season, looking to break through and compete for the Landmark Conference crown under third-year head coach Mike Guy.

'There's a lot of excitement and snow removal," Guy said when asked about the team's energy. "Hopefully everything is cleared off by Thursday, but good practices and good energy since they've got back on campus."

In 2025, the Colonels had their best season under Guy's leadership. The team went 28-12 overall and 19-5 in Landmark Conference play, their most wins in a season since 2009 and captured the first seed in the Landmark Conference Tournament.

This season, Wilkes' 43-man roster consists of two graduate students, seven seniors, six juniors, 16 sophomores, and 12 first years, including four transfer students.

Pitcher/infielder Mike Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) and catcher Jeremiah Atwell (Eastlake, OH/Willoughby South) are the two graduate students on the roster. Atwell joins the program after spending the 2025 season at Division I St. Bonaventure, and Show returns to Wilkes after appearing in just four games last season. In his last healthy season, he finished with a .281 batting average, .438 slugging percentage, 36 hits, 24 RBIs, and 20 walks.

The senior core features first baseman Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area), outfielders Jacob Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) and Evan Melberger (West Pittston, PA/Wyoming Area), catcher Gavin Lacoe (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights), and pitchers Daniel Storm (Wilmington, DE/Archmere Academy), Hunter Lawall (West Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area), and Ethan Jezewski (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood). Markert, Cambria, and Lacoe were all regular starters in the lineup last season and had productive years. Cambria racked up 38 hits, 23 RBIs, and 19 walks in 2025, and finished with a .262 batting average and a .663 OPS. Markert batted .310 with an OPS of .938, and Lacoe led the team in putouts (208) behind the plate. On the mound, Lawall pitched in 12 games and finished with a 5-1 record, 3.96 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and struck out 35 batters.

Infielders Jack Mathis (Exeter PA/Wyoming Area) and Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) headline the returning junior class. Both players were named All-Landmark Conference Honorable Mentions in 2025 behind strong seasons at the plate. Mathis put up a .297 batting average, .829 OPS, 47 hits, 31 RBIs, 22 walks, and committed just three errors in the field all season. Meanwhile, Loch led the team in hits (50) and stolen bases (26), while posting a .325 batting average, .871 OPS, and .442 slugging percentage.

The rest of the junior class consists of pitchers Zachary Lloyd (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) and Wilton Abreu (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Liceo Americo Pérez Tolentino), and outfielders Matthew Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) and Jack Smale (Kunkletown, PA/Pleasant Valley). Lloyd was Wilkes' number two starter last season with a 6-3 record in nine starts, and pitched 57.2 innings with a 4.53 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts.

The sophomore class is the largest on the team, and features plenty of guys who look to step up in an increased role. This group features the reigning Landmark Pitcher of the Year and D3baseball.com Third Team All-American AJ Levandoski (Scranton, PA/West Scranton). As a freshman in 2025, Levandoski put together a phenomenal season with a 3.16 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 62.2 innings pitched, and an 8-0 record in the 11 games he started. 

Surrounding him are pitchers Parker Rutkowski (West Milford, NJ/Pope John XXIII), Ethan Grodack (Lake Ariel, PA/Western Wayne), Riley Jagger (Hop Bottom, PA/Mountain View), Sal Colello (Highland Mills, NY/Monroe-Woodbury), Shaun O'Donnell (New Tripoli, PA/Northwestern Lehigh), Abdiel Alba (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton Area), Tyle Uram, and Jack Veith (Franklin, NJ/Wallkill Valley). Jagger was a steady starter and reliever for the team last season, posting a 3.23 ERA and 2-2 record across 12 appearances and 30.2 innings pitched. He also held opposing batters to a .185 batting average.

The position players in this sophomore class are outfielders Luke Kraszewski (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley), Ryan Campbell (Wilmington, DE/Archmere Academy), Gannon Decker (Hawley, PA/Wallenpaupack Area), Richie Rossi (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton Area), and Andres Cruz (Wayne, PA/Radnor), along with utility players Mark Nazar (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) and Michael Sabella (Cornelius, NC/Hough). 

Guy is looking forward to the leadership and experience these returners bring to the table. "There's a lot more experience on this team compared to the last two years," he said. "Hoping we take it game-by-game, win one game at a time, and find ourselves in a playoff spot."

Lastly, the first year core consists of pitchers Jimmy Westers (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Ludden), Liam Huffman (East Stroudsburg, PA/East Stroudsburg South), Tyler Ansell (Knoxville, TN/South Doyle), Ian Keane (Middletown, DE/Saint Mark's), Kai Ross (Old Tappan, NJ/Northern Valley), Peyton Klein (Washington Twp., NJ/St. Augustine Prep), and Nikolas Schwartz (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe). In the field, the team welcomes catcher Jake Aftewicz (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area), outfielders Kellan Clark (Eldersburg, MD/Mount Saint Joseph) and Jake Miller (Chambersburg, PA/James Buchanan), and infielders PJ Stonsby (Bedford, NY/Fox Lane) and Brian McDermott (Wilmington, DE/Saint Mark's). All of these players look to bolster the team's depth over the course of a long regular season.

"There's a lot of good underclassmen arms in that group," Guy said when discussing the team's pitching staff. "We've got some guys who are ready to step in right away, but the most important part is that they fit the culture of our program."

Despite the strong regular season last year, the Colonels went 0-2 in their two Landmark Conference Tournament games against Catholic and Elizabethtown. This season they look to continue that success and this time make a run in the tournament.

"I think we competed really well last year, but as soon as you get to the playoffs everybody is 0-0," Guy said. "There's a lot of competitive teams in the Landmark. I think it's all about getting hot at the right time. I think we were hot in the middle of the season and then cooled off a bit towards the end of the year."

However, before the Colonels start thinking about the postseason, they have to get through a 40-game regular season. Their season opener is this Saturday against Lebanon Valley College, and the next day they'll take on Arcadia University. Both games are scheduled for a 12 p.m. first pitch. 

"Both teams are receiving votes [in the D3Baseball.com preseason poll]," Guy said when talking about the upcoming competition. "Both were playoff teams last year in a very competitive MAC Conference, and Arcadia ended up winning the MAC. Both teams are very well coached and have a long history of success, so it's going to be two tough matchups. Right away we're seeing tough competition, and we want to see that throughout our season."