SEASON OUTLOOK: Culture key as Marauders reload for 2026

Millersville vs. California (PA) in PSAC Tournament action at Cooper Park in Millersville on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Mark Palczewski/MU Athletics.

Photo by: Mark Palczewski/MU Athletics

SEASON OUTLOOK: Culture key as Marauders reload for 2026

2/4/2026 10:09:00 AM | Baseball

By: Ethan Hulsey, Director of Athletic Communications

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Reaching the NCAA Regional 12 years in a row isn't an accident. Winning 11 PSAC East titles and two of the last four PSAC Championships isn't lucky. There is no resting on laurels. Inside Jon Shehan's Millersville baseball program exists a selfless and relentless drive to develop players and win games.

Millersville enters the 2026 season with the nation's third-longest active streak of NCAA regional appearances. That sustained success comes from a consistent culture with defined standards. Selfless and relentless are the key words. That's what unifies and drives coaches and players alike. It's an attitude, but it's more so a way of life that begins from the first team meeting in a player's freshman year through graduation and beyond. The program subscribes to a detailed way of life--everything from how each player wears his uniform and sunglasses to where he sits in class and walks across campus. You'll never see a Millersville baseball player wearing his hat in the dining hall. You won't see a Millersville baseball player not run out a ground ball. On and off the field, selfless and relentless living creates habits that permeate the way players approach batting practice and bullpen sessions, and defensive drills, and that translates into success on game days.

"We've recruited like-minded people," said Shehan. "Our coaching staff has done a great job creating clarity with what is important in our program and how we go about our business…You have to be clear about how our values impact daily life and create habits around those values. Taking your hat off in the dining hall and walking on sidewalks are two things that if you talk to alumni from 2013, they will describe as habits we established back then and continue to be examples of habits that we do every day. Our habits drive how we go about our business on the baseball field as well: how we wear our uniform, not covering up our logo on our hat with sunglasses. It's a reminder that the program is bigger than self."

Devotion to consistency and clarity is especially important heading into a 2026 season in which the program is faced with replacing three of its four weekend starting pitchers, its closer, and its top four hitters. The Marauders lost eight former All-PSAC East and all-region honorees to graduation, including the PSAC's hit king Bren Taylor. The three graduating outfielders logged 161 of a possible 162 starts last season. Taylor, Jeff Sabater and Sam Morris accounted for 35% of the team's runs and combined for more than 2,000 career plate appearances. The rotation must replace 39 starts, 22 wins and 196 1/3 innings from last season alone.

It's a worrisome vacuum of production, but the phrase "rebuilding season" is never uttered about Millersville baseball. Shehan and his staff recruit highly talented players who are prepared to perform and produce in high-pressure situations and meaningful games. No program in the Atlantic Region earned more all-region honors since Shehan became the head coach in 2008. The program record for RBIs has been broken five times and the hits record four times. The same goes for innings pitched and strikeouts records.

Shehan and his staff do not shy away from discussing both outside and internal expectations. The bar is high. Each team since 2013 has spent at least one week in a national poll. It is vital that young players understand the culture and environment into which they have stepped.

"We talk about it all the time," said Shehan. "We get alumni back to talk about the expectations of the program. But you have to be careful. The weight of expectations and success of other individuals can put a lot of pressure on young players. But it can also motivate them. We talk about successful players and why they were great. Bren Taylor came up a lot in training camp. We talk about Tim Mayza's preparation even now."

There very well could be another record-setter, PSAC East Player of the Year or Pitcher of the Year award winner on this roster--a player who is going about his daily practice routines selflessly and relentlessly while awaiting an opportunity.

And in 2026, opportunity abounds. The only players entrenched at positions are Matthew Williams at DH, Jimmy Kirk at first base, Donis Rodriguez at second base and the duo of Sammy Laux and Troy Chamberlin behind the plate. On the mound, Alex Kuehn is the only proven starter. Of the 11 juniors and seniors on the roster, just five were regular, reliable contributors to the 2025 lineup and pitching corps. The roster slants heavily toward youth with 24 first and second year players.

That is why Shehan is adamant that the values that made the program continue to be hammered home.

"I really believe that in today's world, it is tougher to establish a team and a program," said Shehan. "With the transfer portal, there is free agency. These guys can go anywhere they want. We are fighting against a culture that is self-driven. It is a major advantage for us to establish an environment in which the program and team success outweighs the individual success and ego. It's easier to run a bunt play when you are focused on the details. There are a hundred or more unwritten or written habits that we try to establish as a coaching staff. It's the first thing we talk about in the fall and it's something we talk about daily in practice."

Stressing all aspects of team culture and preparing so many inexperienced players to contend for a championship has actually been a spark to the coaching staff. Each day is a challenge. Coaches are teaching each practice. Discovering the team's personality has been fun.

Because, what this team lacks in experience, it makes up for in competitive fire. The Black & Gold World Series in October featured a rare intensity. Banter between dugouts sounded more like game four of a PSAC rivalry series than an intrasquad exhibition. The two months between the series and January indoor practices did nothing to abate the lively back-and-forth and on-field drive to out-play teammates.

"They are really competitive," said Shehan. "It has this feel like, these guys hate to lose. There's some trash talk back and forth; they feed off it. They want to make a name for themselves and that's important. When you have super competitive kids they typically find ways to win."

Less than a week away from opening day, starting jobs are still being won. To help determine the team's best lineups and pitching options and continue to fuel competition, the staff took an analytical approach to offseason practices.

"We've measured more things this year that we ever have," said Shehan. "We have two returning catchers, and Coach (Cole) Houser has done a fantastic job, charting everything from block attempts, drop pitches, successful blocks. If you measure it, it's important. It turns up the intensity for catchers catching bullpens and side sessions. For infielders, Amani Jones has been charting throwing accuracy. It's not just getting it to the first baseman, but did he hit him in the chest? Is it over his head? Is it in the dirt and got scooped? We are trying to find things we can measure that are objective, provide competition and feedback for the players on a weekly basis."

That's the kind of selfless and relentless approach that gives Millersville an opportunity to compete day one of the season against Wingate.

PITCHING STAFF
From Forrest Mengle and Ryan Stauffer in 2010 to Connor Blantz and Conor Cook in 2025, not one season has gone by without the Marauders developing at least one All-PSAC East starting pitcher. There isn't one currently on the roster, but Alex Kuehn arguably should have been last season. As a sophomore, Kuehn went 7-1 in nine starts, posting a team-best 3.30 ERA in 57 1/3 innings. He went 5-1 with a 3.46 ERA in seven starts against East opponents.

Kuehn is a proof of Millersville's pitching development. Since joining the program, he's added three pitches to his repertoire and bumped up his velocity. His swing and miss numbers aren't off the charts, but with a five-pitch mix, cool demeanor and self-confidence, he leans on his location, pitches to the contact by keeping hitters off-balance. That's where the Millersville pitching philosophy is rooted.

"Eli (Nabholz) is doing a fantastic job with the new-age analytics and bio-mechanical analysis he does combined with old-school pitching like getting ahead, attacking the zone and pitching to contact that have been staples for us," said Shehan. "The key is consistency of the message. We have seven absolutes in our program. No matter what the stuff is like, those things shine through. We have to get ahead, win even counts, finishing off hitters, pitch to contact. When we have a lead, we have to pound the zone. We have to control the running game. If we do those simple things we will be successful on the mound. If you execute those on a weekly basis it turns into success."

Kuehn is the only known commodity for Millersville's rotation. The early favorites to join him on the weekend are Hanover, Pa., native and WVU transfer Carlos Caraballo and converted relievers Matt Shamany and Rece Ritchey.

Millersville brought in a local player from WVU last season, and it worked out wonderfully as Sammy Laux instantly became the team's starting catcher. Caraballo spent a year on the WVU roster after winning the YAIAA Pitcher of the Year award for Southwestern High School. To land at a Power 4 school, the stuff must be elite, but the knock on Caraballo coming in was inconsistent strike throwing. Through the fall and into the spring, that hasn't been the case. Caraballo pitched in the highly competitive Appalachian League in the summer, Shehan has seen consistent improvement, and there are glimpses of ability that has Shehan making comps to one of Millersville's all-time greats.

"The scouting report was that he wasn't going to throw a lot of strikes, but it has been the complete opposite," said Shehan. "He seems super confident. He's still a redshirt freshman, but his maturity has been good. I'm excited to turn the lights on and see what happens. He has the stuff to compete with anybody. I'm not sure he has the elite command, but the slot, the stuff is very similar to Chris Murphy. We'll see. Coming out of WVU, he faced really good hitters. He pitched in a really good summer league against Power 4 guys. It took him a little while to get rolling and kick the dust off, but his outings got better and better."

The coaching staff projected Shamany as a starter when he came to Millersville, but Tommy John Surgery derailed parts of three seasons. He pitched 12 innings as a freshman in 2022, missed all of 2023, and returned late in 2024 to pitch five innings. Finally healthy in 2025, Shamany was stellar out of the bullpen, posting 26 strikeouts, a 2.49 ERA and .178 batting average against in 25 1/3 innings. He memorably pitched four shutout innings against Slippery Rock in the PSAC Tournament and surrendered just one run in 7 1/3 postseason innings.

Ritchey has battled the injury bug for years, starting as a freshman at the University of Virginia in 2021. He missed all of 2022, arrived at Millersville in 2023, and it has been start and stop since. A 6-4 lefty with a wipeout slider and good fastball, Ritchey has long possessed draftable stuff, but he's totaled just 29 2/3 innings across three seasons. The results have been solid, particularly last season when he posted a 2.08 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 13 innings. Nabholz has worked closely with both Shamany and Ritchey to add to round out their repertoire and build up stamina.

"Ritchey has always had the stuff," said Shehan. "He's been more left-handed dominant, but Eli has been great developing multiple pitches for these guys. Ritchey was a sinker-slider that played well against lefties, and now he's added two more pitches, which will make him more effective. Shamany has an elite fastball. He needed another pitch or two. Eli has gotten them over them hump to make them effective in all four corners of the zone and to righties and lefties. That's what has taken them out of the bullpen."

With injury history, the coaches will keep a close watch on Shamany and Ritchey's workload, especially early in the season. A long list of freshmen—Clark Green, Ryan Fox, Eli Simonton and Adam Hajdak—having exciting futures as starters and could still compete for roles in 2026, but they'll start in the bullpen.

"Starting in extended relief roles could set them up to create competition and take jobs," said Shehan. "We don't have anything set in stone yet."

Veteran Joe Morrissey is another option to start, but the coaching staff currently projects him as a late-inning reliever. Morrissey brought a track record of success against high-level competition from Barry, and in 2025 he overcame a rough first two months to post a 1.84 ERA over his final six appearances. That stretch included four outings against NCAA Tournament teams, a PSAC Championship game start and 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the regional. His ability to go multiple innings helps the bullpen.

Gavin Lill logged seven saves in 23 appearances, and was frequently Millersville's go-to arm when it needed outs. He led the team in appearances and struck out 22 in 20 1/3 innings. Shehan, however, wants to pick his spots better in 2026 to avoid Lill wearing down at the end of the season.

"Lill was pretty consistent last year, but we need to make sure he is feeling good at the end of the year," said Shehan. "I think we kind of ran him into the ground with the number of appearances he had."

Zeb Hufnagle flashed in nine appearances as a freshman in 2026, and according to Shehan, Mike Costello is the most improved pitcher on the team. Costello has always boasted a mid-90s fastball and plus slider, and he's added a change-up. The key for Costello was dialing in his control. In his first two seasons, he walked 18 in 14 1/3 innings. That issue seems to have been remedied.

"His outings going back through the fall have been really good," said Shehan. "He has plus, closer-type stuff. He's matured a lot. We are hoping he can continue to do what he's done against our guys."

LINEUP
While the Marauders lost much of its offensive production, it returns a pair of cornerstones who possess serious pop and have a track record of run production. Last season, Matthew Williams hit 18 homers and drove in 62 runs, and Jimmy Kirk hit eight homers with 47 RBIs. Kirk's Gold Glove-caliber defense at first base allowed Williams to settle in as the team's DH, and he delivered one of the great seasons in Millersville history. Williams earned All-PSAC East and All-Atlantic Region First Team honors, and ranked in the PSAC's top 10 in homers, RBIs, runs, slugging percentage and OPS. He blasted five home runs in the postseason, including a game-tying, bottom-of-the-ninth shot against Seton Hill in the PSAC Semifinals and a walk-off against California (Pa.) in the first game of the regional.

While he already owns the school's home run record and is the first player in program history with 40-plus RBIs in his first three seasons, Williams isn't just a power hitter. He hit .339 in 2024 and .330 last season. He drew a career-high 27 walks and reached base at a .436 clip. His approach at the plate has matured significantly since his freshman season, making him one of the most dangerous hitters in the entire nation.

"He's tough to pitch to," said Shehan. "He can sit on certain zones and have success, drive balls in the gap for doubles and then turn around and sit on a breaking ball and hit it a mile in the next at bat. He doesn't have a lot of holes in the strike zone, and he's willing to switch plans mid-at-bat. It's not a fun at-bat for pitching coaches. He's a power guy and tries to hit the ball out of the ballpark but his approach has really matured and his understanding of his swing, what he is looking for on video to stay consistent has become elite. When you combine good timing and approach with knowing your swing, that's how you get a good offensive player."

Kirk also made leaps as a hitter in 2025. He hit .341 with a .435 OBP against PSAC East opponents, and after a slow start, he hit .320 from March 15 through the end of the season. In the field, Kirk did not make an error. Had he started every game at first base early in the season, he certainly would have been in strong consideration for a postseason defensive honors.

"He's a sneaky good defender. I don't think people understand how good he is," said Shehan. "He makes our infield look better than they are at times. He's got juice to all fields. He can situationally hit. He gets his bunts down. He's a really good offensive player who understands what we are trying to do as a team. He knows when to turn it loose and try to drive some balls and knows when he needs to hit behind a runner."

Williams and Kirk anchor the middle of the Marauders' lineup, and sophomore second baseman Donis Rodriguez is expected to hold down one of the top two spots. It took time for Rodriguez to adjust to the collegiate game, but the switch-hitter batted .438 over the final 29 games of the season, showing impressive power with home runs from both sides of the plate. Even with an 11 for 60 start to the season, Rodriguez walked 33 times and posted a .433 on-base percentage. He was also swiped 17 bases, and with his speed, that number is expected to make a significant jump.

"He's a tough at-bat," said Shehan. "He fouls pitches off and works counts. He walked a lot and if he keeps his strikeout to walk in that 1 to 1 ratio, he's going to be really good. He has sneaky juice, and that's improved with time in the weight room. The bunting has gotten better. He's really maturing."

Rodriguez's up-the-middle double-play partner, Amani Jones, is now on the coaching staff. Jones' slick defense and .343/.428/.512 is tough to replace, but Shehan brought in a shortstop with PSAC East skins on the wall. Brady Ebbert started three seasons at Bloomsburg before entering the transfer portal, and the left-handed bat owns a .265 average and .381 on-base percentage in 115 starts. Ebbert delivered a .414 OBP with six homers and 11 doubles in 2025, giving Millersville some extra power. He posted four hits, four RBIs and a homer against the Marauders last season. His fielding numbers weren't stellar, but Shehan believes some of that had to do with playing home games on a challenging, grass infield. Ebbert came to Millersville hoping to get a shot at playing in the postseason, and he has been a culture fit from day one.

"He's mature," said Shehan. "He goes about his business professionally. Seems to be enjoying being in the environment here. He's bought into everything we are doing from a player development aspect. At times it's like drinking out of a firehose. But he's a very solid offensive player. We've been missing a left-handed bat with some juice. He's a veteran presence in the middle of the infield, and he's assimilated to the culture well. When we played against him last year, we saw that he was fearless. He wasn't intimidated by our program, and he wants to win. He's a senior, and winning is a privilege—something you have to earn. Sometimes I think we take that for granted. Championships don't come around every year. He brings a fresh perspective to that. It's fun to be around guys like that."

At third, Millersville has a pair of exciting young bats in Xavier Smith and Christo Hunsicker. All Smith did in his limited opportunities as a freshman was hit. Even while blocked by veteran Keegan Soltis, Smith nearly forced his way into the lineup, hitting .355 in 31 at-bats. He also drew eight walks while striking out just three times. Smith carried that production into the summer where he hit .336 with 23 RBIs for the Utica Blue Sox of the Perfect Game League, earning an All-Star selection.

"X is a great player and had a great summer," said Shehan. "He's going to get the first shot out of the gate...He's played a tough third base—better than I expected."

Hunsicker, a true freshman from Wilson High School, played his way into the conversation during fall ball. A standout football player and three-sport athlete, Hunsicker is an outstanding athlete, excellent defender and a competitor. It's evident that Shehan wants to find a spot for Hunsicker in the lineup, and he may end up playing a corner outfield spot. Behind Smith and Hunsicker at third are freshmen Ben Kormanski and Gino Williams, both of whom Shehan said are, "on their way to being good offensive players."

Millersville is blessed to return two young starting catchers. Sammy Laux and Troy Chamberlin, both sophomores, started 31 and 23 games respectively in 2025. Not only were both solid defensively, both handled the bat as well. Laux posted a .387 OBP while Chamberlin turned in a .372 mark. Laux was a steady performer and managed the pitching staff with veteran acumen. Chamberlin recorded an impressive .940 OPS against the East and was one of the heroes of the PSAC Championship, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs.

It remains to be seen how the behind-the-plate rotation will work, but with vacancies in the outfield, there's a likelihood that both will be in the lineup every game.

"Laux has had the best spring so far," said Shehan. "He has a lot of confidence from that group of starting pitchers. Troy came on at the end of last year. He's a little more athletic but Laux is more detailed in his work. As long as they keep doing what they are doing offensively, one of them will play left or right just to keep their bat in the lineup."

Along with Laux, Chamberlin and Hunsicker, the Marauders are looking to Christian Cerone and Conor McCartney to solidify the outfield. In 2025, McCartney, a left-handed bat, received two at-bats, and Cerone, a right-handed center fielder, logged just eight. With stars like Taylor, Jeff Sabater and Sam Morris occupying the three spots for 54 games, at-bats were tough to find for young players. Shehan believes both McCartney and Cerone are ready to roll.

"McCartney and Cerone were guys who were ready to play right out of the gate last year, but because of the veterans we had, they didn't get a shot," said Shehan. "They both had really good falls. Cerone has had a fantastic spring. He has seen double the amount of pitches as anyone else. He's a tough at-bat. He fouls pitches off, he works counts, he is short so the strike zone is tiny. He has some surprising juice and can run the ball out of the yard and drive balls into the gaps. Prototypical leadoff hitter or nine-hole guy. He fits our plan on the base paths.

"McCartney has some power," said Shehan. "I like the left-handed glove on the line in left. Left field at Cooper Park is the toughest position with the way the wind works, and he has done a good job navigating that. He runs well and has the corner-outfield juice that we like."

Also in the mix is Caleb Sturtevant, Marco Pulizzi and Hunter Stevens. Sturtevant is an outstanding defender who Millersville often called upon as a late-inning defensive replacement in 2025. Shehan says Pulizzi has "special tools offensively, serious juice and runs really well," but they need to see more defensively. Stevens is also a plus athlete with plus power. He hit seven homers in 21 games as a true freshman, both with the return of Taylor, his at-bats became fewer in 2025.

With essentially six players vying for three starting spots, coaches will give players opportunities in the first few weeks to win jobs.

"These guys know how they play early in the year will impact how much they play later in the year," said Shehan. "The first couple week will be competitive."

SCHEDULE
Millersville's season opens with a doubleheader at Wingate on Feb. 7. Wingate opened the season with an impressive run through Florida, going 2-1 with wins over Lynn and Nova Southeastern. Millersville then begins a run of eight consecutive games against four teams that all won at least 35 games and played in the NCAA Tournament in 2025. The home opener is set for Feb. 28 against Goldey-Beacom. PSAC East action starts with a bang when the Marauders host preseason favorite East Stroudsburg on March 20. Alumni Day is set for April 25.