ITHACA, N.Y. — Returning all three First Team All-Ivy players from last season's team that reached the championship round of the inaugural Ivy League Baseball Tournament is a valid reason to be excited for the upcoming Cornell baseball campaign, which begins this weekend as the Big Red takes on No. 17-ranked Duke at Jack Coombs Field in Durham, N.C.
"We're excited about what's coming back," said Dan Pepicelli, the Ted Thoren Head Coach of Cornell Baseball, who is entering his 10th season at the helm of the Big Red program. "This is the most veteran we've been in a long time, but we got to do it all over again, starting at 0-0. We had some late-game magic last year. We'll have to work to get the same stuff back this year."
The late-game magic Pepicelli referred to was Cornell's six victories that featured the Big Red rallying from deficits or breaking ties in the seventh inning or later.
Two of the Big Red's late-game victories came at crucial moments during last year's run in the inaugural Ivy League Tournament. In Cornell's opening matchup against Princeton, then-freshman infielder Luke Johnson hit a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield, breaking a 7-7 tie in the top of the ninth inning, leading the Big Red to its 9-7 victory.
Cornell built upon its impressive victory over Princeton by staging a dramatic comeback against Penn, scoring six runs in the seventh inning to overcome a 6-1 deficit. The rally was highlighted by a two-run home run from then-freshman infielder Kevin Hager and an opposite-field grand slam by Mark Quatrani, who was named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year before the beginning of the tournament.
Before Cornell's heroics in its first two Ivy League Tournament games, the Big Red posted two memorable successive come-from-behind victories.
The first saw the Big Red rally from a five-run deficit after six innings and trailing by two runs heading into the top of the ninth against Binghamton, where then-junior outfielder Kyle Musser blasted his first collegiate home run — a three-run shot while down to his final strike — to lift the Big Red to a 9-7 victory over Binghamton.
Then-junior outfielder John Quinlan capped Cornell's comeback after trailing Yale, 8-0, heading into the eighth inning with a walk-off two-run bloop double in the 10th inning after the Big Red had posted a seven-run eighth inning.
The common thread among the four come-from-behind victories mentioned from last year's Cornell team is that all the players who provided the timely hits are returning to the Big Red lineup this season.
In total, Cornell brings back 14 of 17 batters who registered at least one at-bat last season, including the trio of First Team All-Ivy players from last year, who were the program's top hitters — Quinlan (.378), Quatrani (.362), and senior infielder Max Jensen (.358). Sophomore outfielder Caden Wildman (.279) and senior outfielder Jakobi Davis (.265) also return, giving Cornell five of its top six hitters from last year's team back in the lineup.
On the mound, Cornell returns 37 of its 38 starts from last season, including a team-high nine by junior right-hander Ethan Hamill, eight apiece from junior southpaw Noah Keller and junior right-hander Carson Mayfield, and six from left-handed utility player William Jaun.
The amount of continuity from last year's team, which reached the championship round of the Ivy League Tournament and finished one win away from making the NCAA Tournament, has given the team a natural sense of confidence.
"It gives you a starting point, but then you have to adjust to wherever," Pepicelli said. "Some people are surgeons, some people aren't. It gives you a better starting point, there's no question about that. The job is still the same, starting 0-0, but we got to go out and prove it. We got to play with a lot of guts, not assuming anything will be given to us and playing with as much guts as we have.
"There's naturally some confidence when you know how to do it. I think everybody understands that it goes back to square one. You have to go out and earn it every single day, every game on the schedule. We have the potential to be pretty good."
Cornell's potential was evident in the Ivy League Preseason poll, which was released Tuesday afternoon, as the Big Red was tabbed to finish third in the eight-team Ivy League. The third-place prediction was the program's highest since the poll was instituted before the 2018 season.
Senior right-handed pitcher Chris Ellison is poised for an increased role in 2025.
(Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics)
PITCHERS
Letterwinners returning (6): RHP Chris Ellison, RHP Ethan Hamill, LHP Huxley Holcombe, LHP Nathaniel Jennewein, LHP Noah Keller, RHP Carson Mayfield
Other returners (5): RHP Graham Biben, RHP Max Foster, LHP John Gerfen, RHP Josh Shea, RHP Ethan Van Sice
Newcomers (7): RHP John Hegarty, LHP Braeden Johnson, LHP Sam Keene, RHP Gus Magill, RHP Ethan McHugh, RHP Tavian Ramos, LHP Will Siwinski
The Big Red returns 289 of the 331 innings pitched from last year (87.3 percent) while bringing back 87 percent of its strikeout total, nearly 81 percent of its appearances, and all but one of its starts from a year ago.
Junior right-hander Carson Mayfield will take the ball in the opening game of this weekend's series against Duke, marking his first appearance since missing the final month and a half of the season due to injury.
Pepicelli noted that getting a fully healthy Mayfield back is a significant addition to the Big Red's pitching staff. Mayfield concluded his sophomore campaign with a 2-2 record with an 8.55 ERA over eight starts in his first season as a starting pitcher.
Another arm Pepicelli spoke highly of was senior right-hander Chris Ellison, who is scheduled to start the series finale on Sunday. Ellison has not started a game since his freshman year against Brown on May 8, 2022.
"What I always liked about Chris is his competitiveness," Pepicelli said. "We just never had the opportunity to put the volume back in his arm after his injury [in sophomore year], and we did this year. We thought we would plan on going ahead as a starter for as long as possible until the route diverges. He's done a nice job and we're going to continue down the avenue as a starter. He's a competitive kid and his stuff is playing pretty well right now."
Junior left-hander Noah Keller is scheduled to take the ball in the middle game of the weekend series. Keller is coming off a sophomore campaign where he had a 1-6 record in 13 appearances (eight starts) while striking out a team-leading 41 batters across 45.1 innings.
Two freshmen pitchers Pepicelli lauded over were right-hander John Hegarty and southpaw Sam Keene, who will most likely be utilized out of the bullpen this weekend.
Sophomore catcher Mark Quatrani returns following a breakout freshman campaign.
(Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics)
CATCHERS
Letterwinners returning (1): Mark Quatrani
Other returners (1): Jackson Marko
Newcomers (2): Mason Barela,
Ryan Dillon
Quatrani, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year, is poised to carry his momentum from his freshman campaign for the Big Red.
This past Jan. 28, Quatrani was honored by D1Baseball.com by being named one of the top 50 catchers in Division I baseball. Quatrani was the lone representative from the Ivy League and one of 12 sophomores honored, three of which were redshirt sophomores. Among non-Power Four catchers, Quatrani was one of 18 backstops to be named to the preseason honor.
Coming in ranked No. 39 on the list, Quatrani had the highest OPS (1.206) of any catcher named to the list, with his figure being 31 points higher than Virginia's Jacob Ference (1.175). Quatrani's .362 average in his freshman year was the third-highest, trailing Bowling Green sophomore Garrett Wright (.380) and Oklahoma junior Easton Carmichael (.366).
Behind Quatrani will be a pair of freshman catchers,
Ryan Dillon and
Mason Barela, who Pepicelli said are "two good young freshman players."
Senior infielder Max Jensen enters the weekend riding an 18-game hitting streak, dating back to last season.
(Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics)
INFIELDERS
Letterwinners returning (5): Owen Carlson, Kevin Hager, Max Jensen, Luke Johnson, TJ Swidorski
Other returners (1): Beck Urofsky
Newcomers (1): Jayden Shin
Cornell's infield remains relatively untouched from last year, with three primary starting infielders returning this season.
Big Red fans can expect to see unanimous First Team All-Ivy selection Max Jensen back at first base, Kevin Hager at shortstop, and Luke Johnson at third base. As they did throughout last season, expect Owen Carlson and TJ Swidorski to mix in at the hot corner and shortstop, respectively.
Jensen is looking to pick up where he left off last season, as he concluded the year on an 18-game hit streak and was one of three Cornell hitters to bat at .350 on the year.
The replacement for Matt Barnhorst at second base is up for grabs, with senior utility player Ryan Porter and freshman Mason Barela, who also can serve as a catcher, currently serving as the front-runners.
Jayden Shin, the lone incoming freshman infielder, received high praise from Pepicelli, as the Pennington, N.J., native has had a good preseason.
"We're excited," Pepicelli said. "He'll wait his turn behind Max over at first base, but he can play some third base, too. You'll probably hear about him down the road."
Senior outfielder John Quinlan is poised to return as the Big Red's leadoff hitter this season.
(Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics)
OUTFIELDERS
Letterwinners returning (4): Jakobi Davis, Kyle Musser, John Quinlan, Caden Wildman
Other returners (1): Matthew Walters
Newcomers (1): Tyler Beaulieu
Cornell's outfield will look identical to last year as John Quinlan will likely be back in left, Jakobi Davis patrolling center, and Caden Wildman in right.
Quinlan, a unanimous First Team All-Ivy selection last season, will likely continue to serve as the Big Red's leadoff hitter, where he hit for a .384 batting average (53-of-138). He also stole a team-high 10 bases last season.
Wildman (.279/.373/.414) and Davis (.265/.365/.410) will bring back power, speed, and fielding prowess for the Big Red outfield this season.
Senior Ryan Porter is one of two utility players returning to the Big Red's lineup this season.
(Lexi Woodcock/Cornell Athletics)
UTILITY
Letterwinners returning (2): Ryan Porter, William Jaun
Other returners: None
Newcomers: None
Senior Ryan Porter, Cornell's Swiss army knife, highlights the Big Red's pair of two-way players on this year's roster.
After splitting time between the infield and pitching duties his first two years at Cornell, Porter started last year as an outfielder before shifting solely into Cornell's bullpen. This year's role could see Porter playing all three positions.
Fellow senior William Jaun may also play in the field and on the mound this season. Last year, Jaun logged 12 appearances (six starts) for the Big Red, tossing 29.2 innings.
| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Cornell |
Duke |
| Fri. 4 p.m. ET |
RHP Carson Mayfield (0-0, 0.00 ERA) |
LHP Kyle Johnson (0-1, 6.75 ERA) |
| Sat. 3 p.m. ET |
LHP Noah Keller (0-0, 0.00 ERA) |
RHP Ryan Higgins (0-0, 2.25 ERA) |
| Sun. 12 p.m. ET |
RHP Chris Ellison (0-0, 0.00 ERA) |
LHP James Tallon (0-1, 16.20) |
SCOUTING DUKE
Duke, who enters this weekend ranked No. 17 in the most recent D1Baseball.com poll, is coming off losing its season-opening series against Cincinnati before winning a mid-week contest against UNCW, 8-4, on Tuesday.
Tyler Albright and Wallace Clark are batting a team-best .429 through the Blue Devils' first four games. Albright is tied for the team lead in home runs (2) with Kyle Johnson and Penn transfer Ben Miller, along with posting team-highs in slugging percentage (1.071) and OPS (1.627). Clark has a team-high .579 on-base percentage.
Yale graduate transfer Reid Easterly has shined in his two relief outings for the Blue Devils, striking out 11 batters in six innings. He has yet to issue a walk this season but has hit two batters.
"Elevated play," Pepicelli said on what he'd like to see out of the team in the opening weekend. "Anytime you play a program like Duke — who's turned into a perennial top 10 team, they're always in June, fighting to go to Omaha — when you show up in that environment and play against an opponent like that, you're hoping it elevates your level of play. You compete to win on the scoreboard, but playing against a program like Duke can pull your play up notches."
124 YEARS, 584 MILES, 19 MEETINGS
Cornell and Duke have met 19 times before this weekend's three-game series. The Blue Devils own a 13-5-1 lead in the series and have won the last 11 matchups.
Should the Big Red record a victory this weekend, it would be the program's first against Duke since defeating the Blue Devils, 8-5, on April 3, 1941, also at Jack Coombs Field in Durham.
A victory this weekend would be the second consecutive year that the Big Red has defeated an ACC foe, having beat Georgia Tech 11-4 last season on Feb. 25. The last time Cornell recorded victories over ACC opponents in consecutive seasons was when it beat NC State five times across three years (twice in 1966, twice in 1967, once in 1968).
A FAMILIAR FACE
Former Cornell right-handed pitcher John Natoli '20, who spent a postgraduate year with Duke in 2022, serves as the Blue Devils' director of baseball operations and pitching development.
Natoli, who joined Duke's coaching staff this past August, will assist Duke's coaching staff in coordinating all on-campus recruiting visits, serving as the director of the Duke Baseball Camp while managing the day-to-day responsibilities of the Blue Devils program.
While at Cornell, Natoli compiled a 2.48 career ERA over 35 career appearances, four of which were starts. Over his final two seasons at Cornell, he had a 1.52 ERA in 47.1 innings of work, fanning 59 and walking just 12 batters.
In 2019, Natoli was unanimously named a First Team All-Ivy selection — the lone relief pitcher to be a first-team selection — after compiling a 5-2 record with a 1.73 ERA in 19 appearances, one of which was a start. Natoli struck out 46 batters and issued nine walks across 36.1 innings while holding opponents to a .178 batting average.
