Baseball | 5/6/2026 9:59:00 AM

THE MATCHUP
Game: #3W Gannon Golden Knights (24-22, 17-11 PSAC West) vs #2E East Stroudsburg Warriors (35-13, 21-7 PSAC East)
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Slippery Rock, PA - Jack Critchfield Park
Round: Quarterfinals 

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals - Thursday, May 7th
9:30 am - Gannon vs East Stroudsburg
1:00 pm - Seton Hill vs Millersville/Cal (PA) Winner
4:30 pm - West Chester vs SRU/Shepherd Winner
8:00 pm - IUP vs Shippensburg

Semifinals - Friday, May 8th
11:00 am - Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2
3:00 pm - Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4

Championship - Saturday, May 9th
1:00 pm - Semifinal Winners

ERIE, PA - For the first time since 2022, the Golden Knights will make an appearance in the PSAC baseball tournament, officially clinching the three seed following the final two games of the regular season on Saturday, May 2nd. The Golden Knights fell to East Stroudsburg, 11-3 in their last conference tournament game four seasons ago. Their last win in the PSAC tournament was in 2019, when Gannon beat ESU, 5-4 in the first round. That will be their first round opponent again this season when they two teams meet in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 9:30 am. 

The conference tourney will look a little bit different as a whole this season. This year, similar to softball, there were five teams from each division that made the dance. That means a single elimination tournament this year, with the four and five seeds playing de facto "play in" games to get to the quarterfinals. From there, it's win or go home. 

The Golden Knights have shown strong resolve this season. Following a 4-1 start, GU dropped 10 of their next 11 games - but didn't relent. The Golden Knights would turn up the heat on offense as conference play began, earning an 17-11 mark in PSAC play, including an impressive 12-4 record at home. The 12 wins is the most home victories in a year since they recorded the same number in 2022. Gannon heads into the tournament having won three of their last four games. 

In many ways, Gannon has gotten to the postseason in exactly the way they thought they might: superb defense and timely hitting when it mattered most. The Golden Knights went 8-6 in one run games this season and flipped the script from the previous two seasons when tight games seemed to be their kryptonite. GU is seventh in the conference in fielding percentage entering the tournament and has racked up an impressive .965 fielding percentage. 

On offense, The Golden Knights have come alive since the start of April. Gannon's bats have plated five or more runs 14 times since the start of the month and continue to find production throughout the lineup. 

Head Coach DJ Cannon is in search of his first win in the conference tournament in what will be his second PSAC postseason game. The Gannon skipper is in his fifth season at the helm in 2026 and recently surpassed 100 career wins with the Golden Knights. His squad is battle tested, and in a season that has seen unpredictability throughout the conference, GU will look to make their mark on a loaded tournament field with several nationally ranked teams.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

On The Mound
Ryan Hood (Latrobe, Pa./Derry Area) (RHP) - Likely the game one starter for the Golden Knights on Thursday, Hood has taken the mantle as on of the top aces on the staff this season. Hood will enter the tournament with a 5-2 record, tied for the most wins on the team (Jacob Engel (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep)), and has collected 37 strikeouts. He has gone at least five frames in each of his final three starts, all doubleheaders, and has allowed just four earned runs in those games. 

Jacob Engel (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) (RHP) - The last two seasons were "what if" years for Engel, who struggled through injuries. This year has proved that when fully healthy, Engel is beyond dangerous. The redshirt junior leads Gannon starters with a 5.08 ERA, a mark that is also top 25 in the conference. The Cathedral Prep product leads GU in strikeouts (48), WHIP (1.41) and is tied with Hood for wins (5, 5-3 record). He has gone at least seven frames in three starts this season and has 18 punchouts in his previous three starts. 

Logan Ayres (New Castle, Pa./Laurel) (LHP) - Now the Gannon program record holder for saves (9), Ayres has helped to anchor the Gannon bullpen throughout the year. The southpaw has picked up five of those saves this season in a team leading 18 appearances. 

Other Pitchers to Watch: Logan Oakes (Kent, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) (LHP), Brady Berdine (Warren, Pa./Warren Area) (RHP), Nolan Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) (RHP), Hunter Steinke (Piqua, Ohio/Piqua) (RHP)

At The Plate
Matt Smith (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) (CF) - The most consistent force in the Gannon lineup, Smith leads the team in batting average heading into the postseason. The redshirt sophomore leads the team in home runs (9), doubles (15), and RBI's (42). Moreover, his splits in conference have been scary consistent. Smith has already recorded seven multi hit games this month and has the power to lift the ball out of the year in a moments notice. He'll be the centerpiece of the Golden Knights offense this week.

Hunter Troiano (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seneca Valley) (SS) - In just his second season, Troiano not only is part of the Gannon lineup for his defense, but offense as well. One of four Gannon players with a batting average above .300, the shortstop leads the team with 49 hits and has drive in 33 runs. And when he gets on base, he scores: Troiano has touched home 33 times this season, which leads the team.

Dom Costello (North Olmsted, Ohio/North Olmsted) (RF) - Costello had a strong 2025 as a key part of the Gannon lineup. This year, he has shattered his numbers from a year ago. Second on the team with a .315 batting average, the junior is second on the team in hits (47) and has collected nine two-baggers. One of the biggest assets for Costello? He gets on base. An OBP near .400 has helped him be effective both at the plate and on the basepaths. 

Other Players to Watch: Connor Smith (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny) (LF), Wes Parker (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) (1B)

EAST STROUDSBURG NOTES

• The Warriors come into the PSAC Tournament with an impressive 35-13 overall record and 21-7 in the PSAC East. The lost the tiebreaker to West Chester for the top seed. They last won the PSAC title in 2013.
• ESU made their first NCAA Baseball Championship appearance under current head coach John Kochmansky last season. The Warriors skipper is in his 19th season as head coach and has led the team to the NCAA playoffs seven times. ESU defeated Seton Hill to win the Super Regional a year ago and went 1-2 at NCAA Championships. 
• Pitching is where the Warriors thrive. ESU has the second best team ERA in the PSAC (4.12) entering the tournament and have racked up a conference leading 382 punchouts. 
• Ryan Dewees is the ace of the staff. The senior carries a third best in conference 2/64 ERA and a 7-2 record into the tournament. He's allowed just 18 earned runs in more than 61 innings of work this season. In fact, three ESU starters have at least five wins this year. 
• On offense, Troy Davis leads the team in batting average (.375), while Walker Zampella has the team lead in hits with 54. Cole Serfass has racked up 39 RBI's. ESU has five players with a batting average above .300.
• The Warriors have won four straight coming into this game, including a sweep of Kutztown to end the season. ESU is 3-4 in neutral site games. 

From Head Coach DJ Cannon
"It's incredibly exciting to return to the PSAC Tournament. Our team has been building towards this moment all season and now are ready to go in this single elimination format. We know how tight the margins are at this stage of the season, so it will be critical to start the game strong. We believe in our lineup and that any hitter in the order can make an impact in big moments. We're also confident that our pitching staff can play a key role in this tournament as well. East Stroudsburg is a tremendous team with a rich history of playoff success and we're looking forward to the challenge on Thursday."