Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team is preparing to begin their 2026 campaign as they look to build on a strong finish at the 2025 AMCC Championship Tournament in the new year.
Last season, the Panthers went 16-18 on the season, with a 4-10 record in AMCC play, earning the 6th seed in the conference's championship tournament. Once in the tournament, the Panthers didn't play like the last seed, winning their first two games before pushing top-seeded Penn State-Behrend to the brink in the winners' bracket championship. Unfortunately, they could not rebound in their next game and were eliminated by Alfred State.
Offensively, the Panthers were led by Trent Bielak (.328 avg, 8 hr, 26 RBI), Maxwell Rogers .371 avg, 4 hr, 28 RBI), and Alex Colwell (.330 avg, 2 HR, 21 RBI). As a team, they hit 26 home runs and drove in 187 runs. It is the most home runs as a team since the 2005-06 season. On the hill, the Panthers were led by starters Shawn Mannering (4-5, 2.70 ERA), Collin Porter (3-3, 4.97 ERA), and reliever Ethan Zimmerman (24.1 IP, 2.59 ERA), all of whom were named All-AMCC performers.
Looking forward, the Panthers return a huge senior class, consisting of 15 contributors from last season. Bielak will lead the offense, while also standing in as a spot starter on the mound. Seniors Colwell, Alex Ognen, Noah Avey, Seth Helgert and Kenny Nickson III will be major contributors offensively for the Panthers.
While the Panthers' lineup has plenty of experience, so does their starting rotation. Seniors Patrick Synan, Collin Porter, Jacob Sherdel, and Maddox Stadler will pick up most of the team's starts. Ethan Zimmerman will lead a younger bullpen to close out contests.
"Our leadership is strong this season, we are blessed to have a big group of seniors who have been in the program for a long time," said Head Coach Zach Foster. "They know what is important and have worked extremely hard to prepare for the season."
The Panthers begin their season on February 20th, when they head to West Virginia for a 4-game set with Bethany. They will return to Fort Myers, Fla., for Spring Break, where they will play 9 games in 7 days. They open conference play at Pitt-Greensburg on Saturday, March 21st, and will have their home opener on Saturday, April 4th, against Alfred State.
The AMCC has introduced a new schedule format this season. The Panthers will begin their conference slate with weekend doubleheaders at two schools on the south half of the conference footprint. They will return home for three separate 3-game series with the northern schools, which will see one team host a 9-inning midweek game, and the other a weekend doubleheader. They will then close the regular season with two home doubleheaders against the remaining southern teams.
In the annual AMCC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Panthers were predicted to finish 7th.
"We have a little chip on our shoulder heading into the season," added Foster. "We love being down in the trenches and have a willingness to go out and work hard every day and compete."
