Last season, the Profs shocked the nation with a third-place national finish in the program’s sixth NCAA Division III World Series ticket. The spring season is finally here, and so are the high expectations placed upon this year’s Rowan Baseball squad to replicate such results.
Head coach Mike Dickson enters his twelfth season after Rowan tallied a 38-12 record a year ago, with 38 wins being the most in coach Dickson’s tenure. The heroics of last season still resonate with this year’s team, and especially senior infielder Nick Struble, who is a year removed from having a team-leading .400 batting average.
“I mean, the group we had last year, that was probably one of the closest teams I’ve ever been a part of,” Struble said. “So, I mean, it’s easy to have trust in your guys at the right time, and we’re all so close. We hang out all the time outside of practice and games.”
After finding a plethora of success in 2025, the start to 2026 won’t be easy as the Profs will face four current nationally ranked opponents before they reach New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play. Two of those teams, Johns Hopkins and Endicott, were participants at last year’s College World Series.
Rowan Baseball starts its new campaign ranked eighth in the nation according to D3baseball.com. Junior catcher Jaysen Schooley sees his team in a prime position to take on top-notch talent.
“The thing I look at the most is it’s going to prepare us for our conference schedule and then the playoffs as well,” Schooley said. “I mean, we’ll take ours against anybody, though. We’re ranked eighth in the country for a reason. We’re ready for that test.”
Talent also resides within the clubhouse in Glassboro, with both returning and new faces looking to impact winning. Junior infielder Brayden Davis is coming off a year that saw him have eight home runs while being in the top five on the team in hits and RBIs.
Also returning is starting pitcher Zach Coluccio, who posted a 2.70 ERA in 83.1 innings pitched to define a breakout senior season. Spending his first two years at Widener, Coluccio comes back for his fifth collegiate season, and at a school where he feels himself.
“I knew eventually I’d end up in the right spot,” Coluccio said. “Unfortunate situations in my first two years led me here, and now I’ve been blessed to be here for three years now, and honestly see what winning is like year in and year out in a program like this, so it’s been fun.”
Rowan Baseball lost some of the program’s greatest players at the end of last spring, including all-time hits leader Tyler Cannon and Phil Sedalis, who is second all-time with 31 home runs for the Profs. Rowan’s pitching arsenal also took a hit, with former NJAC Pitcher of the Year Mike Shannon finishing his sixth and final year.
“I think he kind of helped mold the older guys,” Coluccio said. “He was kind of able to show us the way so that we can kind of keep that tradition going.”
Sophomore outfielder Evan McCoach is among the newer faces on this year’s Rowan Baseball team. Transferring from Rutgers University, a DI program, McCoach is ready for his role as the team’s projected lead-off hitter.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a really good feeling to have knowing that you could be a part of something that could be a really winning and successful season,” McCoach said. “I think the biggest thing is just taking it one step at a time and just, you know, nothing’s handed to you … just making sure every single day you’re showing up for your guys behind you, really, that’s the biggest thing.”
The brown and gold pinstripes will make their first appearance on Friday when No. 8 Rowan takes on No. 23 Penn State Harrisburg in Chester, Virginia, at Ironbridge Sports Park.
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