FLEMINGTON, NJ - The Northampton men's baseball team opened the 2026 campaign on Wednesday afternoon with a, 13-0, shutout win over Union College of Union County, New Jersey at the Diamond Nation Baseball Complex in Flemington, New Jersey.

The Spartans, ranked 13th in the NJCAA preseason national poll, jumped on the Owls in the top of the 1st inning with a five run outburst highlighted by a Lukas Cokely (Montrose, PA/Montrose) two run home run.

Northampton plated five runs in the 1st inning, along with three in the 3rd and two in the 4th inning, to jump out to a 10-0 lead after four innings of baseball. The Spartans also added one run in the 6th inning and two more in the top of the 7th inning to cruise to the 13-0 run-rule shortened win over the Owls.

The Spartans used four different pitchers to record the shutout win. Sophomore Ben Mostosky (Saylorsburg, PA/Pleasant Valley) (1-0) took the hill for the Spartans and fired two scoreless innings allowing 1 hit and recording 1 strikeout. Ben Warner (Alexandria, VA/Alexandria City (VA)) relieved and gave two scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts and allowing only 1 hit. Gavin Panovec (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) pitched the 5th and 6th innings with 3 strikeouts. Jayson Ehrhart (Phoenixville, PA/Spring-Ford) pitched the final frame and recorded 2 strikeouts without allowing a hit.

"Very pleased with our effort and result today to open the season," stated Spartans Head Coach Adrian Yaguez, "It was great to see our pitchers compete the way they did with 11 strikeouts and only two hits and I was also pleased with the way we swung the bats. This was our first time out on the field and it was great to see things work out the way they did."

Sophomore Danny Qualteria (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) led the Spartans with a 3-3 day with three runs scored and two stolen bases and an RBI. Kyle Stoner (Burlington Township (NJ)/Burlington Township (NJ)) was 3-4 with three runs scored and Josh Brancy (Sparta. NJ/Sparta (NJ)) was 2-4. Shane Henrick (Blue Bell, PA/Wissahickon) was 2-3 with 3 RBI and two stolen bases. Lukas Cokely (Montrose, PA/Montrose) was 1-2 with a home run and 4 RBI to open the season.

Northampton improves to 1-0 overall and 1-0 in Region 19.

Union slips to 0-1 overall and 0-1 in the Region.

After multiple weather related postponements this was the first game of the three-game Region 19 series between both clubs. Games two and three are in the process of being rescheduled.

The Spartans are back in action on Saturday, March 7th at 12:30pm when they open their Spring Break schedule against NJCAA Division II Lakeland College (OH) at the Ripken Experience Complex in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

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