NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Manhattanville University baseball team has been ranked fifth in the Skyline Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference announced today.

The Valiants received 59 points in the vote amongst the Skyline's 11 coaching staffs, predicted to make a third-straight postseason appearance and their best conference finish since 2021.

Manhattanville comes off a 20-20 campaign in 2025, going 10-9 against the Skyline in the regular season to earn the sixth and final postseason berth for last year's Skyline Championship Tournament. The Valiants drew a first-round matchup with third-seeded Farmingdale, falling to the eventual conference champs 5-1 in the single-elimination round.

The Valiants sport a roster 49 deep heading into 2026, with new faces having an opportunity to make an immediate impact. Manhattanville lost six of its top seven batters from last year in addition to four of its top five inning throwers. Fortunately, the Valiants' top bat of Anthony Mezzaucella (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and leading arm of Ryan McCann (Medford, N.Y./Longwood) are back for another go-around in the new year. Junior Mezzaucella hit a team-leading .410 in 2025 and was third on the team with 23 RBI, while McCann toes the slab for his senior season after going 5-3 with a 4.75 ERA, throwing 60.2 innings across his 10 starts.

Among Manhattanville's other notable returners offensively are Chris Goohs (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown H.S. East), Gregory Tashik (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park Jr./Sr.) and Justin Encarnacion (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes), a trio of seniors looking to make one last run at a Skyline title. Goohs was second on the team in 2025 with 24 RBI and hit .304 as a junior, while Encarnacion handled primary catching duties last year, hitting a career-high .295. Tashik, meanwhile, hit .316 over a shortened 14-game campaign, looking to replicate his success from his sophomore season (.321, 28 RBI, 14 BB, 11 HBP).

The Valiants open the season on Feb. 28 at Centenary for a lone game at 11 a.m. before heading to Myrtle Beach for the annual Ripken Experience. After six games in the Palmetto State, the Valiants are slated for their first home game on Mar. 14 with a doubleheader versus New Jersey City starting at 11:30 a.m.

The full preseason poll can be found below:

2026 Skyline Conference Men's Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank, School, Points (First-place votes)
1. Merchant Marine, 96 (7) 
2. Farmingdale State, 93 (4)
3. St. Joseph's-Long Island, 81    
4. Maritime, 72    
5. Manhattanville University, 59    
6. Mount Saint Mary, 56    
7. Purchase, 43    
8. Mount Saint Vincent, 40    
9. Old Westbury, 36    
10. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn,19    
11. Yeshiva, 10

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