While the competition level warrants perspective, the Terriers handled business.
Mercyhurst University competes in Division I baseball, though their performance over the weekend did little to reinforce that label. The Lakers are a relatively new member of the Northeast Conference (NEC), joining on July 1, 2024, and will become full members in 2028–29 after completing a four-year NCAA Division I reclassification period.
In 2025, Mercyhurst finished 15–15 in NEC play but an awful 2–20 in non-conference competition. That disparity tells you everything you need to know about the strength of the NEC compared to the SoCon (yet both conferences are considered one-bid leagues…but I digress). Their 2025 RPI ranking of 299 out of 307 programs says it all.
So yes, Wofford’s three-game sweep was dominant—but context matters. This was a team the Terriers were supposed to overpower. And they did.
Game 1: Eleven-Run Chaos Breaks It Open
Wofford trailed 2–1 before unleashing an 11-run sixth inning that turned a competitive contest into a runaway.
Kenny Michaels Looks the Part
Towering lefty junior Kenny Michaels made the Opening Day start and delivered six strong innings. He allowed four hits and two runs while striking out a career-high nine batters.
A 2024 Southern Conference All-Freshman Team honoree entering his third year in the program, Michaels projects as a critical rotation piece. He looked every bit the dependable weekend arm Wofford will need in conference play.
The Sixth Inning Circus
The decisive sixth inning was a pitching and defensive meltdown by Mercyhurst that would have made your average Little League team blush.
The rally began when:
- Andrew Mannelly was hit by a pitch
- Raul Feliz followed by getting plunked
- Harrison Campi reached on a fielding error
- A passed ball advanced runners
- A walk loaded the bases
- A balk added to the chaos
- The band strikes up “Yakety Sax.”
Then Niko Brini delivered the knockout blows. Brini singled in two runs, and after the Terriers batted around, he doubled to drive in two more. By the time junior Keeton Burroughs flied out to mercifully end the inning, Wofford held a commanding 12–2 lead.
Brini, a .304 hitter in 2025, finished with one run, three hits, a double, and a game-high four RBIs.
In the seventh, Champ Davis replaced Michaels and struck out two in a clean 1-2-3 frame. The mercy rule—the greatest rule in college baseball for college baseball fans—brought the game to an end after seven innings.
Final: Wofford 12, Mercyhurst 2.
Game 2: Bouchard Sets the Tone in Another Mercy Rule Win
If Game 1 was explosive, Game 2 was clinical.
Final: Wofford 10, Mercyhurst 0 (7 innings).
Alec Bouchard Dominates
Veteran right-hander Alec Bouchard, the pride of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, tossed five scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and struck out eight. Expected to log significant innings in 2026, Bouchard looked sharp and efficient.
Blayne Newman, a Division II transfer from USC Aiken, made his Terrier debut in the sixth. He surrendered one hit and struck out four to preserve the shutout.
Early and Often Offense
The Terriers wasted no time, scoring three runs in the first inning:
- Cade Collins and Brini opened with back-to-back singles
- Keeton Burroughs laid down a bunt single to load the bases
- Collins scored on a fielder’s choice
- Senior Logan Tribble delivered a two-RBI single
In the third, Tribble walked, stole second, and scored on a throwing error to make it 4–0.
Wofford added four more in the fourth to push the lead to 8–0 before tacking on two in the seventh to close it out.
Collins, who was on base all weekend long, and Brini each contributed two runs, two hits, and one RBI. Ben Timblin added one run, one hit, and a career-high three RBIs.
Game 3: Another Seven-Inning Slaughter
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: another mercy rule.
Final: Wofford 13, Mercyhurst 1.
Campi’s Breakout Performance
Harrison Campi stole the spotlight with one run, two hits, and a career-high seven RBIs. He launched his first career grand slam during a six-run second inning that effectively ended the competitive portion of the game.
In the first inning, Wofford struck for four runs. Burroughs singled in Collins, and Campi doubled home three more.
In the second, Mercyhurst’s pitching staff continued its habit of loading the bases. Campi responded by clearing them. By the end of the inning, it was 10–0, and the Mercyhurst bus driver was practically backing the bus up to the visitors’ dugout.
Pitching Depth on Display
Cullen Condon, a 2025 Southern Conference All-Freshman Team selection, started and threw four innings, allowing three hits and one run.
Branton Little and Cade Bouknight closed it out, with Bouknight—another USC Aiken transfer—making his Terrier debut and allowing just one hit in the seventh.
The pitching staff across the series allowed just three total runs in 21 innings.
Perspective: Dominance with Context
Wofford outscored Mercyhurst 35–3 over three seven-inning games.
That is dominance.
But Mercyhurst’s 2025 RPI of 299 out of 307 and its 2–20 non-conference record temper expectations. This was a rebuilding program in transition to full Division I membership. The Terriers did what quality programs must do against overmatched opponents: overwhelm them early, exploit mistakes, and shorten games.
The real evaluations begin when the competition stiffens.
What’s Next: A True Test
Wofford returns Tuesday, February 17, when the Terriers take on SEC power South Carolina at Fifth Third Park.
The Point After
Opening weekend delivered exactly what Wofford fans wanted: dominant pitching, explosive offense, and three stress-free victories. Kenny Michaels and Alec Bouchard looked like dependable rotation anchors. Harrison Campi’s seven-RBI explosion signals middle-of-the-order potential. Fresh faces like Brady Gold and Blayne Newman made immediate impacts.
Still, perspective remains essential. Mercyhurst is a program in transition with recent metrics near the bottom of Division I baseball. Wofford handled business decisively, but the true trajectory of this season will be defined against stronger opposition.
For now, the Terriers are 3–0, brimming with confidence, and heading into a far more revealing matchup. Opening weekend was a statement—but the season’s real story is just beginning.
