The second season of Holy Family University baseball is right around the corner, and the Tigers are already turning heads. The preseason projections are in, and the CACC coaches have spoken: HFU is picked to finish fourth in the South Division of the 2025 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. Not bad for a program that, a little over a year ago, was nothing more than a concept on a whiteboard.
Now, let’s rewind to last season—because, folks, it was a whirlwind. Holy Family’s first-ever season ended with a 20-win campaign and a fourth-place finish in the division. If that sounds like a solid foundation, that’s because it is. But if you ask head coach Kyle Davis, just getting to Opening Day last year was a victory in itself.
“Trying to go through June and August to build out the roster and get enough guys here to start a program up—it was a challenge,” Davis said. “We were lucky to get some talented guys in here and have some success, so now in Year Two, we’re really excited to have a full fall with a bunch of returning guys. We feel that will help us a lot this spring.”
One of those returners? Casey Murphy—the staff ace, the guy who carried the rotation, the pitcher who led the entire East Region with a 2.56 ERA. Murphy was a workhorse, tying for second in all of Division II with six complete games. In an era where most pitchers can’t sniff the seventh inning, Murphy was churning out complete games like he was pitching in 1973. Oh, and he also posted a 4.69 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a 1.10 WHIP, and allowed just 2.08 walks per nine innings. Those are frontline starter numbers.
But here’s the issue—behind Murphy, the pitching staff struggled. As in, an 8.24 team ERA struggled. In conference play? The ERA ballooned to just under 9.00. If the Tigers want to take the next step, that has to change.
Davis and his staff got to work in the offseason, bringing in reinforcements. Enter lefty grad student Hayden Ford from Frostburg State and senior right-hander Jorden Sesar. Two arms Davis believes can stabilize the rotation. “We think Jorden will play a major role in our weekend rotation,” Davis said. “The glaring issue for us in Year One was on the mound. Being a first-year program, we knew that would be a challenge, so here in Year Two, we want to make sure we address it with strong talent.”
On the offensive side, senior infielder Dalton Turner is back to anchor the lineup. The Neshaminy product hit .262 with three home runs and 21 RBIs last season, and Davis believes he can take another step forward. Same goes for fellow infielder Nick Lombardo, an Upper Dublin alum. “We think they both can elevate their game a bit and take things to the next level,” Davis said.
So, what’s next? The Tigers kick off the 2025 campaign on Feb. 21 with a doubleheader against Fairmont State and Mansfield. The home opener? Circle March 8, when Holy Family hosts Clarion at Father Judge.
“It’s a gauntlet, for sure,” Davis said of the upcoming schedule. “You have to do your homework and make sure your guys are good to play.”
One year in, Holy Family baseball is already making noise. And if they can shore up the pitching staff, the Tigers might not just meet expectations—they might just shatter them.
