It was the kind of weekend that underscored the depth — and momentum — of college baseball across Philadelphia.
Three programs. Three series. Three statements.
At Tommy Lasorda Field, Penn completed a sweep of Dartmouth with a 5-2 victory Sunday, emerging as the lone Ivy League team to open conference play undefeated. Across the Main Line, Villanova surged past UNC Asheville, 11-6, to secure its second straight series win. And in Merion Station, Saint Joseph’s finished off a three-game sweep of George Washington with a 7-5 win built on an early offensive outburst.
Individually, each win carried weight. Collectively, they painted a picture of a region trending upward.
Penn’s weekend may have been the most quietly significant.
The Quakers now sit alone atop the Ivy League standings after sweeping Dartmouth, leaning on a balanced effort Sunday that combined timely hitting and steady pitching. Junior first baseman Nick Spaventa delivered a key performance, driving in two runs and later launching a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth inning — his third of the season — to give Penn a lead it would not relinquish.
Senior co-captain Jarrett Pokrovsky continued to anchor the lineup, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Thomas Shurtleff provided stability on the mound. The senior worked six innings, allowing just five hits and two runs to earn his second win of the season.
Penn broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the sixth and added an insurance run in the seventh, before sophomore reliever Aidan von Zuben delivered the game’s defining moment. With the bases loaded in the eighth, von Zuben recorded a strikeout to preserve the lead, finishing with two punchouts over 1 2/3 innings to secure his second save.
If Penn’s sweep was about control, Villanova’s series win was about response.
The Wildcats found themselves in a back-and-forth game early before seizing control with two defining innings. After falling behind in the first, Villanova answered immediately and then broke the game open in the third, scoring four runs highlighted by a bases-clearing double from Collin Quintano.
UNC Asheville pushed back, trimming the deficit to one run by the seventh, but Villanova delivered the decisive blow in the sixth inning. A five-run outburst — capped by John Freitag’s three-run double — restored separation and ultimately sealed an 11-6 victory.
The Wildcats pounded out 14 hits in the win, with JoJo Montgomery collecting three hits, Brayden Leonard scoring three runs, and Michael Whooley adding two hits and two RBIs. It marked Villanova’s second consecutive series win, a sign of a lineup beginning to find rhythm and depth.
At Saint Joseph’s, the tone of the weekend was set early — and emphatically.
The Hawks erupted for five runs in the first inning Sunday and never trailed, riding that early surge to a 7-5 win and a sweep of George Washington. Blake Primrose delivered the biggest swing of the inning, launching a three-run home run to left-center to ignite the offense.
Saint Joseph’s added two more runs in the second inning, building a 7-1 lead that proved enough despite a late push from George Washington. Jason Janesko and Richard Beggy each drove in runs, while Joey Pagano reached base five times, helping sustain pressure throughout the lineup.
On the mound, Luke Parise gave the Hawks exactly what they needed, working six innings to earn his third win of the season. The bullpen bent late but held, closing out the sweep as Saint Joseph’s improved to 11-10.
Three programs, three different paths — but the same result.
Wins that matter in March, and momentum that could carry deeper into the spring.
Penn heads into a Big 5 matchup with La Salle on Tuesday with first place in the Ivy League in hand. Villanova returns home to host Hofstra. Saint Joseph’s, meanwhile, leaves the weekend with a sweep and a reminder of how dangerous it can be when it strikes first.
Around Philadelphia, the conference season is starting to take shape.
And right now, it’s trending in the right direction.
Recent Philly | Phillies Baseball News
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Big 5 surging: Penn, Villanova, and Saint Joseph’s ride weekend series wins (March 22)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: West Chester continues to roll, while Jefferson wins third straight (March 22)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: West Chester continues to roll, while Jefferson wins third straight (March 21)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Neumann, Widener, Eastern highlight busy Saturday with splits and statement performances (March 21)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: La Salle breaks it open with six-run fourth, powers past Davidson, 8–2 (March 21)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Saint Joseph’s rides early surge, McCarron’s steady start past George Washington (March 20)
- The biggest mistake parents make in youth baseball - and it's happening in Philly (March 20)
- Phillies rename Harry the K’s, and a name that meant more than signage is gone (March 19)
- Moore’s opt-out triggers 48-hour clock as Phillies face key roster decision (March 19)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Arcadia’s offense erupts in doubleheader sweep; Pustilnik delivers historic five-hit game (March 19)
- Andrew Painter’s progress hinges on command, and the Phillies are seeing it this spring (March 18)
- Johan Rojas suspension confirms Phillies had already moved on in center field (March 17)
- Phillies: Harper, Schwarber share field in one of baseball’s most talent-rich games (March 16)
- Saint Joseph’s Richard Beggy, Penn's Marty Coyne earn Philadelphia Baseball Review Players of the Week presented by Wheelhouse (March 16)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: West Chester sweeps Gannon; Holy Family secures series win over Post (March 16)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Hawks complete Richmond sweep as Hamburg reaches 400 wins (March 16)
- Phillies Notes: Wheeler faces hitters, Kerkering progresses, Harper and Schwarber update in WBC (March 14)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Eastern, Arcadia, and Immaculata highlight busy Saturday for Philly programs (March 14)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Coyne dominates as Penn shuts out East Carolina (March 14)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Holy Family erupts for 16 runs; West Chester earns a DH sweep (March 14)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Saint Joseph’s, Villanova open weekend with impressive wins (March 13)
- From Kedar’s four-homer explosion to West Chester’s dominance, Philly-area college baseball heats up (March 13)
- YOUTH BASEBALL: For young ballplayers, the right glove matters more than the price tag (March 12)
- Chase Utley’s relentless brilliance earns place on Phillies Wall of Fame (March 12)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Groen ties program RBI record as La Salle slugs past Lafayette, 16–11 (March 12)
- Dream Team in Danger: DeRosa's miscalculation leaves Team USA on brink in World Baseball Classic (March 11)
- Why the Phillies chose now to lock up Jesús Luzardo to a long-term deal (March 10)
- As the Phillies prepare to host the All-Star Game, youth baseball must be part of the Philadelphia story (March 9)
- Saint Joseph’s Blake Primrose, Duke McCarron earn Philadelphia Baseball Review Players of the Week presented by Wheelhouse (March 9)
- Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller slowed by back issue, but long-term outlook remains unchanged (March 8)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Swarthmore secures series win over No. 16 CWR; Rosemont sweeps DH from St. Joseph's Brooklyn (March 8)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Roventini drives in three as Villanova beats Florida A&M (March 8)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Swarthmore splits with No 16 CWR; Eastern and Ursinus pull off sweeps (March 8)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Costa throws second career no-hitter as West Chester sweeps Frostburg State (March 7)
- Schwarber’s two-run homer sparks five-run inning as Team USA tops Great Britain in WBC (March 7)
- PHILLIES: Zack Wheeler takes another step toward return with bullpen session (March 7)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: La Salle takes early lead, but can't hold on against ranked Clemson (March 7)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Neumann cruises past Del Val; Arcadia falls to William Patterson (March 6)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Saint Joseph's blanks Bucknell behind five shutout frames by McCarron (March 6)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Del Val’s fast start, La Salle’s Clemson test headline weekend slate (March 6)
- How J.T. Realmuto is already turning MLB’s ABS challenge system into a catcher’s weapon (March 5)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Swarthmore erupts late, defeats NYU 10–1 in home opener (March 4)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Villanova shuts out North Florida, 4–0, behind five-pitcher effort (March 4)
- Phillies players who starred for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic (March 4)
- Spring Training Check-In: Stott surges as Bohm, García battle for the Phillies’ cleanup spot (March 3)
- YOUTH: Similar to baseball, youth softball in Philadelphia isn’t declining — it’s dividing (March 3)
- Is the 2026 Team USA roster baseball’s closest thing to a 'Dream Team'? (March 3)
- Philly Division I Players of the Week: MacDonnell, Groen fuel La Salle ahead of Clemson (March 2)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Arcadia comes close to taking down No. 4 Salisbury (March 1)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Kyle Kearns was impressive in his debut as West Chester downs Dominican (March 1)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: Saint Joseph's puts together a late rally to take finale at Wofford (March 1)
- COLLEGE BASEBALL: La Salle completes sweep of Coppin St., have won eight of 10 to open the season (March 1)
- Phillies hurler Andrew Painter’s flashes starter blueprint in efficient spring debut (March 1)
- How USA Today and Baseball Weekly shaped modern baseball coverage, according to Paul White (March 1)
- Phillies News from the Philadelphia Baseball Review
Support the Mission. Fuel the Movement.
You’re not just funding journalism — you’re backing the future of youth baseball in Philly.
👉 Join us on Patreon »
