PHILADELPHIA -- The early weeks of a college baseball season can produce surprises, but few around the Philadelphia region expected the most dramatic turnaround to come from Del Val.
A year ago, the Aggies endured a difficult campaign, finishing with just three victories. Two weeks into the 2026 season, they have already surpassed that total.
Del Val enters the weekend at 4–0, an early surge built on wins over Rosemont, Wilson and Penn State Brandywine. The competition level will rise as the schedule unfolds, but the Aggies have already shown a noticeably different identity from the club that struggled to gain traction last spring.
The offense has played a major role in the fast start.
Eli Scott has been nearly impossible to keep off the bases through the first four games, hitting .600 with a .700 on-base percentage while driving in five runs. Pat Higgins has supplied impact production behind him, batting .375 with a 1.393 OPS and six RBIs.
More importantly, Del Val has played cleaner baseball. Instead of chasing games early — a familiar theme last season — the Aggies have consistently put pressure on opposing pitching while avoiding the big innings that often proved costly in 2025.
For a program trying to reestablish momentum, the early results have provided an encouraging tone. The club will face Neumann on Friday, Lancaster Bible on Saturday, and Bridgewater State on Sunday.
While Del Val attempts to extend its unbeaten start, the region’s most significant storyline this weekend belongs to La Salle.
The Explorers will travel south for their most demanding test of the young season: a four-game series at Clemson.
The trip carries personal meaning for La Salle head coach David Miller, who played his college baseball for the Tigers. Returning to his alma mater adds an extra layer of intrigue to a matchup that already serves as a measuring stick for a program that has opened the season with one of the best records in the Northeast.
La Salle enters the weekend 8–2, fueled largely by a deep and productive lineup.
Chase Swain has been a consistent presence near the top of the order, batting .349 with 14 runs scored and a 1.077 OPS through the first 10 games. Carter Groen has delivered the early run production, driving in 18 runs while posting a 1.055 OPS. Power has come from Alec Welshans, whose five home runs and .774 slugging percentage lead the club.
Daniel Perez has added a steady table-setting presence, reaching base at a .523 clip while drawing 10 walks.
The pitching staff has also delivered stability, particularly from Owen MacDonnell. The right-hander will start Friday’s series opener and has given the Explorers exactly what every club hopes to receive from a weekend starter, opening the season 2–0 with a 3.71 ERA while striking out 19 batters across 17 innings and holding opponents to a .200 average.
The challenge awaiting him will be significant.
Clemson enters the weekend 11–1 and ranked No. 11 in the nation, making the series an early-season measuring stick for a La Salle club that has built momentum during the opening weeks of the schedule.
Programs from colder climates often open the year with long road swings against southern opponents who benefit from warmer weather and deeper rosters. For La Salle, the series will offer the first true indication of how its promising start holds up against national competition.
Elsewhere, Jefferson enters the weekend still searching for its first win.
The Rams have dropped their first three games of the season, including a walk-off loss to Indiana (Pa.) and a doubleheader against No. 24 Millersville.
The record is not ideal, but the games have been competitive — an encouraging sign that the early struggles may be more about timing than structural issues.
Jefferson will have an opportunity to change the tone this weekend when it faces Southern New Hampshire in a pair of doubleheaders.
The timing is important. The Rams open conference play Wednesday against Goldey-Beacom, making the upcoming games an important chance to build momentum before league competition begins.
Across the Philadelphia baseball landscape, the first weeks of March always reveal a mix of early storylines — surprising starts, measuring-stick matchups and programs trying to find their footing.
This weekend offers all three.
Del Val will try to continue its sudden turnaround. La Salle will test its strong start against one of the nation’s hottest teams. And Jefferson will search for the win that can change the direction of a young season.
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