MD/DE Scout Blog: #3 Mount St. Joseph at Loyola Blakefield

March 18, 2026
Cole Ledger
Director of Operations, Prep Baseball MD/DE

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After an intense rainstorm on Monday cancelled all games around the state, MIAA play kicked off on a bitterly cold Tuesday afternoon, sending me 2.5 hours to Towson as Loyola Blakefield played host to #3 ranked Mount St. Joseph, coming in with an undefeated 7-0 record. After all was said and done, the Gaels of MSJ would remain undefeated, exploding on offense and defeating the Dons in six innings by a score of 22-3.

Loyola's pitching staff has been hit with a major injury bug to start the season, catapulting senior southpaw Jacob Caponi into the starting rotation, matching him up with MSJ's Michael Bahouth (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) to start the game. Even with his velocity down due to mid-20s temperatures, Caponi would work a scoreless first while racking up a pair of strikeouts, utilizing the breaking ball that showed feel early. Bahouth would take the mound and would exit earlier than expected after six pitches due to an injury, forcing MSJ to enter the bullpen early and senior Quinn Roberts to take the mound. Scoring would start in the second inning as MSJ would draw four straight walks to start the inning before sophomore Chase Nemec would drive in a pair of runs with a single to make the game 3-0 with still nobody out in the inning. Another run would score via wild pitch before senior Colin Harrison (West Virginia) would step in with two runners on and send an absolute no-doubter into the trees to extend the lead to 7-0. Loyola would respond with a run of their own in the bottom half of the second on an infield RBI single by junior Elias Gibbs, before both offenses remained relatively quiet until the fifth inning. MSJ would tack on three runs in the fifth after drawing four walks in the first five batters, followed by a sacrifice fly from senior Michael Goldsmith (Iona) and a passed ball to make the game 11-1 headed into the bottom half of the fifth.

Loyola would then start to string some hits together as sophomore Will Stark would lead off the inning with a double down the right field line, followed by an RBI single from senior Colby Shilling (Anne Arundel CC) and another from senior Luke Springer (Neumann), sending the game to the sixth. The sixth inning would see the Gaels double their runs on the game, scoring a staggering eleven runs in the inning, highlighted by a slew of extra-base hits. The inning would be set up as four of the first five hitters would reach via HBP, resulting in RBI base hits from Evan Bodensiek, Chase Nemec, and Michael Goldsmith. The loudest swings off the inning, however, would be a three-run homer from uncommitted senior Braden Ashburn and a pair of doubles from junior Yaniel Escalera, driving in five runs in the inning. Senior Peyton Wholey (Anne Arundel CC) would return for his third and final inning on the mound, shutting down the Loyola offense to secure a 22-3 win to open conference play, moving MSJ to 8-0 on the season.

Loyola Blakefield

Jacob Caponi LHP / Loyola Blakefield, MD / 2026

As injuries have plagued this Loyola pitching staff throughout the preseason, Jacob Caponi would insert himself as the staff ace for the Dons this season, getting the start to open conference play against #3 MSJ. With the bitter cold temperatures, velocity was down throughout his outing, allowing him to rely more on the breaking ball for success. That plan worked early on, surrendering only one hit in the first inning off the fastball, striking out two hitters early, both off the breaking ball. Caponi didn't quite have feel of the fastball at any point throughout the outing, sitting 80-83 in the first before dropping to 77-81 in the second, surrendering four straight walks in the inning before being pulled with no outs in the second inning.

Consistency has always been the biggest question for Caponi, and with Loyola losing their top two starters to season-ending injuries (Robertson, Mueck), Caponi will be heavily relied on as the front-end arm to keep Loyola in close games where the offense can attempt to capitalize.

Final Line: 1.0 IP | 2 H | 5 ER | 6 BB | 2 K

Will Stark SS / Loyola Blakefield, MD / 2028

We had the opportunity to see Will Stark at our preseason event after going over a year without seeing the sophomore middle infielder, and it was pretty clear that Stark would be an integral part of the Loyola offense this spring. Fast forward to the first game of conference play, and the sophomore is hitting in the two-hole and helps his cause with a 1-for-3 performance yesterday afternoon, highlighted by a double to the fence down the right field line on a 1-2 count in the fifth inning. One thing I noticed was his ability to work deep in the counts, but also isn't afraid to attack early if he gets the right pitch, drawing a walk in his first AB and then attacking the first pitch in the third inning. In a lineup that has potential but lacks true explosiveness, he has the ability to be a spark plug at the top of the lineup before getting to the heart of the order. This game plan worked, as Loyola scored two runs after Stark's leadoff double. When it comes to sophomores in the MIAA, Stark is a follow within this Loyola offense.

Final Line: 1-3, 2B, R, BB

#3 Mount St. Joseph

Colin Harrison LHP / Mount Saint Joseph, MD / 2026

The No. 6 ranked player in the state of Maryland in the 2026 class certainly made a statement to kick off MIAA conference play without even stepping up on the mound, which is the better side of the ball. Offensively, there were questions to whether Harrison would even pick up a bat this season, but I'm sure Coach Kraska is thrilled that he will be in the DH spot throughout the spring season. After striking out in his first AB, he came back up in the second with two runners on and made his mark, sending an absolute rocket out of right for a no-doubt home run into the trees. Swings like that are why his physical presence makes him one of the more explosive offensive hit tools in the conference. He would eventually draw a walk in his next AB before adding a backside RBI single in the sixth to cap off his performance. Not only does he add another level of power in the middle of the order, now hitting .583 on the season, but his impact on the mound is even greater than his impact in the lineup. We have yet to see Harrison pitch this season, but expect that time to come over the next few weeks as he bolsters an already strong pitching rotation for the Gaels.

Final Line: 2-4, HR, 1B, 3 RBI, 3 R

Braden Ashburn 1B / Mount Saint Joseph, MD / 2026

One of the top uncommitted corner infielders remaining in the 2026 class, Ashburn's power-upside hit tool will make him a strong late addition to a collegiate program looking to add some physicality in the order. It's a strong 6'1" frame with still some room to add strength. In the past, it's been more XBH power with the ability to backspin line drives into the alleys, but the home run power has really started to show over recent months. It's been more of a pullside-heavy hit tool, but has shown the ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field, even off upper-eschlon velocity. This is one for college coaches to circle as a late addition to their program.

Final Line: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

Yaniel Escalera SS / Mount Saint Joseph, MD / 2027

One of the top middle infielders in the MIAA and across the entire junior class, Escalera certainly made an impression with the hit tool in my first look of the spring. It's been common knowledge that Yaniel is one of the best up-the-middle defenders in the entire state and is nearly flawless every time we see him flash the leather, including yesterday, where he turned multiple double plays with ease. Being a lockdown defender, the biggest question when it came to Escalera was the ceiling of the hit tool, and he may have raised his ceiling with his performance yesterday afternoon. It's a high-contact hit tool that'll hit for a strong average, currently hitting .370 in the young season, with the ability to show off some XBH power even from a compact 5'10" frame. He was able to show off some sneaky pull-side juice, taking advantage of two at-bats in the sixth inning. Escalera turned his first AB of the inning into a bases-clearing double off the fence in left-center field before driving in another pair of runs in his second AB of the inning, that one a double off the fence down the left field line. It's not a guy that's not expected to hit for power, but has the ability to stretch XBHs and put the occasional ball over the fence. Certainly one to follow this spring in the 2027 class, as he'll likely be a hot name headed into the summer.

Final Line: 2-4, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R

Chase Nemec C / Mount Saint Joseph, MD / 2028

Nemec was on a list of must-watch hit tools headed into the spring, and, knowing he needed to be in the lineup, the biggest question became: how would Coach Kraska find the sophomore a spot? With Goldsmith behind the dish and Harrison inserting himself as the DH, Nemec got an opportunity in a corner outfield spot following an injury. Fast forward two weeks into the season, and his offensive ability will make it extremely difficult to take him back out of the order. Nemec would start his afternoon off on a roll, lining a single into right field in the first inning before driving in a pair of runs in the second with a ground-ball single through the four hole. He would later walk twice before hitting into a fielder's choice to end his afternoon, finishing with a 2-for-4 performance. Nemec doesn't just add the hit tool but also a reliable run tool, as he stole three bases throughout the game. It's one of the more consistent left-handed swings in the entire class with the ability to spray line drives to all fields. Through 28 plate appearances, the sophomore is slashing .588/.714/1.420 and leads the team in average, OBP, and stolen bases (6). Add that to his ten hits and 12 RBIs on the season, his hot start to the spring is just solidifying his "must-watch" status throughout the spring and heading into the summer.