EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ baseball team concluded the 2026 campaign on Sunday afternoon, falling to No. 11 Kean in both games of its Senior Day doubleheader.
Before the first game, seniors
Mike Doran,
Jack O'Donnell,
Brian Lovaglio,
Tyler Provost, and
John DiCostanzo were honored for their contributions to the program. Together, they have helped the Lions to an NJAC title in 2023 as well as two appearances in the NCAA tournament.
Game 1: Kean 12, TCNJ 3
The visitors set the tone early in game one, scoring the first nine runs of the contest in the first five innings. The Lions got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, when O'Donnell singled through the left side to score Lovaglio. O'Donnell accounted for all three of TCNJ's RBIs in the game, as he hit his first home run of the season — a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh.
Despite the margin on the scoreboard, the Lions were able to rack up 11 hits.
Braden Dromboski and
Nate McLaughlin each went 3-for-4 at the dish, while O'Donnell and
Michael Contiliano both went 2-for-4.
Game 2: Kean 3, TCNJ 2
While the two teams had no trouble logging hits in the first game, it was the exact opposite script in game two. Despite having no hits at the time, the Lions loaded the bases in the second inning after walks from
Jake Carter and
Antonio Destribats, as well as a hit-by-pitch by Lovaglio. The Lions doubled their lead in the next inning thanks to Provost's RBI single.
Kean cut the lead in half with an RBI triple in the very next frame, but the Lions retained the lead in large part thanks to their pitching staff. Starter
Austin Hanni gave up just one run over five effective frames gainst the high-powered Cougars offense, and reliever
Andrew Wilkinson held Kean off the board until the ninth, when the visitors managed to take the lead with a pair of runs. DiCostanzo helped limit the damage in that frame and gave his team a chance to tie or win in the bottom of the ninth.
After the first batter lined out, Lovaglio and
Chris Salmon both got on base with singles. McLaughlin advanced both runners a base with a groundout, but the Lions were unable to score any runners. As a result, the Lions were swept in their doubleheader and eliminated from playoff contention.
