The University of Pennsylvania baseball team will face Saint Joseph’s in the Liberty Bell Classic championship game at Citizens Bank Park on April 21. This marks Penn’s first return to the venue since 2017 and its third appearance in the tournament’s title game.
The matchup is significant as Penn seeks its first Liberty Bell Classic title, having advanced by defeating Delaware State and Lafayette. The Quakers currently hold a 9-6 record in Ivy League play and are among three teams with more than 15 wins this season. According to the official website, Penn Quakers Men’s Baseball competes at the NCAA Division I level as part of the University of Pennsylvania’s intercollegiate athletics program and maintains membership in the Ivy League (official website).
Fans attending Tuesday’s game can purchase tickets for $5 at Citizens Bank Park’s home plate ticket windows, with free parking available in Lot P off Darien Street. The Quakers will be designated as the home team for this contest.
Tuesday’s meeting is the 67th between Penn and Saint Joseph’s, with Penn holding a slight series edge but having lost both matchups over the past two seasons. The two teams last met for a Liberty Bell Classic final in 2012, when Saint Joseph’s won their first tournament title.
Senior co-captain Thomas Shurtleff was named Ivy League Pitcher of the Week after recording a career-high ten strikeouts during a shutout win against Princeton. Junior infielder Nick Spaventa also earned Player of the Week honors following his eight-hit performance across four games. Over recent weeks, six out of nine possible weekly conference awards have gone to Quaker players.
Penn has posted a .258 team batting average this season—fourth best in their conference—and recorded strong performances from several hitters including Spaventa (.288), Jarrett Pokrovsky (.287), Jay Secretarski (.286), Ernie Echvarria (.275), and Gavin Degnan (.271). On pitching, Shurtleff leads with five wins and a 3.14 ERA; Marty Coyne (4-4) and Jake Moss (3-2) have contributed significant innings while freshmen Ben Moulin (1-2) and Nick Newburn (0-1) provide midweek depth.
Saint Joseph’s enters with a record of 25-13 overall, leading their Atlantic-10 competition at 16-2. Key players include Alex Kelsey (.376 average) and Blake Primrose (15 home runs). Their pitching staff features Luke Parise (5-1), Cole Fehrman (60 strikeouts), primary reliever Christian Coppola (59 strikeouts), among others.
According to their official website, Penn Quakers Men’s Baseball hosts home games at Tommy Lasorda Field at Meiklejohn Stadium (official website). The team participates actively in intercollegiate athletics within NCAA Division I (official website).
Looking ahead, after Tuesday’s championship game against Saint Joseph’s, Penn will travel to Harvard for an important three-game series.
