LYNN, Mass. — Here are the latest college baseball highlights for incoming North Shore Navigators players:

Several North Shore natives are coming off strong weeks on the pitcher’s mound, including Swampscott’s Pierce Friedman (Maine) who worked a combined 2.2 hitless innings of relief against Merrimack and America East rival UMass Lowell in his return to the mound after a month. His week began with a 1-2-3 frame in the Black Bears’ 7-5 win last Wednesday in Andover before recording a season-high five outs on Friday as part of a key conference series victory.

Staying in the bullpen, Gloucester native Zach Morris (Rhode Island) was the final man on the mound for the Rams in a Wednesday win at longtime New England rival Boston College. He threw 2.1 scoreless innings en route to his first career collegiate win, allowing just one hit and striking out one. Rhody won 11-9 in 10 innings. 

Cole Yennaco (Merrimack) continued his stellar relief work, totaling 2.2 scoreless innings to save the Warriors’ two latest victories. Yennaco induced a strikeout and a double play ball to record the five-out save in a 4-2 Tuesday win at Holy Cross. On Saturday against MAAC foe Siena, the right-hander stranded the bases loaded in the ninth inning as Merrimack finished off a 16-13 win after overcoming an early 11-0 deficit. Yennaco has now pitched scoreless ball in eight of his 11 appearances.

Both members of North Shore’s pitching duo at Bridgewater State contributed to the Bears’ three-game sweep of Salem State. Nahant native and former Swampscott standout Nick Reiser picked up his first victory of the season in Sunday’s second game of the series, following college and future summer teammate Trey Yesu with 4.1 innings of one-run relief as Bridgewater won 5-4 in 11 innings. Yesu struck out six in a 6.2-inning start. Prior to his return to the North Shore to face the Vikings, Reiser also pitched a scoreless frame Wednesday at UMass Dartmouth.

Ryan Mealy (Monmouth) picked up another victory on the mound last week. The righty was able to grind through the longest outing of his young career, going six strong innings and only allowing two earned runs. It was a monumental victory for Mealy and the Hawks, marking their first-ever against College of Charleston in CAA play.

At the plate, Navigators returnee Jesse Jaconski (Penn State) hit safely in each of the Nittany Lions’ last four games, including a three-game weekend sweep in Big Ten play at Minnesota. After a 2-for-4 midweek effort against Bucknell, Jaconski posted his first three-hit game of the season in Friday’s 10-4, series-opening win in Minneapolis, hitting his eighth home run, a double and driving in a pair. He also had two RBI in a 15-10 Sunday win over the Golden Gophers.

Todd Clay (UAB) had another week of stellar performances, slugging three extra-base hits including a game-tying, two-run homer in the Blazers’ midweek victory at Auburn. After going hitless in the first two games of a weekend series against UTSA, Clay went off for a 3-for-5 performance with a career-high six RBI, driving in two runs on all three of his hits. His first two hits in the 13-6 win were doubles.

Brody Dalton (St. John’s River State) continued to be one of the best hitters in NJCAA Division 2, collecting five more hits including his 14th round-tripper of the season against Florida State College at Jacksonville. The slugger added a double, scored four runs and drove in three during the Vikings’ 3-1 week. He remained third nationally in home runs following the week. 

Returning to the lineup for the first time in a few weeks, Jack Gold (Pomona-Pitzer) had five RBI and two runs scored while hitting in each game of the Sagehens’ series against Lewis & Clark. Three of his RBI came in Friday’s 20-5 win. He hit a double in each of the first two contests before closing the weekend with his 11th homer of the season. Gold is hitting .446 and leads all qualifying NCAA Division 3 hitters with a 1.108 slugging percentage, while his home run total is tied for second nationally.

First baseman Marc Willi (Massachusetts) continues to make an impact as the first baseman for the Minutemen. He reached base four times with three hits and a walk in last Tuesday’s Beanpot Tournament semifinal against Harvard. This week, Willi reached base four times in a midweek game against Harvard, and he was also 1-for-3 with another walk and two runs scored against Atlantic 10 foe Dayton on Sunday. 

Stonehill won back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday to claim a Northeast Conference series over FDU. Catcher Aidan Sengenberger had a four-hit series, which included going 3-for-4 with three RBI in the opener and scoring two runs in Saturday’s come-from-behind, 7-5 rubber game victory for the Skyhawks. Center fielder Sam Parks finished with three RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.

The Navigators will return to historic Fraser Field and the NECBL for their 18th summer collegiate season in 2025, with first pitch set for Tuesday, June 3 against the Northern Division rival Upper Valley Nighthawks. Stay up to date on the latest Navs news by visiting nsnavs.com and following the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.