PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania baseball team returns to Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday for the first time since 2017 in search of its first Liberty Bell Classic title.

The Quakers' matchup with Saint Joseph's marks their third appearance in the championship game, as they defeated Delaware State and Lafayette in the first two rounds to secure their spot. First pitch in South Philadelphia is slated for 4 p.m. and the Red and Blue will occupy the first-base dugout as the home team.

Penn enters the matchup following a string of solid offensive performances last week at Monmouth and over three games on the road at Princeton. The Red and Blue rank third in the Ivy League standings with a 9-6 record and are one of three teams to eclipse 15 total wins in 2026.
 
GAME 34: Penn (15-18, 9-6 Ivy) vs. Saint Joseph's (25-13, 16-2 A-10)
April 21 | Citizens Bank Park | Philadelphia, Pa.
Live Stats

Fan Notice
For fans looking to attend the matchup at Citizens Bank Park, tickets will cost $5 and can be purchased at the stadium's first base ticket windows. Spectators can also park for free in Lot P off Darien Street. Fans may enter the ballpark through the Home Plate VIP Entrance.

The Series
Tuesday's contest marks the 67^th meeting between both schools and the Quakers hold the all-time series lead with a 34-31-1 record. However, the Hawks won the latest two matchups during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, outscoring the Red and Blue 22-13. Over the last 10 contests, both teams have notched five wins apiece.

History always seems to repeat itself as the 2026 title game is a rematch from the 2012 campaign, when the Hawks went on to claim a 6-3 victory to secure their first Liberty Bell Classic title. They also won the tournament during the 2014 and 2016 seasons.

The story between the Big 5 opponents began on April 7, 1947, as the Quakers earned a 14-6 victory in University City.

Players of the Week!
Senior co-captain Thomas Shurtleff and junior infielder Nick Spaventa were tabbed as the Ivy League's Pitcher and Player of the Week on Monday, following their performances last week.

Shurtleff, the conference's reigning pitcher of the week, secured the honor again, after his dominant performance during Penn's 12-0 shutout against Princeton. The Medfield, Mass. native logged a career-high 10 strikeouts and threw seven scoreless frames, allowing only four hits and no walks. Shurtleff's five wins on the hill and 3.14 ERA lead Penn and rank third in the Ivy League.

Spaventa put together another big week at the dish, logging eight hits over the Quakers' three-game set at Princeton. The junior started the series with two hits, two RBI, and a run scored in Game 1 on Friday and drew a walk. During Saturday's doubleheader, he added two hits and two RBI in the opener. Spaventa continued to see the ball well in the final contest, notching four hits and two RBI, including two doubles. The first baseman's weekly selection marks his second honor of the 2026 campaign.

Over the past three weeks, the Quakers have taken home six of the nine possible weekly awards.

At the Plate
Spaventa was Penn's standout hitter last week, registering eight hits, seven RBI, a run scored, and two doubles through four games. The Pitman, N.J. native's .288 batting average leads the Quakers, while his .515 slugging percentage, 29 RBI, and 38 hits rank third, fifth, and eighth in the conference. Spaventa is also tied for second in home runs (6) among his Ancient Eight foes.
 
Co-captain Jarrett Pokrovsky logged a hit or more in all four games last week, finishing the stretch with six hits, three RBI, and five runs scored. Penn's most experienced outfielder is up to 35 hits, 22 runs scored, 14 RBI, and 45 total bases in 2026, while batting .287 at the dish.
 
Jay Secretarski (.286), Ernie Echvarria (.275), and Gavin Degnan (.271) have been seeing the ball well lately, as all three Quakers finished last week with five or more hits.

Ryan Taylor (.242), Gavin Collins (.231), Jack Warner (.221), and Nick O'Brien (.205) are all hitting above a .200 clip entering the matchup with the Hawks.

The Red and Blue's team batting average of .258 ranks in the top half of the Ivy League (fourth) and their 287 hits place third.
 
On the Mound
Shurtleff (5-2) was named the Ivy League's Pitcher of the Week for the second week in a row on Monday, following his shutout performance on the road at Princeton. His career-high 10 strikeouts led Penn to its ninth Ivy victory of the season.
 
The Quakers' other high-volume arms of Marty Coyne (4-4, 3.50) and Jake Moss (3-2, 6.05) were both credited with a loss over the series at Princeton. Coyne's 47 strikeouts rank seventh among his conference foes and Moss' 40 take the 10^th spot. It's unlikely either upperclassman will be called into action on Tuesday, but they remain experienced options.

Freshmen Ben Moulin (1-2, 3.80) and Nick Newburn (0-1, 6.38) have solidified themselves as consistent midweek arms and Moulin leads the duo in starts with six. Pitching coach Josh Schwartz will have to manage his bullpen well on Tuesday as Penn travels to Harvard over the weekend for a crucial three-game series.

The Red and Blue's pitching staff boasts a 5.09 ERA through 33 games played and has recorded 238 strikeouts, which is the third-highest mark in the Ivy League. The unit holds opposing batters to a .275 average and has allowed the fourth-fewest walks (132) throughout the season.

Behind an improving pitching unit, Penn's .973 fielding percentage paces the Ancient Eight, and opposing baserunners should be aware as sophomore catcher Ernie Echevarria has thrown out 10 runners attempting to steal.
 
Scouting the Hawks
Saint Joseph's boasts a 25-13 record so far in 2026 and the best mark among its A-10 competition (16-2). The Hawks wrapped up a three-game set against George Mason on Saturday with back-to-back wins, outscoring the Patriots 32-15. The visitors have yet to lose a series in conference play, and their two losses came against Fordham and George Mason.
 
Head Coach Fritz Hamburg has five hitters batting .275 or better, including Alex Kelsey (.376), Blake Primrose (.361), Richard Beggy (.351), Jason Janesko (.278), and Joey Pagano (.275).

Kelsey leads the Hawks in hits (56) and triples (3), while Primrose has rung up team highs of 49 RBI, 113 total bases, 15 home runs, and 12 doubles in 37 starts. As a unit, Saint Joseph's .288 batting average ranks second in the A-10 and its 48 home runs come in at fourth.
 
On the bump, Luke Parise (5-1, 3.94), Cole Fehrman (3-3, 5.48), and Duke McCarron (2-2, 5.91) have been the Hawks' high-volume arms throughout the campaign. Fehrman paces all arms with 60 strikeouts, but primary reliever Christian Coppola (1-1, 2.10) is right on his tail with 59. Andrew Gaines (3-1, 2.57), Matt Speicher (5-0, 4.43), and Matt Fitzgibbon (1-1, 5.01) have also been relied on heavily out of the bullpen, combining for 84 strikeouts and 86.2 innings pitched.

Saint Joseph's 5.62 team ERA ranks third in the A-10, and the staff has tossed 298 strikeouts, while allowing the second-lowest number of walks (158) across the season.
 
Follow the Action
Fans can keep up with all of the action on Tuesday by following live stats.
 
For the latest on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.