East Stroudsburg Fall Report: The Pitching & Defense Formula for a Repeat World Series Run

Following a breakthrough 2025 campaign that delivered the program’s first Atlantic Region crown and a debut trip to the World Series, the East Stroudsburg Warriors are eager to defend their standing on the national stage in 2026.

East Stroudsburg Returning Production: See all teams by joining our Patreon: patreon.com/diviibaseball

Reaching those heights again requires navigating significant roster turnover, as the Warriors must fill the void left by a lineup that fueled a 41-16 record. The most glaring absence is Jack Rothenhausler, whose walk-off grand slam secured the team's lone victory in the World Series. Rothenhausler posted a slash line of .328/.458/.623 with 11 home runs and 72 RBI a year ago.

The lineup also loses the big bat of 3rd-Team All-American Dennis Pierce, who finished with a .368 average, 19 homers, and 67 RBI.

Instead of searching for one-to-one replacements for those stars, the coaching staff is banking on the collective development of their experienced returners. "We return 7 starters on Offense and 3 of 4 conference starters on the mound," noted Head Coach John Kochmansky, now in his 19th year at the helm. Kochmansky is confident in the arm talent available, adding, "We also return 6 major bullpen arms, 5 of which threw 25+ innings."

Offensively, All-PSAC East Second Team selection Shanley Wall is a key piece of the return offensive core. He hit .328 in 189 at-bats and was ranked 5th in the conference with an impressive 5% strike out rate. Also on the list of returners is outfielder Chaise Albus, who in 128 at-bats hit .344 with 9 doubles and 31 RBI.

First baseman Parker Frey, named to the ABCA Atlantic Region All-Defensive Team, returns after a strong campaign where he hit .345 in 197 ABs with 16 doubles and 46 RBI. Up the middle, All-PSAC East Second Team second baseman Walker Zampella in 175 at-bats hit .269 and was ranked 2nd in the conference in stolen bases with 35 bags. Rounding out the infield returners are shortstop Easton Albert, who hit .317 in 82 at-bats with 5 doubles and 16 RBI, and catcher Connor Reilly, who in 111 at-bats hit .243 also with 5 doubles and 16 RBI.

On the mound, the Warriors bring back ABCA/Rawlings All-Atlantic Region Second Team selection Ryan Dewees. The right-hander finished 8-3 with a 5.04 ERA in 69.2 IP and was ranked 4th in the conference in wins. Joining him is Ethan Woods, who went 5-2 with a 2.19 ERA in 49.1 IP. Weekend starter Payton Brannock also returns, coming off a season where he went 7-3 with a 4.26 ERA in 57.0 IP.

The bullpen remains a strength with All-PSAC East First Team selection Jake Albert, who went 4-2 with a 4.58 ERA in 39.1 IP and posted a strikeout rate of 23.2%. Cole Dymek returns after going 5-0 with a 3.55 ERA and struck out 40 batters in 38.0 innings. Additionally, Ryan Cavanaugh brings experience to the staff, having gone 3-1 with a 4.56 ERA in 25.2 IP and posted a strikeout rate of 21.4%. Johansel Brito also returns after setting the program appearance record with 29 outings last season.

On defense, the team returns a large portion of the side of the ball that led to their conference-best and tied 4th-best nationally .978 fielding percentage.

The Warriors have a challenge in 2026 right out of the gate, opening up with another team that made the World Series in Felician. They have bolstered their roster with significant additions. Key newcomers include transfers Cade Davis (George Washington - 4-1 with a pair of saves over 40 IP) and Evan Hughes (York), the latter of whom was an All-MAC Commonwealth First Team selection after posting a 4.13 ERA over 65.1 IP. The offense had a few adds from the portal in the summer. First, it’s outfielder Brayden Hubbard (D1 Lehigh), who didn’t play in 2025 but had a .354 on base percentage in 100 plate appearances in 2024. Infielder Zander Condeelis joins from Canisius (didn’t play), but was a Top 200 player in the state of Pennsylvania in his grad class according to Perfect Game. Lastly, and most notably, is Cole Serfass from PSAC foe Mansfield, who hit .348 with two home runs and was an All-PSAC East Second Team selection.

With an injection of high-potential talent joining an established foundation of returning veterans, the 2026 season marks the beginning of a new chapter as East Stroudsburg aims to defend its regional title in what is shaping up to be yet another stacked conference in the PSAC and Atlantic Region. If you value this in-depth, non-paywalled coverage of D2 Baseball, please consider supporting our independent reporting efforts. Your contribution helps us continue providing free access to all our articles without relying on restrictive paywalls. To support our work, please visit our Patreon page: patreon.com/diviibaseball