WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley baseball team jumped to No. 8 in the country as it prepares to host Molloy for the NCAA DII Super Regional this week. The Falcons are the top seed in the region, and No. 17 Molloy is the #2 seed. The best-of-three series starts Thursday, May 21, and continues Friday, May 22. If necessary, a third game will be played Saturday, May 23. All games are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
 
Climbing the ranks
Bentley (42-14) broke into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) national ranks March 24, when the Falcons were No. 30. Bentley was ranked among the top 20 for the first time when the ABCA put the Falcons at No. 19. Bentley's first ever top-10 national ranking was last week, coming in at No. 10. The Falcons are No. 8 in the nation this week.
 
Down, never out
When Bentley lost to Wilmington (Del.), 9-5, last Saturday (May 16), it meant that the Falcons were one loss away from their season coming to an end. With its back against the wall, Bentley beat the Wildcats twice Sunday (May 17) to advance to the Super Regional. The Falcons clubbed six home runs, including two by Stan DeMartinis III, on their way to a 10-4 win that forced a winner-takes-all contest. Bentley trailed 5-0 through four-and-a-half-innings in that decisive game, but the Falcons rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, including a two-run homer by Jake Maydak. Bentley plated the tying and go-ahead runs in the seventh inning. Tommy Bolton notched an RBI single with a bunt, and he scored what stood as the winning run when Nick Pappas belted a double.
 
Ant-man
Keegan Antelman put forth a superhero effort out of the bullpen, refusing to take an 'L' in the final game against Wilmington (Del.). The 2026 All-NE10 Second Team selection worked 5.0 innings and allowed just one run for his fourth win of the season. It was the third time in the junior's career that he pitched 5.0 innings, which remains Antelman's career-high mark.  

All he does is win, win, win, no matter what
Pat Heber won his eighth consecutive start when the Falcons opened the NCAA East Regional with an 11-2 victory over Goldey-Beacom (May 15). Not only was it Bentley's first ever NCAA Championship win, but it was Heber's 22^nd career win – a new Bentley record. Rob Finneran '12 held the previous record (21 wins) since 2012. Earlier this season Heber set the Bentley record for career strikeouts, which was also previously held by Finneran. Heber enters this week with a career record of 22-11 with 277 strikeouts.
 
No brakes, Jake
Jake Maydak hit his first-career home run March 31 against Assumption. From that date onward, Maydak is hitting .339 with eight home runs and 36 RBI.
 
A dime piece
Sam Belliveau became the first pitcher in Bentley history to win 10 games in a season when he went the distance during Bentley's 10-4 win over Wilmington (Del.) (May 17). The All-NE10 Third Team honoree allowed just two earned runs in his third complete game of the season.

Goonan's cannon
Wilmington (Del.) entered the NCAA Regional ranked among the nation's leaders for stolen bases - the team had more than 100. However, the Wildcats had no success running on Bentley catcher Tommy Goonan during Sunday's games (March 17). Goonan threw out five would-be base stealers between those two games, as the Wildcats did not successfully steal a base that day.
 
In the media
Leading into this week's Super Regional, Bentley was featured by WCVB 5 (click HERE). Last week, the Falcons were featured by 7 News WHDH (click HERE).  
 
Lions and Falcons and baseball, oh my
The Lions and Falcons went head-to-head twice earlier this season, with Bentley winning both games in Boca Raton, Florida (March 8-9). The Falcons beat Molloy by scores of 6-1 and 12-4. Sam Belliveau allowed just one earned run through 7.1 innings to earn a win over the Lions, and Ryan Glupe struck out nine batters in his 7.1 innings as a starter to beat Molloy. Stan DeMartinis III, Brendan Sencaj, and Brian Hersh each homered between those two games against the Lions. Curt Heath is 5-for-8 at the plate against Molloy this season.  

All-Region nods
The D2 Conference Commissioners Association recently released its All-East Region Teams, and they're full of Falcons. Pat Heber, Brendan Sencaj, Nick Pappas, and Stan DeMartinis III were named to the First Team. Curt Heath and Jared Berardino were named to the Second Team. Bentley placed the most D2CCA All-Region honorees in the East.

Scouting Molloy (41-10)
Ranked No. 17 by the ABCA, Molloy is making its third NCAA Super Regional appearance in the past five years. The 2026 Lions won the program's third consecutive ECC title, and the fifth in the last six years. Molloy hosted, and beat, Southern New Hampshire and Felician, during the NCAA Regional. Sean Welsh leads the team in hitting (.413), home runs (13), RBI (59), doubles (14), and runs scored (63). Steve Mulqeen has 11 home runs and 51 RBI. Mike Sweeney has a team-high 25 steals while hitting .313 this season. On the mound, Mike Knapp has a 9-1 record through 13 appearances (10 starts) with a 3.55 ERA. All of James Still's 13 appearances have been starts, and he holds a 3.05 ERA through 76.2 innings. He has a 7-2 record. The team's closer, Jayden Patel, has eight saves with a 2.25 ERA.
 
Worth repeating
Broken records are abundant for the 2026 Bentley squad. Below is a list of new single season program records achieved this spring.

Team
42 wins (33, 2025)
522 runs (394, 1996)
493 strikeouts (332, 2024)
 
Pitching
Most appearances
23, Keegan Antelman (20, Jarrod Marchesi, 2007)
Most wins
10, Sam Belliveau (8, two players)
Most strikeouts
98, Zach Eigenbrod (95, Luke Dawson, 2018)
 
Hitting
Most home runs
23, Stan DeMartinis III (19, Mike Hill, 1997)
Most hits
96, Nick Pappas (86, Brendan Sencaj, 2025)
Most walks
49, Tommy Bolton (44, Tim Zupkus, 2024)
Most runs scored
84, Nick Pappas (62, Brendan Sencaj, 2025)
Most runs batted in
78, Brendan Sencaj (68, Mike Hill, 1996)
Stan DeMartinis III has 77 RBI this season