La Salle baseball ushers in a new era with 27-10 win over Maryland Eastern Shore: ‘This is almost six years in the making’

It certainly did not feel like baseball weather. Fans were bundled up in coats and blankets and hand warmers were the most coveted item of the day as mounds of snow sat behind the dugouts.

Despite the 35 degree weather, there was an undeniable excitement in the air at Hank DeVincent Field — and for good reason.

La Salle baseball was back for the first time in 1,728 days.

The Explorer program shut down following the 2020-21 season but returned Friday for the first time since May 9, 2021, to face Maryland Eastern Shore. In front of a dedicated crowd braving the cold, La Salle beat the Hawks 27-10 to welcome the program back to the diamond.

“This is almost six years in the making for me and two years in the making in this most recent run,” said head coach David Miller. “It’s just a lot of hard work with these kids.”

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La Salle’s on-field performance certainly left a strong first impression for fans, many of whom were getting their first look at Explorer baseball. They recorded 19 hits, led by second baseman Daniel Perez, who went 4-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Right handed pitcher Shawn Karpaitis threw five innings and gave up one run in relief after UMES tied the game at eight in the second inning.

While the outcome is a bright spot for the program, the atmosphere brought even more excitement.

A major tenet of La Salle’s three-step plan to bring back baseball was getting the field up to Division I standards. The program made sure there was new padding in the outfield and got the scoreboard up to date. The season-opener was not initially supposed to be in North Philadelphia, but issues with UMES’ field moved the first series of the year to La Salle.

And the Explorer faithful were ready to support their program.

Fans filled bleachers behind the home dugout and parents occupied the grass along the first base line.

“There’s a lot of excitement around the program,” said Ed Litsky, father of freshman pitcher Josh Litsky. “I know from a parent perspective there’s a lot of excitement. The coaches and players seem really into it. It’s just amazing.”

The baseball team also got immense support from fellow student athletes. They helped fill the bleachers and the standing area to provide a boost to the players and even offered some heckling of the Hawks.

“Other student athletes on campus were all very supportive today, coming to my office in the morning and wishing us luck,” Miller said. “I know I saw rugby out here, girls lacrosse, soccer and a couple of fraternities heckling a bit.”

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The players enjoyed a chance to usher in a new era of La Salle baseball. Some, like center fielder Chase Swain, had been waiting since 2019 to play for the Explorers, while others, like Perez, followed Miller after he raved about his time at La Salle.

“Coach Miller always talked about [La Salle] at Manhattan,” Perez said. “I knew the program had shut down and he has a lot of good words to say about this program. I knew he wanted to come back here and it sucked that when I hit the portal last year, I probably would have come here if there was a team. It’s just super special to be able to play for him.”

Friday wasn’t about the past. La Salle is excited about its future and a chance to kick-starting a new era.

“It’s a great day for La Salle Athletics and it’s a great day for La Salle baseball,” Miller said. “[The fan support] is Philly in a nutshell.”