Lenape Valley baseball embraces youth entering in 2026

With a dedicated and driven mindset, the Lenape Valley High School baseball program is gearing up for the 2026 season.

A new sense of enthusiasm surrounds Lenape Valley baseball this season. The Patriots are scheduled to host Dover on Monday, March 30.

“After graduating 11 seniors, the young Patriots will have its challenges ahead but we look to surprise some people,’’ Lenape Valley coach Kyle Murphy said. “This young group is hungry to make a name for themselves. Our goals are lofty but they will always be to compete for a Conference, County and State title.’’

Key returning players for Lenape Valley include Liam McClung (senior, right handed pitcher), Ben Sumski (senior, outfielder and first base), Robert Kranz (senior, catcher) and Michael Kmec (junior, outfielder, infielder and right handed pitcher).

Promising newcomers include Thomas Crispino (junior, infielder and right handed pitcher), Daniel Santana (junior, infielder), Jameson Kenny (junior, outfielder), Jayden Smith (junior, outfielder and first base), Dominic Errichetti (sophomore, infielder and outfielder), Dylan Kelly (sophomore, infielder, outfielder and right handed pitcher) and Jakob Laurie (sophomore, outfielder).

“We don’t have a large senior class this year but the five seniors in our program have done a great job setting the tone for our team,’’ Murphy said. “They, along with a highly motivated group of younger players have been working hard since the off-season to establish a different culture built around pride and discipline. We’ll look to those seniors to lead by example every day on and off the field.’’

The Patriots collected 11 overall victories last season and advanced to the NJSIAA North 1 Group 1 Sectional as well.

“After graduating eight out of nine starters in the field, we will look to new players to fill important roles,’’ Murphy said. “We look to compete for a Conference title. Newton and North Warren are the two teams that are favored to compete for a Division title.”