Archbishop Carroll baseball knows where it stands.
Coming off a treacherous 2024 season in which the club went just 1-11 in Philadelphia Catholic League play, good enough for dead last in the CL, 2025 looks to be another year of growth for a Patriots club with some new faces and some veteran ones.
The headline heading into the campaign, however, is, without a doubt, first year head coach Pat Dunn. Dunn, who played for Division III Gwynedd Mercy University, also coached for the Griffins while spending time with PA Rebels and Boys Latin Charter. Dunn will look to bring a new jolt of energy to a Carroll club looking for change following two straight lackluster seasons in 2023 and 2024.
“It’s obviously early in the season,” said Dunn following a scrimmage against Germantown Academy on Monday. “We’re working really hard each and every day and we’ll have these guys back out there and ready quite soon.”
The last time the Pats made the PCL playoffs was 2023, a season in which the club fell to seventh-ranked Cardinal O’Hara during a first round play-in game in Springfield as the 10 seed. This year’s Carroll team is one that has the potential to shave that record away.
“Yeah, we’re looking good,” said senior shortstop Jaylyn Tidwell. “Practices have looked good. We’re working through some of the kinks and it just felt great to get back out there on to the field.”
The talent the Patriots have coming into 2025 took a big hit in the offseason with the loss of Duke University commit Bennett Bishop. Bishop was lost in the offseason with an injury that looks to keep him sidelined all season. The 6-foot-4-inch,165 lb. southpaw persistently put up high numbers on the radar guns, hitting 83 mph as a freshman a few years back. Bishop shined in fall ball before going down and will look to be the driving force of the Patriot’s ball club in 2026.
The second of the Patriot’s big additions came in the form of right fielder Gavin Moore. Moore, a junior transfer from Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School, is another Division I commit; he’ll be headed to Mount St. Mary’s following 2026. The 5-foot-6-inch righty with a cannon for an arm has already proved to be a stalwart in right field, racking up a few hits in preseason work while also showcasing his relay ability in the outfield.
Moore looks to sit in the third spot in the Carroll batting order, sitting to protect Tidwell. Tidwell, the 6-foot-3-inch, 215 lb. infielder, has been a cog in the field and the lineup for Carroll for a few years now. He’ll be heading to Division II Erskine College (SC) this summer after capping off his final season for the Patriots. Tidwell gives the Patriots a good amount of experience and no lack of talent at the center of their infield. Typically topping off in the mid-80s as far as infield velo goes, there won’t be many hits getting dug out against Carroll in 2025.
“We really like what we have coming into the year,” said Dunn. “We line up well and there is a great mix of returning talent and younger guys we’re looking to see step up. Obviously a few positions up for grabs defensively but there are good battles to be had.”
As far as the rest of the infield goes, there aren’t too many questions aside from third base. Senior Dylan Burns will hold down second base while Matt McGaughey should have first base taken care of when he’s not dealing on the bump. When he is, fans should expect a heavy dose of sophomore Colin Moran, who has absolutely raked in the preseason for Carroll after a standout year on JV.
As for the hot corner, Dunn and company have tried a plethora of options, all with their respective pros and cons. Freshman Shane Panichi seems to be leading the pack in the race. He’s looked good with a few nice plays on relays to first and a couple base knocks. The other option who has shown promise is sophomore Max Barnes. Barnes, who also has thrown a few nice innings for Carroll, doesn’t seem to have the arm for third but has a valuable bat that the Pats will look to fit into the lineup where they can. The third and somewhat most feasible option looks to be Moran, who can be expected at third when Matt McGaughey is holding down first base.
“The whole offseason I was getting ready to be the number two,” said McGaughey. “Me and Bennett were going to be a strong one-two punch. But we all know what happened and that’s a big hit to the pitching staff, obviously, and I’m going to have to throw a lot more innings and ice my arm a lot more than I did last year. It’s going to be about keeping my shoulder healthy is going to be the biggest key to my success.”
Catcher Dan McNally can be expected back behind the plate soon, although he didn’t appear in any preseason contests for Carroll. The junior has been one of the most reliable backstops in the PCL for a few seasons now and will look to continue that streak in 2025. For the time being, however, freshman Ryan McGaughey will continue to fill in admirably for the Pats at the dish.
In the outfield things are pretty much cemented as well, with a veteran group out there anchored by senior Drew Mulligan in center field. The Pats leadoff hitter will look to continue to be one of the most reliable names on the roster in the field and on the mound. Juniors Moore and Nick Gilory will hold down right and left field for Carroll while more ‘26s in James Davin and Chris Sponburgh fill in the outfield positions as Moore and Mulligan take to the mound.
“You guys have put in a lot of work,” said Tidwell. “They are proving themselves and we’re really having a good time with seeing who is going to fit in where so when we do get to PCL and regular season time we know what we want to throw out there whether it be on the mound or in the field.”
Matt McGaughey, Mulligan, and senior Mark Fohner are expected to line up the starting rotation for the Pats. Though Matt McGaughey has still yet to appear on the bump this season, the lanky right hander projects as the club’s ace and should be able to take the ball every three to four days.
Mulligan, Moran, and Fohner will cap off the rotation, although they shouldn’t be expected to go as deep into games.
When the time comes to dip into the pen, names like Barnes, Moore, sophomore Aaron Schreiber and even Tidwell will pop up. Instead of having specific jobs in relief, Dunn looks to work his bullpen more situationally, highlighting specific players for roles that fit their style best. For example, some may see a Tidwell appear on the bump at times in late game situations where his glove won’t be needed as much.
Though seniors and vets look to carry the team in 2025, it’s no secret that a plethora of players are coming up through the ranks looking to steal spots. At the end of the day, it’s clear this Carroll team is in the heat of a rebuild and this season will undoubtedly prove just how far along they are. With a new skipper, a strong troop of seniors and juniors, along with an intriguing group of young players, Carroll has a chance in the always competitive Catholic League to return to relevance.
“I think we can accomplish anything,” said Tidwell. “Shoot, we can have an undefeated season. We just have to play our game, hit well, pitch well, do it all and have a good seven innings. We just need to do what we have to do.”
Carroll gets the season underway Friday at 4 PM in Radnor against Germantown Friends School. They’ll then take on Friends Central and William Penn Charter next week before taking on defending league champion La Salle College High School at Carroll on March 26 to open the Catholic League season.
