SHARON, PA – Penn State Shenango Athletics has announced that Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio, will serve as the home of the Shenango Baseball team for home games during the inaugural 2023-24 academic year, and potentially beyond.

The field, which opened in 1999, is a 20-minute drive from the Penn State Shenango campus, and currently serves as the home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the MLB Draft League, who were formerly under the Minor League Baseball umbrella. The team will hold practices at Hickory High School and Neshannock High School, respectively.

Athletic Director Brandon Padgett said of the opportunity, "We are extremely excited to begin our inaugural baseball season, and we could not ask for a better ballpark to call home in our first season of play. I would like to thank Matt Thompson at Eastwood and all of those that helped put this together to make our inaugural season a memorable one."

Head Coach Carmen Nocera echoed his sentiments, "We are extremely happy to have the opportunity to play at this venue in our first season as a program. I hope our team can be competitive and win here. I want to thank the administration for giving us this opportunity."

The Shenango baseball team will operate as a USCAA independent during the first year of the program and will transition into the PSUAC for the 2024-25 academic year. The team currently plans to play one doubleheader scrimmage in the fall at Eastwood Field and 15 games across nine dates in the spring. More information regarding the schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

Coach Nocera's roster currently sits at 29 players, with 4-5 more players expected. Most of the roster includes players from Mercer and Lawrence counties, with the high schools of Hickory, Mercer, New Castle, Reynolds, Sharpsville, Shenango, and many more represented.

For more information about Shenango Athletics, visit www.shenangoathletics.com.