Friday, February 21
Kennesaw, Ga.
4:00 P.M.
Columbia University
at
Kennesaw State
Baseball Opens 2025 Season at Kennesaw State This Weekend
2/20/2025 3:00:00 PM | Baseball
The Lions begin quest for seventh Ivy Championship in last 11 seasons
NEW YORK — Columbia baseball opens the 2025 season with a three-game series at Kennesaw State this weekend. First pitch on opening day Friday from S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field is set for 4 p.m. Saturday's game starts at 2 p.m., followed by the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
"Preseason workouts have gone well," head coach Brett Boretti said. "Guys are excited to get the season going. We are looking forward to the competition."
Game 1 – Live Stats
Game 2 – Live Stats
Game 3 – Live Stats
Columbia's projected starting pitchers (2024 stats):
Game 1 – RHP Andy Leon (2 GS, 1-1 W/L, 1.80 ERA, 10.0 IP)
Game 2 – RHP Thomas Santana (13 APP, 6 GS, 4-1 W/L, 4.87 ERA, 44.1 IP)
Game 3 – RHP Joe Sheets (13 APP, 12 GS, 4-4 W/L, 5.89 ERA, 55.0 IP)
Opening Day
The Lions have notched two opening day victories in the Brett Boretti era, with both coming in Florida. In 2022, Columbia opened with an 8-3 win over Stetson in Florida. Joe Sheets pitched two scoreless innings to close out the win. Columbia's other opening day win under Boretti was a 1-0 win over South Florida in 2014.
A Tradition of Excellence
Since 2012, Columbia leads the Ivy League with 152 conference wins, 11 wins over ranked opponents, six NCAA Tournament wins, and six Ivy League Championships. In that span, the Lions have also produced 12 Major League Baseball Draft selections and have had 18 players in MLB organizations.
Preseason National Recognition
Griffin Palfrey was named to the 2025 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division I Preseason All-America Third Team as a utility player.
Will Parkinson was named to the 2025 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Watch List.
Preseason Polls
Columbia was tabbed to finish first in the 2025 Ivy League Preseason Poll and received all 16 first place votes, as voted on by eight sports information directors and eight media members from around the league. The Lions have never been picked to finish worse than third in the Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll.
D1 Baseball's Eric Sorenson also projected the Lions to finish first in the Ivy League standings.
The Schedule
Columbia baseball head coach Brett Boretti announced the program's 2025 schedule, which features 41 games with 11 of them being played at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium.
"We have put together another very challenging schedule for 2025," Boretti said. "The early weekend trips and the tough midweek schedule will prepare us well for Ivy League play."
The Lions square off with four opponents who reached the NCAA Tournament last season (Oregon, Georgia, San Diego, and Penn).
The Ivy League Tournament is set for May 16-19 at the top seed's home field. The winner will advance to the NCAA Regionals on May 30-June 2. The NCAA Super Regionals are scheduled for June 6-9 with the College World Series slated for June 13-23 in Omaha, Neb.
The Roster
Columbia returns 30 players from 2024's team that went 26-18 and 17-4 in conference play. Just eight players are not returning in 2025. The Lions welcomed 10 newcomers ahead of this season. Columbia's class of 2028 features student-athletes from seven different states (California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, and Wisconsin) along with Australia and Japan.
The 2025 roster returns five of the Lions' six All-Ivy League First Team selections from last year: Joe Sheets, Thomas Santana, Griffin Palfrey, Sam Miller, and Skye Selinsky. Also returning are All-Ivy Second Team nods Eric Jeon and Anton Lazits. Cole Fellows was named to the All-Ivy Honorable Mention Team.
The middle of the lineup is packed with Miller, Palfrey, Lazits, Jeon, Selinsky, and Jack Kail. Anthony Temesvary and Owen Estabrook will do the majority of the catching for the Lions. Sophomore Hunter Snyder adds a lot of versatility on the infield.
Andy Leon, Thomas Santana, and Joe Sheets are the projected starting rotation for the Lions. Pitchers Will Parkinson and Alex Sotiropoulos will be viable options out of the Columbia bullpen. Will Harrigan, Baylor Hicks, and Evan Kleinhans will also see key innings.
The Captains
Griffin Palfrey, Joe Sheets, and Anton Lazits are the program's captains for the 2025 season.
The Coaching Staff
Four-time Ivy League Coach of the Year and the program's all-time wins leader Brett Boretti enters his 20th season at the helm of the Columbia baseball program. Boretti garnered 2024 Ivy League Coach of the Year and is nine wins from his 500th career victory as a head coach. In January, Boretti was named one of the six best college baseball coaches of the last 10 years by D1 Baseball.
Associate head coach/pitching coach Tom Carty and assistant coach Canyon Kyle '22SPS enter their third season with the program.
Assistant coach/recruiting coordinator David Vandercook '15CC begins his second season on Boretti's staff.
A Look Back at 2024
The Lions won their 16th Ivy League Championship after posting a 26-18 (17-4) record in 2024. Columbia tied its program record in conference wins last year and set the program single-season record in slugging percentage (.568), home runs (87), runs (416), doubles (118), runs batted in (391), and total bases (903). On the mound, Columbia set the program's record in strikeouts (360).
In 2024, Columbia led the Ivy League overall in home runs, batting average (.306), runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage, and total bases for the third straight season. The Lions led the Ivy League in on-base percentage (.403) for the second straight year.
The Lions won all nine of their road league games last season for the first time since Ivy League baseball's inception in 1993.
Individually, Skye Selinsky tied the single-season program record with 21 doubles. Will Parkinson set the single-season record in strikeouts per nine innings (14.65).
Series History - Kennesaw State
Columbia is 2-2 all-time against the Owls, splitting a four-game series in Marietta, Ga., in 2014.
Lions Active in the Community
Cole Fellows was named team captain on the second annual Lou Gehrig Community Impact Team. This recognition highlights collegiate baseball players who display a substantial commitment to their community through service, embody the generous spirit and character of Gehrig, and make remarkable contributions to the success of their respective teams. To further Lou Gehrig's legacy & his baseball career that began at Columbia University, Phi Delta Theta & the Live Like Lou Foundation announced the inaugural team in 2024.
Columbia participated in the 2024 Walk to End Alzheimer's. The event took place on Nov. 16 in Central Park. The Lions walked in this event to help raise awareness and money for the disease.
On Deck
Following the season-opening series with Kennesaw State, the Lions travel across the country for a four-game set at No. 11 Oregon.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on X and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
"Preseason workouts have gone well," head coach Brett Boretti said. "Guys are excited to get the season going. We are looking forward to the competition."
Game 1 – Live Stats
Game 2 – Live Stats
Game 3 – Live Stats
Columbia's projected starting pitchers (2024 stats):
Game 1 – RHP Andy Leon (2 GS, 1-1 W/L, 1.80 ERA, 10.0 IP)
Game 2 – RHP Thomas Santana (13 APP, 6 GS, 4-1 W/L, 4.87 ERA, 44.1 IP)
Game 3 – RHP Joe Sheets (13 APP, 12 GS, 4-4 W/L, 5.89 ERA, 55.0 IP)
Opening Day
The Lions have notched two opening day victories in the Brett Boretti era, with both coming in Florida. In 2022, Columbia opened with an 8-3 win over Stetson in Florida. Joe Sheets pitched two scoreless innings to close out the win. Columbia's other opening day win under Boretti was a 1-0 win over South Florida in 2014.
A Tradition of Excellence
Since 2012, Columbia leads the Ivy League with 152 conference wins, 11 wins over ranked opponents, six NCAA Tournament wins, and six Ivy League Championships. In that span, the Lions have also produced 12 Major League Baseball Draft selections and have had 18 players in MLB organizations.
Preseason National Recognition
Griffin Palfrey was named to the 2025 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division I Preseason All-America Third Team as a utility player.
Will Parkinson was named to the 2025 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Watch List.
Preseason Polls
Columbia was tabbed to finish first in the 2025 Ivy League Preseason Poll and received all 16 first place votes, as voted on by eight sports information directors and eight media members from around the league. The Lions have never been picked to finish worse than third in the Ivy League Baseball Preseason Poll.
D1 Baseball's Eric Sorenson also projected the Lions to finish first in the Ivy League standings.
The Schedule
Columbia baseball head coach Brett Boretti announced the program's 2025 schedule, which features 41 games with 11 of them being played at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium.
"We have put together another very challenging schedule for 2025," Boretti said. "The early weekend trips and the tough midweek schedule will prepare us well for Ivy League play."
The Lions square off with four opponents who reached the NCAA Tournament last season (Oregon, Georgia, San Diego, and Penn).
The Ivy League Tournament is set for May 16-19 at the top seed's home field. The winner will advance to the NCAA Regionals on May 30-June 2. The NCAA Super Regionals are scheduled for June 6-9 with the College World Series slated for June 13-23 in Omaha, Neb.
The Roster
Columbia returns 30 players from 2024's team that went 26-18 and 17-4 in conference play. Just eight players are not returning in 2025. The Lions welcomed 10 newcomers ahead of this season. Columbia's class of 2028 features student-athletes from seven different states (California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, and Wisconsin) along with Australia and Japan.
The 2025 roster returns five of the Lions' six All-Ivy League First Team selections from last year: Joe Sheets, Thomas Santana, Griffin Palfrey, Sam Miller, and Skye Selinsky. Also returning are All-Ivy Second Team nods Eric Jeon and Anton Lazits. Cole Fellows was named to the All-Ivy Honorable Mention Team.
The middle of the lineup is packed with Miller, Palfrey, Lazits, Jeon, Selinsky, and Jack Kail. Anthony Temesvary and Owen Estabrook will do the majority of the catching for the Lions. Sophomore Hunter Snyder adds a lot of versatility on the infield.
Andy Leon, Thomas Santana, and Joe Sheets are the projected starting rotation for the Lions. Pitchers Will Parkinson and Alex Sotiropoulos will be viable options out of the Columbia bullpen. Will Harrigan, Baylor Hicks, and Evan Kleinhans will also see key innings.
The Captains
Griffin Palfrey, Joe Sheets, and Anton Lazits are the program's captains for the 2025 season.
The Coaching Staff
Four-time Ivy League Coach of the Year and the program's all-time wins leader Brett Boretti enters his 20th season at the helm of the Columbia baseball program. Boretti garnered 2024 Ivy League Coach of the Year and is nine wins from his 500th career victory as a head coach. In January, Boretti was named one of the six best college baseball coaches of the last 10 years by D1 Baseball.
Associate head coach/pitching coach Tom Carty and assistant coach Canyon Kyle '22SPS enter their third season with the program.
Assistant coach/recruiting coordinator David Vandercook '15CC begins his second season on Boretti's staff.
A Look Back at 2024
The Lions won their 16th Ivy League Championship after posting a 26-18 (17-4) record in 2024. Columbia tied its program record in conference wins last year and set the program single-season record in slugging percentage (.568), home runs (87), runs (416), doubles (118), runs batted in (391), and total bases (903). On the mound, Columbia set the program's record in strikeouts (360).
In 2024, Columbia led the Ivy League overall in home runs, batting average (.306), runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage, and total bases for the third straight season. The Lions led the Ivy League in on-base percentage (.403) for the second straight year.
The Lions won all nine of their road league games last season for the first time since Ivy League baseball's inception in 1993.
Individually, Skye Selinsky tied the single-season program record with 21 doubles. Will Parkinson set the single-season record in strikeouts per nine innings (14.65).
Series History - Kennesaw State
Columbia is 2-2 all-time against the Owls, splitting a four-game series in Marietta, Ga., in 2014.
Lions Active in the Community
Cole Fellows was named team captain on the second annual Lou Gehrig Community Impact Team. This recognition highlights collegiate baseball players who display a substantial commitment to their community through service, embody the generous spirit and character of Gehrig, and make remarkable contributions to the success of their respective teams. To further Lou Gehrig's legacy & his baseball career that began at Columbia University, Phi Delta Theta & the Live Like Lou Foundation announced the inaugural team in 2024.
Columbia participated in the 2024 Walk to End Alzheimer's. The event took place on Nov. 16 in Central Park. The Lions walked in this event to help raise awareness and money for the disease.
On Deck
Following the season-opening series with Kennesaw State, the Lions travel across the country for a four-game set at No. 11 Oregon.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on X and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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