HAVERHILL, Mass. – The nationally ranked No. 13 Monroe University – Bronx baseball team will compete in the Northeast District Championship Series this weekend. The best two-out-of-three series against nationally ranked No. 7 Northern Essex Community College will begin on Friday at 1 p.m. All three games of the series will take place at Haverhill Stadium.

The winner of the series will clinch a berth in the JUCO World Series which will be held in Johnson City, Tenn. on May 23-28.

Below is the complete schedule of the three-game district championship series between the Express and the Knights.

Game 1 – Friday at 1 p.m.

Game 2 – Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Game 3 (if necessary) – Sunday at 11 a.m.

There will be live stats and live streaming video provided for all three games during the weekend. The links can be found at www.MonroeExpress.com/Coverage.

The Express (26-13) earned their spot in the Northeast District Championship Series by capturing the Region 15 title. Monroe - Bronx defeated Suffolk County Community College, 5-4, in the regional championship game back on May 8. In fact, the Express won all three games in the Region 15 Postseason.

The Knights (29-7) qualified for the Northeast District Championship Series by claiming the Region 21 banner. Northern Essex defeated Community College of Rhode Island in the regional final, 6-5, on May 10. The Knights went 3-0 in the Region 21 Tournament. 

Leading the way for the Express this season is Anthony Sanchez who is hitting .420 with nine home runs, just as many doubles, three triples, 45 runs scored, and 38 RBIs. His slugging percentage is at .898. As a closer, he picked up three saves, including the most recent shutdown performance that closed out a 5-4 win for the Blue and Gold in the Region 15 Championship game. Pablo Aquino has tallied six homers, eight triples, and seven doubles. He stole 31 bases out of 34 attempts, while scoring 61 runs and compiling 44 RBIs primarily serving as the leadoff hitter. 

On the mound for Monroe, Adrian Hernandez has tossed two no hitters, went 3-0 during the year, earned two shutouts, and fanned 47 hitters up to this point. Yevian Delgado is 7-2 with two shutouts. He stuck out 47 opposing batters. His latest victory occurred in the regional championship contest as he pitched six innings, only gave up one run (none earned), surrendered six hits, allowed three walks, and struck out three batters to help Monroe win the title.
 
David Castillo is having a big year for Northern Essex. He is hitting .453 with six home runs, five doubles, three triples, 40 runs scored, 32 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases out of 27 attempts. Jaren Megan has hit four home runs, lined eight doubles, and drilled five triples. He has stolen 41 bases out of 43 attempts. He scored 45 runs and drove in 34 so far, plus has a batting average of .379 and an on-base percentage of .510. 

On the mound for the Knights, Jack Kelleherhas struck out 103 batters in 65 innings pitched. His ERA is at a sparking 1.25. He is at 8-1 and recorded a save. Dom Pefine is 6-2, struck out 57 batters in 47 2/3 innings pitched, and has an impressive ERA of 1.51. He also produced two saves so far in 2026.

For updates and results throughout the Northeast District Championship Series, check out www.MonroeExpress.com as well as our social media channels.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe University marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.

For more information about the Monroe Express, please visit us at www.MonroeExpress.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Express), Twitter/X (@MonroeExpress), Instagram (@MonroeExpress), and Threads (@MonroeExpress).