WEST CHESTER, PA — The West Chester University Golden Rams baseball team will open their 2026 campaign this Saturday, February 21, with a four-game weekend trip to Fairfax, Virginia.
The Golden Rams begin the season with a doubleheader against Saint Anselm College on Saturday, followed by another twin bill Sunday against Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The following weekend, West Chester travels to Cary, North Carolina, for a four-game slate before returning home to host Chestnut Hill College in its home opener March 3 at Serpico Stadium.
Conference play begins March 20 when the Golden Rams welcome Mansfield University for their first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup of the season. The regular season is scheduled to conclude May 1.
West Chester enters the year with momentum following a 35–17 (.673) campaign in 2025, including a 17–11 mark in conference play. The Golden Rams advanced to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament before being eliminated by East Stroudsburg University.
Expectations remain high heading into 2026. In the PSAC preseason coaches poll, West Chester was selected to finish third in the PSAC East. Nationally, the program continues to receive recognition. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) included the Golden Rams among teams receiving votes in its NCAA Division II Preseason Top-25 poll. West Chester also checked in at No. 30 in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Preseason Top-30 rankings and was slotted fourth in the NCBWA Atlantic Region Preseason Poll.
Under head coach Mike LaRosa, the Golden Rams have positioned themselves as one of the conference’s most consistent programs. Since assuming head coaching duties in 2021, LaRosa has compiled a 166–72 overall record. A former Golden Ram standout from 2002 to 2005, LaRosa earned NCAA Division II National Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2003 and later was inducted into the West Chester University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
With national recognition and strong regional expectations, the Golden Rams enter 2026 aiming to build on last season’s postseason appearance and contend once again in the PSAC and beyond.
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