Adelphi's lacrosse, baseball, tennis and golf teams head into action hoping to match last year's powerhouse performances.
While a historic blizzard gripped the Northeast, the promise of another championship-caliber spring was already taking shape for Adelphi Athletics.
No. 1-Ranked Men’s Lacrosse Reloads for Defense of Back-to-Back National Championships
The road to an NCAA Division II National Championship runs through Garden City.
Fresh off winning back-to-back national titles, the became the first NCAA Division II team since 2018 and 2019 to repeat, and the first Panther squad to accomplish the feat since 1998 and 1999, under Adelphi Athletic Hall of Famer . The ‘Cats enter the 2026 season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, according to the .
A new face will stand between the pipes following the graduation of National Goalie of the Year , who ranks second among the University’s career save leaders with 797 saves. A competitive 鈥済oalie room鈥� featuring four contenders is headlined by , a three-time USA Lacrosse All-American whose collegiate journey has included stops at Belmont Abbey College, Keiser University and The Ohio State University.
While the defense sorts out its next anchor, the offense returns its biggest star.
Kyle Lewis: Tewaaraton Watch List Standout Leads the Midfield
Few moments in Adelphi鈥檚 athletic history compare to overtime game winner in last spring鈥檚 . The strike secured the Panthers鈥� second consecutive national crown and etched Lewis鈥� name into program lore.
Now the All-American midfielder enters the 2026 season as the lone Division II player named to the , lacrosse鈥檚 equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. He has also been cited as and headlines a group of .
Women’s Lacrosse Eyes Another Trip to the NCAA Finals
Under three-time national championship coach , has remained the gold standard in Division II. Though the 鈥楥ats finished as in each of the previous two seasons, falling to the University of Tampa in both instances, the program still boasts a national-best .
in 2026, Adelphi has all three of its All-Americans back from a year ago: , and . Now add and to that, and you have a team leading the country with five USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-America selections.
Lionetti was also tagged as the , after earning recognition last spring.
The foundation is in place for another deep postseason push.
Adelphi Baseball Begins New Era as Mike Gaffney Takes the Helm as Skipper
Spring also signals a fresh chapter for the .
The Panthers are turning the page following the retirement of , who dedicated 12 years to the program, including five as head coach. During that span, Ianniciello compiled more than 100 career victories, guiding Adelphi to an NE10 Championship final in his debut season as skipper and an NCAA Tournament bid just a year later, off the heels of a 30-15-2 finish in 2022.
Now steps into the Adelphi dugout with his own pedigree.
As a player, Gaffney was chosen in the 13th round by the Kansas City Royals in 2002 and spent five seasons in the organization, reaching the AA level. He built LIU Post into a perennial power during his managerial tenure from 2014 to 2019, guiding the Pioneers through the winningest five-year stretch in program history, capped by a single-season record of 38 victories in 2019 that earned him ECC and ABCA East Region Coach of the Year distinction.
鈥淢y family and I are so excited to be a part of Adelphi,鈥� Gaffney said. 鈥淔rom my father being a Hall of Famer here to my sons now donning Panther gear, this is truly a full-circle moment for all of us. Our coaching staff will work tirelessly to make this program a success, on and off the diamond.鈥�
His father, , is an Adelphi Athletic Hall of Famer who led the Panthers to a Knickerbocker Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 1977.
Postseason Aspirations: Tennis Hosts at USTA, Golf Builds on Historic Breakthrough
Championship opportunities extend beyond the diamond and turf.
enters the spring unbeaten at a perfect 6-0 against Division II opponents. Later this spring, the team will serve as hosts for the 2026 NE10 Championship at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, home of the US Open Tennis Championships.
After falling short in last fall鈥檚 conference final, the Panthers aim to reclaim both the regular season and tournament titles they captured in .
, meanwhile, continues to build on a historic fall season that saw the program capture its . Just a decade after its inception, the Panthers completed a remarkable rise under head coach , winning the conference crown by 23 strokes and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals this May in Findlay, Ohio.
With a roster that blends award winners and postseason-tested performers, Adelphi鈥檚 momentum shows no signs of slowing.