Newburgh, N.Y. – Steve Sosler '99, who has led the Mount Saint Mary College Baseball team for the last 13 seasons, has announced he is stepping down from the role to assume the Director of Major Gifts position at Mount Saint Mary. Athletic Director Drew Brown announced Monday that Trevor Purcell '03 will take over the program beginning in the 2022-23 academic year.

Sosler, who took over the program in 2010, recorded 187 victories at the helm and guided the Knights to the Final Round of the Skyline Conference Championship in 2017. Following a 22-12-1 showing in 2018, including a 13-5 mark in Skyline Conference play, Sosler was named the Skyline Conference Coach of the Year.

"I first want to thank all the players who have come through the program. I hope that you have learned from me as much as I have learned from you. Thank you to the administrators I've worked under and staff I've worked with. This department has been a great team for a long time. I also want to especially thank all my assistant coaches over the years. I couldn't have done it without you guys," stated Sosler.

He continued, "The program couldn't be in better hands! Trevor is a great pick to guide and lead this great group of young men. I can't wait to watch this team grow and compete."

Said Athletic Director Drew Brown, "Steve has represented Mount Saint Mary College and the baseball program with class for more than two decades. I can't thank him enough for all he has done for Mount Athletics over the years. We are all looking forward to working with him in his new role where we know he will thrive as he has done so leading our baseball program for all of these years. We wish Steve all the best in this next chapter of his life and career."

Purcell, one of the finest players to ever play at the Mount, takes over the program and becomes the third straight alum to take charge of the Knights. Purcell played at the Mount from 1999-2002 as a two-way player and produced a .393 average in 151 games played. Purcell holds the program record for career hits with 216, career triples with 32, runs scored with 161, RBI with 150 and career slugging percentage at .639.

On the mound, Purcell worked to a 2.57 earned run average over 262.2 innings pitched holding a 22-12 record with 173 strikeouts. In the Mount Saint Mary record book, Purcell holds the program standard for wins, earned run average and innings pitched.

With his success on the field as a Knight, Purcell was named the Skyline Conference Rookie and Pitcher of the Year in 1999, the Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-Conference in 2000, the Skyline Conference Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002 and First Team All-New York Region in 2002. Purcell was inducted into the inaugural Mount Saint Mary Hall of Fame Class in 2012.

"It is a great honor to be named the next Head Coach of the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team. Our program has a dedicated alumni base and is built with a standard of excellence. I plan to continue to develop our players both on and off of the field during their MSMC college experience," said Purcell upon his appointment.

"Trevor has been an integral part of our team and the Mount community for many years. His experience as a former assistant coach and administrator here, combined with his passion for MSMC as an alum and Hall of Famer that is second to none made this an easy choice. I am confident that our baseball program is in excellent hands and looking forward to seeing Trevor build on an incredibly strong foundation for years to come," said Brown on the appointment of Purcell.

With coaching experience at nearly every level of baseball, Purcell spent the 2022 season as the head coach of the Newburgh Free Academy modified team.

At the collegiate level, Purcell served as Sosler's assistant at the Mount for nine seasons from 2010-18 before taking on his role in Athletic Administration. Purcell served as an assistant varsity coach at his High School Alma Mater, Valley Central, from 2004-09 and has served as head coach with the Taconic Rangers of the HVCBL since 2012.

Still an avid player, Purcell currently plays from the New York Mariners of the Dutchess County MSBL.

A 2003 graduate of Mount Saint Mary with a degree in Public Relations, Purcell resides in Newburgh with his wife Melissa and the couple's two daughters Peyton and Emily.