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| Cortland will be looking for their 30th straight appearance in the NCAA Playoffs in 2023 Cortland athletics photo by Darl Zehr |
By John McGraw
for D3baseball.com
Region III is among the smallest in Division III baseball. The region is comprised of teams based in New York playing in the Empire 8, Liberty League, Skyline and SUNYAC. One of the smallest regions made lots of noise in 2022 as seven of the region’s 33 squads qualified for the NCAA tournament. While no Region III team advanced to Cedar Rapids, three schools hosted regionals (Cortland, Brockport, Rochester) and two reached the Super Regionals (Ithaca, Oswego). While no Region III players were drafted, RPI’s Hudson Livesey signed as a free agent with the Miami Marlins. The next month, Union’s Jake Fishman, a 2016 D3Baseball.com All-American, made his Major League Baseball debut with the Marlins.
Looking ahead, 2023 sees the region grow by two teams. Medaille moves over from Region 7 to become the Empire 8’s seventh member while Hobart starts from scratch in the Liberty League.
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| Oswego State lost to Marietta in their 2022 Super-Regional. Oswego State athletic photo |
Cortland (14), Oswego (17) and Ithaca (19) are all ranked in the preseason D3Baseball.com Top 25. St. John Fisher, Skidmore and Rochester were among numerous schools receiving votes. Three Region III players were part of the D3Baseball.com 2023 Preseason All-America team, 1st team- Jackson Hornung (C, Skidmore), Noah Campanelli (1B, St. John Fisher) and 2nd team – Stephen Clancy (SP, Farmingdale). In addition, 2022 D3baseball.com All-American Aaron Whitley (OF, Rochester) is back for his senior season.
Previous years, one could pinpoint 2-3 top contenders for the regional crown. This spring, due to numerous graduation losses from senior-laden squads, it will be a Big Apple battle royale featuring a wide-open race for Region 3 supremacy. The usual suspects are still in the mix but no one on paper is bulletproof.
SUNY Cortland, bidding for its 30th-straight NCAA tournament appearance and 37th SUNYAC crown will be among the favorites. Cortland has won at least 30 games every full year played in the D3baseball.com era (2011-present). Route 13 rival Ithaca, fresh off a first-ever Liberty League championship and a trip to the Super Regionals, will also be in the conversation for regional supremacy.
Oswego State has qualified for the last seven NCAA tournaments, with two World Series trips. The Lakers claimed their second league regular season trophy last spring. St. John Fisher has won back-to-back Empire 8 championships and notched seven 30-win seasons under head coach Brandon Potter.
While the four heavyweights have shown long-term staying power, challenges will also emerge from the East and West. Rochester has been a proven force at the top of the Liberty League and fell just short to Ithaca a season ago. U of R finished first in the Liberty League three years in a row (2019-2021) and won back-to-back conference tournaments (2019, 2021). Brockport has the bulk of its team coming back from a 33-win season and an NCAA tournament appearance. The Golden Eagles’ 33 wins were second most in school history. Skidmore won the Liberty League’s East Division last season. The Thoroughbreds boast one of the top players in the region in D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Jackson Hornung.
And that’s just in Upstate New York. Downstate, the Skyline rounds out the region. Recent Skyline champions have shown the ability to compete nationally. In recent years, both St. Joseph’s (Long Island) and Merchant Marine have won NCAA tournament games. USMMA upset nationally-ranked Eastern Connecticut State in 2021. Both Mariners and Golden Eagles are again among expected to be among the contenders on the waterfront.
New Faces
Jake Marinelli, Keuka: Following a national search, Keuka tapped Youngstown State assistant coach Marinelli as its new dugout dean. Marinelli arrives in Keuka Park following a pair of assistant coaching stints at Division I’s Youngstown and Gardner-Webb. He takes over for the recently retired Rick Ferchen who retired after nine seasons at Keuka and 39 years overall as a collegiate head coach. Before moving on to Division I as an assistant, Marinelli was the head coach at NJCAA Mercyhurst North East. The new Storm skipper played collegiately at Division II Mercyhurst and was part of the Lakers’ 2015 World Series participant.
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| Tom Caputo worked in all three division of NCAA baseball before landing at SJLI this summer as their new head coach. St. Joseph's (L.I.) athletics photo |
Trevor Purcell, Mount St. Mary: Purcell left Mount St. Mary College in 2003 as one of the most decorated players in school history. Purcell won two Skyline Conference Pitcher of the Year awards and was twice selected Skyline Conference Player of the Year. He was a four-time all-conference selection in the Skyline and three-time all-conference choice in the Knickerbocker. He graduated with numerous individual career records as well in hits, home runs, RBI, pitching wins, ERA and innings pitched. Twenty years later, he’s now the head coach of the Knights. Purcell, a member of the Mount St Mary Athletics Hall of Fame, was an assistant at MSMC between 2010 and 2018 for Steven Sosler. Sosler, another Mount alum, stepped down to take a position in the school administration.
Tom Caputo, St. Joseph’s (L. I.): Following four years as an assistant coach under Richard Garrett, Caputo is the new head coach at St. Joseph’s (L. I.). Garrett retired after nine seasons in which he led the Golden Eagles to three conference championships and 174 wins. Caputo worked under Garrett for four seasons beginning in 2019. He was the head coach at Division II Dowling (N.Y.) from 2012 to 2016 and amassed a record of 144-99-1. He was a two-time East Coast Conference Coach of the Year. The new St. Joseph’s skipper got his start in the Skyline as an assistant to Keith Osik at Farmingdale State. Caputo played collegiately at Division I Hofstra and went on to spend three seasons with the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks.
Jason Falcon, RPI: Former Salem State head coach Falcon was announced as RPI’s head coach in a release sent out earlier this month. Falcon replaces Keith Glasser who departed in December following four seasons at the helm of the Engineers and nine years with the program. Falcon steered the Vikings to 23 victories and a MASCAC tournament appearance last spring. Prior to SSC, he was a Division I assistant at both UAlbany and Holy Cross. Falcon worked 16 seasons at Clark (Mass.) as the head coach between 1999 and 2015. He also brings considerable summer collegiate experience to the table and was the NECBL’s Manager of the Year in 2007. Falcon pitched collegiately at Western New England and went on to play two seasons in the independent leagues.
Key Games
Cortland at Salisbury, February 17, 19: Two nationally-ranked powerhouses open the 2023 season against one another for the second year in a row. Last year, Cortland won both meetings at Sea Gull Baseball Stadium in a rematch from the 2021 World Series.
Ithaca at Arcadia, February 25: A late February meeting between two programs that made the NCAA tournament in 2022. An early season victory for either could be helpful come regional rankings time.
St. John Fisher at William Paterson and Salisbury, February 24-26: St. John Fisher spends a weekend in the Mid-Atlantic with two games against the powerful Pioneers of the NJAC before closing out with a Sunday single against the preseason number one.
Hobart at Medaille, March 1: Hobart plays its first baseball game since 1995 against the newest member of the Empire 8 in Buffalo.
Skidmore at Catholic, March 4-6: A huge early season series for the Thoroughbreds as Skidmore faces a Cardinals team that reached the World Series last spring.
Oswego at Cortland, March 24-25: SUNYAC heavyweights Oswego and Cortland square off in a late March series that should have conference postseason implications.
Rochester at Ithaca (DH), Ithaca at Rochester, March 25-26: The first divisional weekend in the Liberty League pits the two favorites in the West against one another in a three-game set split between the River Campus and the South Hill.
St. Joseph’s (Long Island) at Merchant Marine, May 6: A Saturday doubleheader on the final weekend of the regular season could decide who hosts the Skyline Conference tournament.
Conference Previews
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| Noah Campanelli was tabbed as a D3baseball.com Preseason All-American. Campanelli is coming off a career year for Fisher, playing and starting in all 47 games. He a batting average of .405 while collecting 43 RBI. In the field, he was just as impressive, finishing the year with a fielding percentage of .967. St. John Fisher photo by Hanlfe Gundogdu |
Empire 8: The Empire 8 is set to party like it’s 2019. For the first time since 2019, the conference will boast seven baseball-playing members. Medaille, located in Buffalo, joins the league after spending nearly 20 years in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC). Other recent additions to the Empire 8 include Keuka (2021) and Russell Sage (2022).
St. John Fisher (31-16) captured its second Empire 8 tournament title last spring and fourth E8 crown overall. An NCAA tournament tested upperclass-dominated team show no signs of slowing down in 2023 with seven position players and three starting pitchers back This from a team that has a 35-3 E8 record over the last two years. Fisher has also finished first or second in the E8 each of the last six full seasons played. The Cardinals are the clear favorites in the Empire 8. Head coach Brandon Potter’s offense looks to return to a form that finished first in the region in runs per game (9.1) and third in on-base percentage (.430). Seven of eight All-Empire 8 first team choices fly back into the Cardinals’ nest. D3Baseball.com Preseason All-American Noah Campanelli (.405, 43 RBI,.519 OBP), a potential two-time E8 Player of the Year, is one of four all-region choices that come back, others are Nick Lemire (.326, 47 RBI, 45 R) and pitchers Connor McHugh (7-2, 2.10, 43 K / Empire 8 Pitcher of Year) and Ryan O’Mara (8-0, 3.75 ERA, 48 K). Additionally All-E8 sluggers Brian Norsen (.300, 9 HR, 55 RBI) and Ben Lavery (.314, 13 HR, 53 RBI) remain on the line-up card. Combine the returning group with several key transfers, the Cardinals appear poised for a three-peat and potentially a deep postseason run.
Elsewhere, Utica (21-18) was one of two teams to defeat St. John Fisher during the regular season and the Pioneers reached the E8 tournament championship round for the second straight year. Utica set a program record with nine all-league choices. While the Pios graduated two of those All-E8 selections, nine position players with starting experience and four regular pitchers are still in the fold. Utilityman Brendan May (.347, 30 RBI, 33 R / 4 SV, 15.0 IP, 22 K) projects be one of the top two-way players in the Empire 8. He’ll swing one of the biggest Utica sticks along with All-E8 boppers Joe Battista (.328, 4 HR, 35 RBI) and Joe Crossley (.352, 27 RBI). The trio was part of an offense that hit .313 as a team and scored over seven runs a game. From the bump, Ryan Cardone (5-2, 3.09 ERA, 44 K / .375, 14 RBI) and James Roeschlaub (3-7, 5.80 ERA, 53.0 IP, 53 K) ate up over 36% of Utica’s innings last spring. They’ll top an improved pitching staff which lowered its ERA significantly last spring. Continued improvements from the pitching and offense should have the Pioneers back near the top of the table.
Tiebreakers were needed to round out the E8 tournament field last spring and just three games separated third-place Russell Sage from sixth-place Houghton. It should be just as tight this time around.
Last spring, first-year Russell Sage (14-27-1) was 9-11 in the league, qualifying for the E8 tournament in its maiden voyage, far surpassing expectations of a new program. The Gators were just a single win away from the league championship series. Leandro Guzman (.307, 24 RBI, 10 DBL) and Andrew Knapp (.277, 2 HR, 26 RBI) both were all-conference selections, both return for the Gators along with five other starters and the balance of the pitching staff. RSC improved as last season went along with 10 of its 15 wins after the start of April, that including a one-run win over St. John Fisher .First-year head coach Anthony Goncavles steered Elmira (13-24-1) to a seven-win improvement and the program’s first ever E8 tournament win in 2022. The Soaring Eagles are looking to continue trending upward with returning E8 Rookie of the Year Brett Warden (.315, 20 RBI, .431 OBP), four other returning starters and all-league reliever David Kruis (3-1, 6 SV, 4.13 ERA, 27 K). A new home field will greet EC in 2023 as well with the team moving to the nearby Holding Point Sports Complex. Keuka (15-19-1) returns an experienced team in 2023. New skipper Jake Marinelli has 21 players back from a team that just barely missed the E8 tournament. Matt Vaccaro (.342, 40 H) and Josh Tryon (.325, 16 RBI) are the top two returning hitters. Spencer Brown (4-1, 4.07 ERA, 48.2 IP, 56 K) was an all-league arm in 2022. Keuka will also look to buoy its line-up with the inclusion of several Division-I transfers.
Houghton (13-25) finished a game back of Keuka and Elmira for fourth. The Highlanders project to bring back all but three seniors. The seventh slot on the Empire 8 line-up card belongs to Medaille (1-24). The Mavericks move over to the E8 from the AMCC. A new conference will also mean a nearly new team with just nine players returning in Buffalo. The 2023 Medaille roster will be bolstered by a large recruiting class which includes more than 30 new players.
Favorite: St. John Fisher
Liberty League: The Liberty League, with the addition of Hobart, is now tied with the Skyline for the largest membership in the region. Unlike the Skyline, the Liberty is broken into a divisional geographic format which will now be slightly unbalanced with six in the West and five in the East. Divisional records shape the standings and again this spring, a crossover series will determine the four conference tournament teams.
The West was best in the Liberty in 2022 with the conference tournament being compromised of all Liberty League West squads. The strength of the conference again lies in the West with veteran teams returning for both 2022 champion Ithaca and 2019 / 2021 champion Rochester. Out East, Skidmore surprised in 2022 and the Thoroughbreds look poised to race back to the top of the standings.
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| Skidmore might not be the team to beat in the Liberty League but Jackson Hornung is coming off a career year with the Thoroughbreds and a summer to remember with the Westfield Starfires. Skidmore athletics photo |
Ithaca (34-14) bounced back after a sub-par 2021 and posted an 18-win improvement in 2022 en route to the Super Regionals versus Catholic. All-American Buzz Shirley has left South Hill, but the Bombers have eight starting position players returning and their top two workhorse starters. Connor Pederson (.377, 38 RBI, 19 DBL), the 2022 Liberty League Rookie of the Year and Matt Fabian (.359, 4 HR, 39 RBI) are among four back that hit .300 or better. Buzz Shirley topped the Bombers at the bat last spring; his spot will be filled by the returning Garrett Callaghan (2021-.375, 9 HR, 34 RBI) who is back as a graduate student after appearing in 33 games for Division I Rutgers last spring. Liberty League Pitcher of the Year Kyle Lambert (6-3, 3.09 ERA, 96.0 IP, 96 K) is the Bombers best on the bump; he’ll again form a 1-2 punch with Colin Leyner (7-1, 3.68 ERA, 63.2 IP, 55 K).Garrett Bell (7-0, 5.27 ERA, 3 SV, 41.0 IP, 42 K) should again see substantial innings from the bullpen.
Another veteran-dominated team will challenge Ithaca in two-time tournament winner Rochester. A near mirror image of their rivals to the south, U of R returns nearly everyone on a team that finished a game behind IC in the West (based on divisional records) and then tangled with the Bombers for the playoff crown. Rochester led the conference last year in overall wins versus league opponents going 16-3. A record 13 U of R players were on the all-league roster; 10 are back on the River Campus. While the Yellow Jackets did graduate their top two hitters, seven offensive starters are back including 2022 D3Baseball.com All-American Aaron Whitley (.347, 5 HR, 21 RBI, .481 OBP), 2021 LL Rookie of the Year John Moses (.294, 10 RBI) and first-team selections Joseph Rende (.306, 6 HR, 34 RBI) and Jacob Matzat (.342, 5 HR, 24 RBI). The biggest returns come on the mound with three first-team all-league pitchers, Nolan Sparks (6-2, 3.10 ERA, 61.0 IP, 61 K), Trevor Van Allen (7-0, 4.15 ERA, 56.1 IP, 47 K) and Thomas Karpishin (4-1, 5 SV, 2.17 ERA, 24 K). Utility player Colby Cruser (2-2, 2.65 ERA, 37.1 IP, 41 K / .298, 2 HR, 11 RBI) will also help boost the staff. Both Ithaca and Rochester have enough talent not only to claim the league championship but also make runs to Cedar Rapids.
Skidmore (23-12-1) went 7-8 in 2021 in a limited-season schedule. The Thoroughbreds followed up by more than tripling their win total in 2022 and finished first in the Liberty League East’s Division. Skidmore’s 23 victories were also its most since 2012. D3baseball.com 2023 Preseason All-American Jackson Hornung (.460, 8 HR, 51 RBI, .539 OBP) turned in a monster season at the plate and powered a Skidmore offense that hit .316 and averaged over eight runs a night. The offense increased its batting average by 50 points from 2021 and stole over two bases a game. Overall, Skidmore brings back six regular bats including Hornung and all-league hitters Trey Bourque (.391, 34 RBI, 50 H) and Brendan O’Neill (.366, 28 RBI, 20 SB). The veteran offense will again be needed but the Thoroughbreds do return their top two arms in Ameer Hasan (6-1, 3.49 ERA, 56.2 IP) and Jack Clark (6-2, 3.73 ERA, 60.1 IP, 47 K) along with lights out reliever Christian Giresi (3-2, 4 SV, 2.81 ERA, 32.0 IP, 30 K).
The Liberty League’s top three is well defined, after that, the picture is cloudier. The middle tier should be a tedious one to transverse for the league’s favorites, especially through the West. RIT (19-19) came within three outs of beating both Rochester and Clarkson in the conference tournament last spring; the Tigers were felled on a U of R walk-off grand slam and a 2-0 late Clarkson surge. There’s reason for optimism in the Brick City with three of four all-conference choices returning as well as two of RIT’s top three arms. Clarkson (12-19) outslugged Skidmore in the league crossover series and bumped off RIT in the conference tournament. Clarkson has always had a solid offense under head coach Jim Kane and this year is no exception with much of the offense returning. Senior offensive pillars Kent Wilson (.349, 28 RBI), Colby Brouillette (.323, 7 HR, 41 RBI) and Caleb Doyle (.300, 5 HR, 16 RBI) should buttress the Clarkson line-up.
Union (16-18) won nine games against conference foes last season then forced a winner-take-all game with eventual champion Ithaca in the crossover series. Seven regular Dutchmen return to the fold in 2023 along with ace Chris Suter (6-2, 3.33 ERA, 48.2 IP, 28 K). Suter went eight quality innings in a postseason triumph over IC. Kobe Mentzer (.366, 21 RBI, .486 OBP), Thomas Parisi (.311, 20 RBI, 8 DBL) and Jono Santos (.298, 7 HR, 21 RBI) will lead the offense. While St. Lawrence (19-16) may not have the horses to compete for a league championship, the Saints showed they could play with anyone in 2022 notching wins over both division winners Ithaca and Skidmore. SLU also posted 19 victories, its most since 2014.
Bard (15-17) also comes into 2023 off a banner year in which the Raptors reached the regional rankings and competed in a knockout crossover series. Bard lost multiple all-conference selections to graduation but still returns 18 players including all-league backstop Jared Toby (.402, 3 HR, 35 RBI) and Jake Stacey (.283, 23 RBI). Toby’s 20 stolen bases were part of a league-high effort from the Raptors who ripped off 113 bags. Bard’s offense will get a boost from the return of Joe Barcia (2021-.333, 9 RBI) who missed last season due to illness; he batted .429 in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. RPI (14-18) enters 2023 as an unknown. The Engineers must replace their top two starters, both of whom graduate transferred to Division-I programs and their top hitter signed with the Marlins. New skipper Jason Falcon will lead a team with six returning line-up regulars, ones he is just getting to know.
Vassar (14-22) could prove to be a thorn in the side of opposing pitchers. The Brewers clubbed 31 home runs and batted .289 as a group last spring. Former all-region swingers Andrew Kanellis (.336, 6 HR, 28 RBI) and Ezra Caspi (.300, 2 HR, 18 RBI) should bulwark the offense that returns intact from 2022. It also includes Adam Talwalkar (.312, 7 HR, 28 RBI), Jaden Millstein (.299, 5 HR, 27 RBI), and Reid Lapekas (.333, 18 RBI 13 DBL). Frankie Murphy (1-2, 2.43 ERA, 37.0 IP, 32 K) and Joe Sabo (2-3, 1 SV, 2.16 ERA, 16.2 IP, 25 K) comprise solid Brewer bullpen. The biggest unknown in the West will be Hobart. The Statesmen return to the diamond for the first time since 1995 under head coach Brad Cook. Hobart will boast a very young roster with 22 freshmen and four transfers. Among the names to watch for Hobart are Ty Gallagher, who hit .372 for NJCAA Division III champion Herkimer last spring and Griffin Snyder (4-3, 1 SV, 34.1 IP), a transfer from Russell Sage.
Favorite: Ithaca
Skyline Conference: Three different programs have scored Skyline Conference supremacy over the last three years – St. Joseph’s (Long Island), Merchant Marine and Farmingdale State. No other Region III league has had that much parity in the conference’s catbird seat. The 2023 season appears no different with several teams vying to be the highest along the waterfront.
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| St. Joseph's (L.I.) is the preseason favorite to win the Skyline but started their season with a loss to Kean in early February. St. Joseph's (L.I.) athletics photo |
In the last three years, no team has repeated as Skyline champion. St. Joseph’s (Long Island) has the tools to do so. However, the Golden Eagles will move forward with a new head coach after the retirement of Richard Garrett. With current skipper Tom Caputo on staff, St. Joseph’s (LI) went 60-42 and 37-19 in league. The Golden Eagles had one of the top offenses in the country last spring having compiled a .359 team batting average, which was third nationally. Seven bats from that line-up remain on Tom Caputo’s line-up card. Additionally, SJLI could field the baseball cleanly and finished ranked second in the region with a .972 fielding percentage. Ryan DeCoursey (.453, 9 HR, 46 RBI, .741 SLG), Paul Gugluzzo (.380, 23 RBI, 21 SB), Phil Krapta (.382, 24 RBI, 30 SB) and John Lynch (.431, 33 RBI, 16 DBL) form a potent offensive nucleus. If the offense can put up a repeat performance, the Golden Eagles will be in good shape. On the mound, Charles Aurendt (6-0, 3.27 ERA, 44.0 IP) projects as the top starter.
Merchant Marine (26-19) topped the Skyline in 2021 and the Mariners on paper have the tools to do so again in 2023. Seven position players including six that batted .300 or higher sail back to Kings Point along with the entire pitching staff off a team that made the Skyline finals in 2022. Joey Zanetti (.385, 37 RBI, .627 SLG, 24 SB) steers the offensive ship for the Mariners and projects to be among the top offensive weapons in the league. Jared Chambers (.349, 34 RBI, .436 OBP) and Jack Millen (.317, 28 RBI, 25 SB) are among the other offensive returnees for an aggressive unit that batted .321 and swiped 110 bases. With the pitching staff that led the league in strikeouts unchanged, the Mariners have both inning eaters and strikeout artists in Kyle Register (4-3, 3.33 ERA, 70.1 IP, 50 K) and Tyler Reistetter (5-3, 4.15 ERA, 69.1 IP, 83 K / .316, 20 RBI). Both the Mariners and Golden Eagles have the offensive firepower to take the Skyline, but pitching could prove to be the difference.
Merchant Marine and St. Joseph’s (Long Island) may have the two best offenses in the league while Farmingdale State brings back the top downstate pitcher in D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Stephen Clancy (9-1, 1.64 ERA, 66 IP, 85 K). FSC also paced the Skyline with a 3.91 team ERA. Two-way talent Jordan Lambert (3-2, 3.86 ERA, 30.1 IP, 28 K / .327, 24 RBI) helps the Rams both at the bat and on the bump. Eight of Farmingdale’s regulars were freshmen and sophomores in 2022, all are set to take on expanded roles. Two of those rising sophomores are Patrick Dallas (.337, 28 H), Justin DiMartino (.309, 15 RBI) and Nolan White (.283, 18 RBI, 3 TRP) all started as frosh regulars as all are now sophomores. Head coach Keith Osik is also looking for a big boost from his incoming freshmen group.
Mt. St. Vincent (26-17) may not have the offensive firepower it had in the past, but the Dolphins will be able to pitch. Staff ace Andrew Geiger (7-2, 2.16 ERA, 79.0, 71K) will challenge Stephen Clancy for the Skyline’s top pitcher. Sean Kennedy (4-3, 3.02 ERA, 53.2 IP) forms the top tossing tandem for John Mueller at CMSV. The pitching will need to rule the day with the ‘Phins having graduated four of their top six hitters. The offense will be a mix of remaining veteran returnees and newcomers. Dom Porto (.350, 17 RBI, 18 SB) and Joey DiNorica (.320, 25 RBI) lead the returning group.
The middle of the pack could be anyone’s ballgame. SUNY Maritime (22-13) has the balance of its starting line-up back and two of four weekend starters. One all-region arm was lost in Niko Concha but Shane Sullivan (3-3, 3.74 ERA, 48 K) and Matt Demme (6-2, 3.15 ERA, 40.0 IP, 33K) will bring experience to the starting rotation . Freddy Forgione (.409, 8 HR, 32 RBI) and Jaden Shea (.354, 44 R, 13 RBI) are the top offensive weapons. The Privateers are also hoping from a boost from a talent incoming group of freshmen and transfers. Mount St. Mary (16-17) was in the playoff hunt until the final weekend of the regular season. New coach Trevor Purcell inherits an experienced team with 17 combined seniors and graduate students. That group includes three returning all-league players in Matthew Borriello (6-2, 2.37, 57.0 IP, 25 K), Jack Goodwin (.348, 14 RBI, 16 R) and Anthony Franco (.469, 11 RBI, 17 R).
For the first time since returning to the Skyline, Manhattanville qualified for the league’s postseason party in 2022. Jeff Caulfield’s Valiants are now looking to build upon that success after a close defeat to CMSV in the opening round. Ray White (7-2, 3.08 ERA, 49.2 IP, 24 K) leads from the mound and five offensive starters all back including the top two hitters in Brian Bornkamp (.402, 37 R, .540 OBP), Joseph McDonald (.320, 13 RBI, 13 SB) Frank Delgado (.345, 13 RBI, .400 OBP). If the Valiants can hold the lead late, Tommy Iazzetta (1-0, 5 SV, 1.27 ERA, 28.1 IP, 24 K) is one of the top closers in the league.
Old Westbury (12-22) and Purchase (11-23) both missed the conference tournament last year. Westbury projects to return six offensive starters but should have new faces among the weekend rotation. Purchase will also look different. The Panthers have just a handful of starters returning and 11 total freshmen. St. Joseph’s (Brooklyn) (9-28) and Yeshiva (2-27) round out the Skyline Conference roster.
Favorite: St. Joseph’s (Long Island)
State University of New York Athletic Conference: The SUNYAC celebrated a banner season in 2022 as three conference clubs won 30 games overall advanced to the NCAA tournament, postseason champion Cortland, regular season champion Oswego and tournament finalist Brockport. The battle between the conference’s “Big Three” should again be fierce in 2023.
The SUNYAC coaches ranked SUNY Cortland (35-12) as number one in the league’s preseason poll. Cortland also was the highest ranked of all Region 3 teams in the preseason D3Baseball.com Top 25. The Red Dragons have won the last two conference tournament titles and 36 overall SUNYAC crowns. Last spring, a senior-laden Cortland squad swept through the SUNYAC tournament before being tripped up at home in the regionals by Endicott. Starting pitcher Anthony Fusco (8-3, 4.06 ERA, 62.0 IP) earned all-conference and all-region accolades last spring. He projects to be the main returnees on a team that has traditionally re-loaded year in and year out. Cortland will have one step up on the competition; the Red Dragons were in action already this year during a January service trip to the Dominican Republic where several games were played.
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| Brockport made it three SUNYAC teams in the NCAA playoffs in 2022 as they made their first playoff appearance since 2011. Brockport athletics photo |
Oswego State (33-13) also had a veteran-dominated team in 2022 that won the program’s second SUNYAC regular season title in five years. Oswego faltered in the league postseason but went on to represent the SUNYAC in the Super Regionals after winning the Ambler, Pa., pod. Skipper Scott Landers followed last season up by guiding the summer collegiate Bourne Braves to a Cape Cod League title. Much like with Cortland, there are big losses to replace; the biggest being the departure of All-American Ryan Enos. Leading the list of returnees will be SUNYAC Rookie of the Year Tishawn Featherstone (.272, 6 HR, 26 RBI). Other all-conference performers projected to return are Jacob Levine (.298, 18 R, 17 RBI) and Jacob Sanders (7-0, 4.20 ERA, 40.2 IP, 29 K). The Lakers have won at least 30 games four times under Landers and have never won fewer than 20. Expect that trend to continue this spring.
While Cortland and Oswego reload, a veteran Brockport (33-11) team could steal the crown. Justin Beach’s Golden Eagles boast 12 returning graduate students, the majority of which filled up the line-up card in 2022. While D3baseball.com All-American and Brockport home run king Tom Kretzler (7-2, 2.07 ERA, 71 K / .367, 17 HR, 63 RBI) has moved on, all-region ace Andrew Huffman (8-3, 2.72 ERA, 72.2 IP, 96 K) returns as do six position player starters. The Golden Eagle offense flies home mostly intact after dinging 41 home runs last spring. All-conference swatter Nicholas Pastore (.338, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 9 TRP), James Houlahan (.388, 31 RBI, 59 H), Ryan Mansell (.331, 3 HR, 30 RBI) and Zach Eldred (.308, 5 HR, 24 RBI) will try to fill the void of a line-up without Kretzler. Closer Matthew Colucci (1-1, 2 SV, 3.98 ERA, 20.2 IP, 26 K) was a first-team all-conference reliever last spring.
A new head coach in the North Country returned Plattsburgh (21-19) to the conference tournament for the first time in 10 years. Sam Quinn-Loeb piloted the Cardinals to a 15-win improvement and a team slated sixth by the league’s coaches posted fourth. Six offensive starters fly back to Cardinal Country including all-league swingers Kyle Cremin (.372, 21 RBI, .471 OBP) and Alex Kornblau (.372, 4 HR, 33 RBI). The pair were part of a resurgent Plattsburgh line-up that bumped its batting average from .266 in 2021 to .306 in 2022.
SUNY Oneonta (13-23) is looking to get back to the postseason after missing out last year. A healthy Sean Liquori (.279, 12 RBI) should help. Liquori was limited to batting last year but grabbed four wins and struck out 35 in 42.2 innings on the bump in 2021. On offense, it begins with Liam Kaseta (.379, 23 RBI) who has paced SUCO in batting average each of the last two seasons. Southpaw Michael Sadowski (2-5, 4.33 ERA, 43.2 IP 45 K) should lead the pitching rotation along with Liquori. The battle for the fourth spot could come down to Oneonta and Plattsburgh; the Red Dragons host the Cardinals of the turf of Red Dragon Field after dropping two of three in the North Country last spring.
New Paltz (14-22) dropped two out of three in a late April series to Plattsburgh and finished a game behind the Cardinals. The Hawks’ nest will feature a mix of something old and something new with 17 returning players and 18 newcomers, 16 of which are freshmen. Jordan Rios (.287, 26 RBI) and Michael Boccaossa (.274, 27 RBI, 27 R) are among the top returning position players. Billy Moeller (4-4, 4.45 ERA, 60.2 IP, 69 K) and Nick Harvey (3-1, 2.78 ERA, 22.2 IP) will be the top returning arms. The Hawks will also have big shoes to fill with the loss of Dean Stalzer who graduated with school single season records in both home runs (13) and RBI (45).
Jordan Basile begins year two at Fredonia (10-24) this year. The Blue Devils will have a slightly different look in 2023 having lost 15 seniors due to graduation. Fredonia did chart a seven-win improvement in 2022 and began the season with a 7-3 mark through 10 games. Kevin Mahon (3-5, 5.50 ERA, 55.2 IP, 41 K) is the top returning Blue Devil.
Favorite: Cortland