NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Never before has a State University of New York at New Paltz baseball team had so much talent across the board. An exciting brand of baseball awaits the Hawks in 2011, as they seek not only a berth in the 2011 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Baseball Tournament, but also a conference championship, which would be the first in program history.

New Paltz last made the SUNYAC Tournament in 2001 when it earned the No. 2 seed. Two losses to SUNY Oswego, however, ended its run that year, and a spot in the annual championship tournament has eluded the Hawks ever since.

Led by the SUNYAC Coach of the Year, head coach Matt Griffiths, New Paltz achieved an 18-18 overall mark last season and went 4-8 in SUNYAC play. While they hauled in awards last year—sophomore Thomas Pinnola (North Babylon, N.Y.) was named the SUNYAC Clark Whited Rookie of the Year to add to the squad's two All-SUNYAC selections—Griffiths said that they did not quite get it done in league play.

"You have to play well in the second half of the year," Griffiths said. "Good teams always finish. They don't just finish games, but seasons, too. We started off hot last year and ran into injury problems. But, when there are injuries, you have to find another way. We didn't find a way to do that last year."

With a roster that features eight college transfers and eight freshmen, all of whom boast copious amounts of big-game experience, Griffiths has high expectations for 2011.

"Our goal is to win a championship," Griffiths said. "Since day one, that's our goal. We have the talent, but we understand that it's the mental part that will win us a championship. We've talked all year about playing our game. It's a kind of a game that's based on execution and hustle. It's the idea that every opponent is faceless, and when we do it, we can beat anybody. That's one thing you can control. You can choose to play the same way everyday and execute and play right. You can't control who the opponent is."

Griffiths' team will feature a number of steady arms, and the starting rotation is as good as any has ever been in the history of the program. Leading that rotation is sophomore Chris Chismar (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), who struck out 20 batters in a 2-1 walk-off win over Oswego on April 19 of last season and finished 2010 ranked second in NCAA Division III in strikeouts per nine innings (12.86).

"Chris gives us consistency," Griffiths said. "We expect him to be our leader on the mound. What's made Chris good is his ability to throw first-pitch strikes. If he has a similar season to last year, we will be happy."

Beyond Chismar, his rotation also includes sophomore Michael Pinnola (North Babylon, N.Y.), a returning starter, and junior John Schmidt (East Islip, N.Y.), a transfer from NCAA Division I Farleigh Dickinson University. Freshman Mike Pastorino (Stormville, N.Y.), a left-hander, rounds out the remainder of the starting pitcher corps.

T. Pinnola, the reigning conference rookie of the year, helps bolster a deep bullpen. Junior Timmy Chelius (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) is a backbone of the bullpen and will continue to be relied upon all season. Freshman Chris Pyz (Kings Park, N.Y.) and junior Nick Monaco (Medford, N.Y.) each expect to be solid short-inning relievers, while freshman James McKenna (Bohemia, N.Y.) will start in relief with hopes to crack the starting rotation. Senior Brett Harrison (Merrick, N.Y.) is a starter by nature who can come out of the bullpen, and the team counts on his leadership and experience to develop the younger pitchers. Another dual threat in both the starting rotation and in relief, sophomore Jordan Epstein (Port Washington, N.Y.) aspires to make an impact on the mound as well. Finally, freshman Andrew Grann (Oceanside, N.Y.) returns to the bullpen poised to make an impact.

Griffiths said that pitching is the key to being a championship-caliber team, and despite the staff's mixture of youth and experience, he asserts that the pieces are in place for New Paltz to have strong pitching all year.

"We have a good mix," Griffiths said. "We have core guys who have returned and have new guys sprinkled in who can make a difference. You can only go as far as your pitching staff can take you, and that is one of our strengths."

While his arsenal of potent arms is strong, Griffiths also has a stable of elite position players.

"I think [our lineup] is the best it's ever been," Griffiths said. "It's certainly deeper. This year, we have tons of options. We have two capable players at every spot. It's a more dynamic lineup, and there's more we can do on any given day."

Two newcomers will be vying for the starting spot at the catcher position. Sophomore Matt Kaldon (Montgomery, N.Y.) and freshman David Lostaglio (Milton, N.Y.) each have put in the requisite work during the offseason and possess the talent necessary both offensively and defensively to bolster the lineup. Junior Pat Herrington (Schenectady, N.Y.) also is in the mix for potential playing time at catcher.

At first base, sophomore Steve Pinckney (Montgomery, N.Y.) returns, and Griffiths expects another solid season out of him after he enjoyed a successful freshman year. Freshman Doug Marshall (Wantagh, N.Y.) also will be battling for time at first. At second base, the experienced tandem of senior Dylan Franco (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) and junior Chris Paulicelli (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) returns. Franco hit .253 last year with 14 RBI, while Paulicelli batted .261. Junior Paul Merola (Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y.), the starting shortstop, earned Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors last year and reinforces the lineup with sound defense (.933 fielding percentage last year) and offense (.297 batting average last year). The hot corner features junior Mike Marash (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.), who was sidelined last year due to injury but is rehabilitated and ready to return to top form. Sophomore Matt Prescia (Oakdale, N.Y.), a transfer from Mount Saint Mary College, also will compete for time at third base. Both freshman Kenny Gentile (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) and junior Jake Cameron (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) aspire to make an impact on the infield as well, as both show great promise. Filling out the remainder of the group is junior Billy Ruggiero (East Northport, N.Y.).

The outfield boasts two veterans in juniors Mike Sherlock (Liverpool, N.Y.) and Philip Parker (Brooklyn, N.Y.), both of whom have been staples at their respective positions the last couple of years. Sherlock will be counted on for his offensive production, as he hit .340 last year, while Parker carried a .975 fielding percentage in 2010. Sophomore Phil Riccio (Bristol, Conn.) also returns and expects to see time in centerfield. Freshman Jimmy Briggs (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) possesses enough talent to make an immediate impact, and Griffiths envisions him starting in a corner outfield spot immediately. The team also puts a lot of stock in freshman Sean Wachtel (Saugerties, N.Y.), who Griffiths dubs as an "outfielder of the future." Freshman Dylan Babcock (Vails Gate, N.Y.) and Monaco each could see action in the outfield, while T. Pinnola also has the ability to help out as well with his ability as a utility player.

As always, a strong schedule awaits the Hawks, as they will be adequately tested before they reach SUNYAC play.

New Paltz's season opener is on March 12 at the College at Old Westbury, and it visits Purchase, N.Y., to face SUNY Purchase the following day. A March 15 clash with the College of Staten Island will mark the final test before traveling to the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., from March 19-23. While in Florida, the Hawks will square off with Wisconsin Lutheran College, Knox College, Colby College, Otterbein College, Plymouth State University and Western Connecticut State University.

On March 26, New Paltz plays its first 2011 games on Loren Campbell Memorial Field, facing SUNY Plattsburgh in a noon conference doubleheader. After taking on the Cardinals again on March 27, the Hawks travel to Ithaca, N.Y., to take on Ithaca College in a non-conference contest. They then go to Brockport, N.Y., for a three-game set with The College at Brockport from April 2-3 and visit Mount Saint Mary on April 5. From April 9-10, New Paltz finds itself opposite SUNY Oneonta for a three-game series in Oneonta, N.Y., and on April 13, it goes across the Hudson River to face Vassar College at 4 p.m.

The Hawks then have another SUNYAC series from April 16-17, contesting Oswego at Loren Campbell Memorial Field. Two non-conference games against St. Joseph's (N.Y.) College and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice surround a three-game set against SUNY Fredonia, and New Paltz closes out its home slate from April 30-May 1, taking on SUNY Cortland. The Hawks finish out the 2011 regular season at Skidmore College on May 3. If all goes according to plan, New Paltz will be one of the top four teams in the final regular-season standings and will qualify for the 2011 SUNYAC Baseball Tournament, which runs from May 6-8 at the site of the highest seed.

Griffiths welcomes a challenging non-conference slate, as it prepares the team for quality competition within the SUNYAC.

"You have to play tough non-conference games in order to be elite," Griffiths said. "There is nothing better to prepare you than to play good teams because our conference is strong. When you can play opponents who are equal to or better than the teams in your conference, you will get used to playing under that kind of pressure. We try to play up whenever we can in an effort to get better and better prepare us for conference. There is not one doormat in the SUNYAC, and we have to constantly play at a high level and play quality opponents."

All of the hard offseason work has the players and coaches chomping at the bit to start up the 2011 edition of New Paltz baseball.

"We're really excited to get going here," Griffiths said. "We have a committed group that has really been putting work and extra time in. It's going to be an exciting brand of baseball this year."