Monica D'Ippolito

Baseball 2/17/2023 9:48:00 AM Rich Bodenschatz, Athletic Communications Volunteer

SUNY New Paltz Baseball 2023 Season Preview

Under the tutelage of fifth year head coach Thomas Seay, the State University of New York at New Paltz has shown improvement during his tenure with the Hawks, even despite two seasons interrupted by COVID-19. Last season's 14-22 overall mark and 6-12 SUNYAC record inched the program forward toward future success and with a re-built roster which includes 17 new members, SUNY New Paltz feels confident about its postseason chances in 2023.

"Overall, our team just wants it a lot more than in the past," said Hawks graduate student and captain Michael Boccarossa. "A five-year drought from being in the playoffs has just motivated everyone to be the best player that they can be and the young guys coming in just have a lot to prove. We're a young team this year, but we have really high expectations for what we can accomplish."

With 21 players returning from last season's campaign, including Boccarossa, SUNY New Paltz can look to some veteran experience for improvement and move them back into the SUNYAC postseason.

"Being here for my fifth year and leading this team the best I can, I know that nothing is going to come easy for us," Boccarossa said. "I try to tell that to the guys every day is work as hard as you can every day. Coach Seay brings up bringing your 100 percent every day and that's what I try to stress to the team too. It's not about one guy, or one pitch or one play, it's about the course of a whole year and we have to stay strong together. For me it's just been a pleasure to be back and I've had unfinished business since I've been here and I can't wait to see what happens this year."

Gallery: (2-15-2023) Baseball Preseason 2023

Returning behind the plate are three seniors, Dillon Ristano (Woodmere, NY), Justin Harvey (Nesconset, NY) and Adam Webber (Buffalo, NY) with the latter seeing time at first base after coming off shoulder surgery last saeson. Ristano was second on the team with 155 catches, with 130 putouts and a field percent of .987.

The graduation of First-Team All-SUNYAC and All D3 Baseball & ABCA Region III Dean Stalzer will be a big hole to fill in the infield and in the lineup. Three veterans return for the Hawks: Boccarossa (Port Chester, NY) returns after hitting .274 in 117 at bats, with 32 hits, 27 runs and 27 RBIs and a field percentage of .919; sophomore Tommy Krieder (New City, NY) hit .310 with 22 hits, 12 runs and seven RBIs, going 7-for-8 on stolen bases and fielding .973 percent; sophomore Ryan Mackle (Toms River, NJ) batted. 237 with 30 hits, 15 runs and 15 RBIs and a team leading 10 doubles while fielding .959 percent.

"Dean has been a great player for us over the course of his career and it's hard to replace a bat like that, but all the veteran guys and the young guys that we have are all going to pull the weight that we need to to step up and replace that and hopefully do some more damage in the batter's box all year around," Boccarossa said.

Baseball 2023 schedule main story graphic

SUNY New Paltz's outfield looks solid with returning juniors Jordan Rios (Deer Park, NY) and Justin Ortiz (Middle Village, NY). Rios and Ortiz landed in the top five of all 14 offensive categories for 2022 while fielding .989 and 1.000 respectively. Vying for a third outfield spot are two transfers: Mike Ascanio (Armonk, NY, SUNY Plattsburgh) and Alex Oulette (Middle Sackville, Nova Scotia, Sullivan CC).

The Hawks return nine members of last season's pitching staff, led by two workhorses, graduate students Billy Moeller (Mahopac, NY) and Bobby Ramsey (Holtsville, NY). Meoller led the staff with four wins in 2022. Joining them are senior Nick Harvey (Nesconset, NY) who earned three wins with a 2.78 ERA after coming back from an injury plagued start; Junior James Trink (Ronkonkoma, NY) with two wins; sophomore Dominic Schuch (Port Jefferson Station, NY); junior Anthony Abraham (Yonkers, NY); seniors Connor Olson (Monroe, NY), James McGovern (Goshen, NY) and Nick Zangara (Staten Island, NY).

"I think that's the strongest part of our team right now is our veteran pitching staff," Boccarossa said. "Bobby, Billy, Trink and Nick coming back this year, they're going to be the strength of our team. With a young infield and outfield, I think that having older guys on the mound will help us out tremendously and the expectations are through the roof for them this year."

In addition to their transfer students, Seay brought in 14 talented first year players. Hoping to make an impact in their first season are: Xavier Zykoff (Poughkeepsie, NY) an all star pitcher and outfielder whose grand slam in the NYS Class B semifinals led Spankenkill on to the NYS Class B title; Nathaniel Perez (Mamaroneck, NY) an All Section outfielder; Matt Sarni (Levittown, NY) an All County infielder and pitcher whose 11 inning 1-0 shutout led his MacArthur team into the Nassau County Class A semifinals; All League infielder Garrett Grathwohl (Mattituck, NY); right handed pitcher Shane Linett (Merrick) who helped lead his Calhoun team to the Long Island Class A championship; outfielder Pierson McGinnis III (Montgomery, NY) whose JFK Catholic Prep went to the NYCHSAA semifinals; Fabian Apicello (Howard Beach, NY) a PSAL All Star who batted .651 with 28 hits, 30 runs and 27 stolen bases in 14 games in his senior season at Scholars Academy; Kingston Freeman All Star infielder Chris Thorne (Milton, NY) out of perennial Hudson Valley power Marlboro Central HS.

Nine Innings with Dean Stalzer Main Story Image

Another PSAL All Star is pitcher/outfielder Robert Gregory (Whitestone, NY) who pitched a 1-0, seven strikeout playoff win while hitting .500 with 23 hits, 18 RBIs in 16 games for the Bayside Commodores; Nico Batkay (Hopewell Juntion, NY) an All League, All Section, All County and PoJo News "Players to Watch for 2022" infielder; his teammate at John Jay-East Fishkill, pitcher Jeff Lundstedt (East Fiskill, NY); All League pitcher Burke Sheehan (Centereach, NY); Longwood HS pitching mainstay Liam Ryan (MIddle Island, NY); catcher Christopher Sais (Hicksville, NY), who helped power his St. Dominic's squad back into the NYCHSAA playoffs in 2022.

All the preseason practice and training and blending of old and new talents comes to fruition with a challenging start to the 2023 season. The Hawks will be on the road for their first 14 games, starting with a three game weekend trip on February 18-19 to Newport News, VA to take on 2022 NCAA DIII participant Christopher Newport University. Heading further south to North Carolina the following weekend SUNY New Paltz will take on Elmira and Alfred State at the historic Bull Durham Stadium followed by a Sunday game at the USA Baseball National Training Complex against William Peace University. Away games against Mt. St. Mary College at Dutchess Stadium, Centenary (NJ) University, Purchase College and Kean University complete the Hawks early season travels before entering conference play March 24 in the three-game series against Brockport.

SUNY New Paltz has a tough three-week stretch, taking on the upper echelon of the SUNYAC to begin conference competition, as matchups against SUNY Cortland and Oswego State follow, but the Hawks feel confident for the challenge and pull an upset to position themselves in the playoff hunt down the stretch.

"We know the SUNYAC is a very talented conference across the country," Boccarissa said. "Teams like Cortland, Oswego and Brockport are always going to be hard to beat, but with this new group of guys we have a new energy and I think anything is possible for us. The expectations are endless and this group is capable of a lot. We just have to build some confidence and believe we can achieve what we want to."

SUNY New Paltz kicks off its season Friday in a doubleheader against Christopher Newport at 12 p.m.

Season Preview Featuring Michael Boccarossa

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