Syracuse, NY — The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announced Tuesday the annual All-SUNYAC Baseball Team. For the first time since 2019 two SUNY New Paltz players have been named to the all-conference squad.
The future of Hawks baseball was well served with the selection of sophomore infielder Tommy Kreider and freshman catcher Christopher Sais. Both players contributed mightily this past season, leading SUNY New Paltz in any number of statistical categories. Kreider was named to the first-team, extending a streak of six-straight years of a first-team selection for the Hawks, while Sais was named as the program's first SUNYAC Co-Rookie of the Year pick since Justin Stybel earned the honor in 2016.

"With Tommy at second base, he grinded all year this year," said SUNY New Paltz coach Thomas Seay. "He had an injury early on that kind of hampered him. He came back and all through this season just had quality at-bat after quality at-bat. He was tremendous defensively for us. He's super versatile, found his home at second base and had just a constancy throughout the year. I'm really happy he was honored by the coaches of the SUNYAC as the top second baseman, and Chris was honored to really look for the years to come to have good years for us."

To view the complete 2023 All SUNYAC baseball squad, click here.

To read more about New Paltz's 2023 All SUNYAC selections, continue reading below.

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Second Team:

Tommy Kreider (sophomore, infield)
New City, NY/Clarkstown South HS

Playing and starting in 28 games, Kreider improved in every offensive category over his freshman season. Overall, he batted .365 (third on the team), with an OPS of .894 (second on the team). He made the most of his 104 at bats, totaling 38 hits (third), 27 runs (first), with five doubles and 16 RBIs and was first on the team with a .481 on base percentage. Finishing with 43 total bases in 2023, he also contributed offensively stealing 16 of 17 bases and being walked 24 times.
In SUNYAC play he started 17 of 17 games, hitting .369, landing him in the top 20 of SUNYAC. In his 63 at bats, he had a team leading 16 runs scored and was second with 23 hits, including four doubles. He had 13 RBI along with 27 total bases. He was walked 14 times in SUYAC play and his team-leading 7-for-7 stolen bases landed third in conference play. His best SUNYAC outing was in the end of season three game series against Fredonia. Against the Blue Devils he hit .500, with one double, five RBIs, and four runs scored.

"This year we thought coming in he was going to be one of our impact players," Seay said. "A guy that was going to hit at the top end of our lineup. He's so versatile as a left-handed hitter to bunt for a base hit, square a ball up. He hits with more power than he did last year, and he's really gotten after it in the weight room and gotten more physically imposing. Going into this year, we felt as though he would be an impact player."

Co-Rookie of the Year:

Christopher Sais (catcher, freshman)
Hicksville, NY/St. Dominic HS

Sais joins just Jake Williams (2015) and Stybel (2016) to earn Rookie of the Year honors for the Hawks. In his first season, the Hicksville, NY native ended his inaugural season with a team-leading .370 batting average with an OPS of .885 (third on the team). He started 31 of 35 games and had a team leading 127 at bats and 47 hits, scoring 21 runs on the season. Sais also added four doubles and his three home runs were tied for first on the team. His 26 RBI were good for second on the team and his 60 total bases were good for first. He had a slugging percentage of .472 (third place) and an on base percentage of .413, good for first. His four sacrifice flies also led the Hawks.

"Thought Chris had a tremendous year as a freshman, especially batting in the middle of the order throughout the year," Seay said. "He caught occasionally and did a tremendous job there as well, but as a freshman handling the stress of our conference, handling the length of the season, to have as many competitive at-bats that he did and quality weekends that he did is a true testament to his preparation, his commitment to his craft and commitment to the program."

In his first SUNYAC season, his .369 batting average landed him in the top 20 of SUNYAC hitters. His OPS was a cool .919, while adding 24 hits in 65 at bats, scoring 11 runs with a team leading 18 RBI. He had three doubles, two home runs and two sacrifice flies with 33 total bases. Sais finished with a slugging percentage of .508 in the conference and an on base percentage of .474. In a single game against Fredonia, he went 4-for-5, scored three runs, hit one double and one home run for five RBI.

"We knew Chris coming in was going to be an impact player," Seay added. "You never really know if they're going to be an impact player as a freshman. A lot of that is determined by their one, physicality which Chris definitely has but secondly, it's their maturity… hitting in the middle of the order and being asked to be a producer throughout the year, I thought he handled that admirably and I thought he did some good things for us offensively. He came up with some clutch hits when he needed to. I think those opportunities will be more consistent as he matures as a sophomore and a junior and a senior, but I thought he had the skillset to be an impact player and it's great to see that he had the success in the first year that he did."

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