All season, Hawks junior Tommy Kreider was setting a new standard.
Breaking individual and single season records, while leading the team to their very first title, Kreider had already made an argument of being the best player who ever suited up for the State University of New York at New Paltz. On Thursday, with the American Baseball Coaches Association announcing its annual ABCA/Rawlings All-American selections, any critic was silenced when he became the program's first ever All-American selection after making the second team.
"After our season it means so much more," Kreider said. "We are the best team in New Paltz baseball history, so this is just another memory the team and I can have to share this crazy season. Hopefully this national recognition can put us on the map more."
Already the program's first two-time first-team All-Region select, the New City, NY native etched his name in the history books once again with the All-American recognition. He joins 75 others across the country named to the Division III All-America list, which includes four teams, and only one of three shortstops named in the top-two teams. He additionally was named as a D3Baseball Fourth-Team All-America selection, adding to his long list of accolades.
After playing and starting in 46 games this season, Kreider led SUNY New Paltz in nearly every offensive category. He set single season program records for runs (62), hits (82), total bases (116) and on base-percentage (.561), while tying the single season record for doubles (19). He finished second in single season history in batting average (.463) and led the team in stolen bases with 21, fifth most in program history. His numbers were also among the best nationally, as Kreider finished fifth in the country in hits and 19th in runs.
Kreider eclipsed 100-career hits early in the season, and sits fifth all-time in hits with 142, 68 shy of the program record set by John DeKams in 2007. His 101 runs are second all-time, two shy of breaking the program record of 102, also set by DeKams.
"Coming into my third year, I was expecting a big year," Kreider said. "Last year, I was first team all-conference, so I knew I could do even better. The biggest difference is I got bigger and stronger. After my freshman season, it showed I was too undersized. So, I had to put more time in the gym. And I was more experienced from how pitchers attack hitters."
The accolade was the exclamation point to a storybook-like season for SUNY New Paltz. Kreider was the most consistent factor throughout, however, as he started the season on a tear. He began with an eight-game hitting streak, while totaling a multi-hit performance in 12 of the first 18 games of the season. He registered three or more hits 12 times during the season, including three four-hit performances including a 4-for-5 day with two runs in a 15-11 SUNYAC Championship clinching game over SUNY Cortland.
"I haven't seen a season like this since Matt Adams in 2010 at Slippery Rock, and he played in the big leagues," said SUNY New Paltz coach Thomas Seay. "I haven't seen a season that Tommy has had since him. Tommy led us in about every offensive category for us, in the SUNYAC and in the region. We had a magical season, but for Tommy to have the year that he had, batting in the two-hole, his success is just remarkable."
The first half of the season saw his biggest production as he played his natural spot at second, but with the team in need of more defensive help at the shortstop position, Seay switched Kreider to the left side of the infield. Although his offensive numbers dipped slightly, the positional change galvanized the Hawks late run, as Kreider solidified the position to help aid a young pitching staff.
"Tommy had a special year. Not too many guys can say they have ever had a year like that. For the bulk of the season, he was at or above .500 and at one point in the season he was second in the country in hitting," Seay said. "I think the transition from second base to shortstop, the grind of being a shortstop affected his production at the plate, but there's no secret once we made that defensive adjustment, we started to go on our run. Once we started to play better at the shortstop position, we started to roll and win games, and a lot of that is a testament to Tommy's selflessness."
"When I got moved to short midseason, my mentality was to attack and play fast," added Kreider. "I knew I had the ability to play there, so I had the most confidence in myself. Earlier on during the transition when I made an error, I would get down on myself too hard, but my teammates would pick me up. This helped me at the beginning because it showed that my teammates trusted and had confidence in me."
Still, it was Kreider who helped lead one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Late in the season, the team's playoff hopes stood within reach, but not without some late heroics in going on the road against perennial power SUNY Oswego. The Hawks went in and earned a sweep in their three-game series May 3-4 to earn the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with Kreider going 7-for-15 in the contests, with two runs, two doubles and four RBI.
"Credit to him on such a tremendous year, setting program record after program record, not only for him but for us as a group," Seay said. "We couldn't have done it without him. He was the lynchpin in our success this year."
The team rode the high of their five-game winning streak heading into the playoffs and did the unthinkable — they overcame a 10-run deficit to secure the first win in the tournament over the same Lakers team. After eliminating Oswego two days later, SUNY New Paltz had to do another program first. The Hawks needed to beat No. 1 Cortland, on its home field, twice. In an offensive onslaught, Kreider stayed hot and was the catalyst as the Hawks out-scored the Red Dragons 26-14 in the two games. Kreider went 7-for-11 in the final two-game series, recording four runs, two doubles and five RBI. He was named the unanimous SUNYAC Tournament MVP after hoisting the program's first SUNYAC trophy.
"This has been the craziest year ever," Kreider said. "After losing the first SUNYAC series to Plattsburgh, many people in the league thought we were out of the playoffs already. We kept our confidence high because we knew we were such a talented group, and from there on out we only lost one series. What made this team different was our team chemistry. We all got together so well, and this is the first time in my career here that we felt like a family."
SUNY New Paltz earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, its first ever appearance. They proceeded to earn a first-round win over hosting Eastern Connecticut State, which set up a matchup against the No. 1 team in the country in Endicott College.
The Hawks posted 12 runs against one of the best pitching staffs in the nation, the most the Gulls had let up all season, and Kreider once again was the beneficiary. He went 3-for-3 in the game, adding four runs with two doubles and two RBI in an offensive battle that saw SUNY New Paltz falling just short, 15-12.
Despite the early exit from the national tournament the team accumulated national and regional recognition. Throughout the season full of highs and hits, the most memorable for Kreider came early in the season in a 4-1 win against Virginia Wesleyan, which in hindsight foreshadowed a tremendous year to come.
"The most memorable at-bat this past season had to be my first career home run against Virginia Wesleyan," Kreider said. "It was a cool moment, especially because it was way out, but I was sprinting to get a triple. I will never forget this team and winning the SUNYAC title. Coach Seay always said don't let the Hawks get hot before the playoffs my first two seasons. So, when we finally made the playoffs, we won the whole conference tournament. Just an unreal season."
As special as 2024 was for Kreider and the Hawks, the bulk of the team returns for a repeat performance next spring with Kreider having the opportunity to further his legacy as the best baseball player the University has ever seen.
"From a numbers standpoint you can never tell with that because baseball is so fickle," Seay said. "But the biggest thing he'll gain from this is the experience and confidence level. He's never going to feel like he's over-matched by any stretch of the imagination. When it's just between him and the pitcher he's always going to feel like he has the upper hand."
"I truly am honored to win this award and be the first in program history," Kreider added. "I have put so many years of hard work into baseball, and I am glad it is paying off. I want to thank my teammates and coaches for pushing me harder every day to be the best version of myself. This is great motivation for myself to get a better team next year, and for others to become an All-American."
To read the official ABCA/Rawlings All-America press release and view the full teams, click here.
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