SUNY New Paltz Athletics

Coach Brandon Rivera enters his seventh season with the State University of New York at New Paltz baseball program as the lead assistant and pitching coach under head coach Thomas Seay following a historic 2024 season. 

Rivera helped the Hawks to their first ever SUNYAC title and NCAA Tournament appearance with the team earning a first-round win over hosting Eastern Connecticut State. The team finished with the best record in program history (31-16) and highest seeding in SUNYAC Tournament history (second), after going 11-7 in conference play. He helped guide two of his pitchers to All-SUNYAC honors with two others (three total) earning SUNYAC All-Tournament team picks. 

Rivera has served primarily as the Hawks Pitching Coach and continues to hold a large responsibility of recruiting and control of the pitching staff.

During the 2023 spring season, Rivera helped guide Senior James McGovern to his lowest ERA (2.97) throwing 30 plus innings seeing spots primarily out of relief and spot starting. Hitters hit a low 119. average against McGovern.

During the 2022 spring season, Rivera helped guide Senior Billy Moeller to his best season yet as a Hawk. Billy Started 10 games with 11 appearances leading the team in innings pitched (60.2) and strikeouts (69) with 14 total walks all season.

Rivera, a graduate of Monroe-Woodbury High School, attended Niagara County Community College before transferring to Limestone College, earning a key set up reliever role for the Saints baseball team. While at Limestone, Rivera earned a bachelor’s degree in professional communications. During his college career, Rivera pitched in high quality collegiate summer leagues such as the Perfect Game Collegiate League for the Saugerties Stallions and the Coastal Plains League.

Following college, Rivera has established himself as a top baseball player development coach specializing in pitching. He has worked with elite high school, collegiate and pro players across the Hudson, Westchester, and Orange County regions of New York. As of December 2024, Rivera has taken on a new role as the Director of Teams and Media Operations for Power Arm Performance, located in Ramsey, NJ.

From 2021 to 2024, Rivera started and served as the Director of Baseball Operations and College Recruitment for the Northern Westchester Outlaws, a premier travel baseball organization based in Westchester County, NY. In this role, he oversaw all aspects of baseball training and player development for an organization with over 100 players. Rivera coordinated individual and team training programs, evaluated players’ academic and athletic profiles, and guided them in targeting universities that best suited their academic and athletic goals. Additionally, he coached the organization’s 18U showcase team.

In the summer of 2022, Rivera co-founded Gap2Gap Sports Performance, a state-of-the-art training facility serving athletes from youth to professional levels in the Westchester and Putnam County areas. 

Rivera is also the owner of Arm Farm Pitching, a specialized in-person and remote pitching development program designed to enhance strength, force, power, velocity, and overall arm health.

Over the last six years, Rivera has helped more than 90 high school players advance to collegiate baseball at the Division I, II, and III levels. This year, he aims to guide his pitching staff to their best season yet.