SUNY Niagara Baseball began its new season with a pair of victories against Cayuga Community College on Feb. 28 in Auburn. The Thunderwolves defeated the Spartans 11-1 in Game One and a five-inning 13-0 finish in Game Two.
Head coach Matt Clingersmith recorded his 700th and 701st career wins during the doubleheader. Now in his 20th season, Clingersmith previously surpassed David Nemmi (310 wins, 1984-2002) for the program record in 2015, has led the Thunderwolves to nine NJCAA Region III championships in 12 appearances, and their only nine NJCAA Division III World Series trips in program history.
Both NJCAA Division III All-American honorees last season, Penn State commit Dalton Harper of Cheektowaga and Lenoir-Rhyne commit Cooper Rossano of Williamsville picked up where they left off. Harper went 7 for 9, drove in a team-high seven runs, and hit a home run, and Rossano finished 5 of 8 and delivered five runs.
Smithville, Ontario, resident Cam Gravelle hit his first home run as a Thunderwolf during Game One, and Niagara Wheatfield graduate and freshman Cameron Gruarin recorded his first three RBIs in Game Two of the series.
Sophomore and Windsor, Ontario, resident Keegan Bazinet recorded one run on five hits, retired two and walked two in five innings before Ashton Putney of Fredonia recorded a six-out no-hitter in Game One. Rochester resident Derrick Allen recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed three hits in five innings for the Game Two win.
Women’s basketball
As the No. 1 seed, SUNY Niagara lost to No. 3 Monroe Community College in the NJCAA Region III Division II championship, 84-76, March 1 in Sanborn. The loss denied the Thunderwolves their eighth consecutive title since 2019, and they finished 15-10.
Lockport resident Azriel Hall recorded her 25th consecutive double-digit game with 12 points and is 17th among all NJCAA Division II players with her team-high 19.7 points per game, as of March 5. The NJCAA Region III Division II Player of the Year, Hall’s 492 points are the second-highest total by a SUNY Niagara first-year player over the last 10 seasons (since 2016-17), trailing only Newfane graduate Paige Emborsky’s 530 in 2018-19 and the sixth-most in this span (Kenetria Redfern, 734 in 2018-19).
In her 57th and final game, sophomore and Brampton, Ont. resident Isabella Karabetsos scored a career-high 27 points along with six assists in a team-high 37 minutes. Karabetsos finished 14th all-time in scoring with 622 points plus 345 assists and was named a NJCAA Region III Division II selection for a second and final time.
Freshman and Bronx resident Anna Astre received second-team all-Region III honors and head coach Maleik Agee won Coach of the Year. The 15 wins under Agee are the most for a first-year coach in program history and surpassed Nate Beutel’s 13-15 mark in 2012-13.
Sunday’s championship also marked the final Thunderwolf appearance for Niagara Falls resident and sophomore Atarah Walker. In 53 games, Walker recorded 468 points, 474 rebounds, and 14 career double-doubles (six this season).
Men’s basketball
No. 2 SUNY Niagara lost to the No. 3 Jamestown, 89-84, in the semifinal of the NJCAA Region III Division II tournament Saturday at Monroe Community College in Rochester. The Thunderwolves trailed 87-85 with 17 seconds remaining before the Jayhawks secured the win with a pair of free throws.
Chioke Marshall scored 11 points in the loss and finished second all-time in scoring with 1,200 career points in 57 games, including 51 games in double-digit scoring, and is fourth in NJCAA Division II with his team-high 24.7 points per game, as of March 5. 1975 graduate George Pendleton still holds SUNY Niagara’s all-time scoring record of 1,245 points.
Freshman and Buffalo resident Jacob Humphrey scored a team-high 18 points in the season-ending loss to the Jayhawks. The Bishop Timon graduate finished in double-digit scoring 16 times this season and in 10 of his last 13 outings.
Marshall and Humphrey received honors before the tournament. Marshall was named the Player of the Year, and both he and Humphrey were picked to the all-Region III Division II first team.
SUNY Niagara finished 17-10.
Upcoming events
Wrestling competes at the NJCAA National Championships through Saturday at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Thunderwolves sent 10 to the big stage for only the third time in program history, all since 2012, with hopes of their seventh all-time national champion since Willie Moore in 1977.
Baseball began its 18-game slate at the RussMatt Invitational in Florida with a doubleheader against Minnesota North College-Vermilion Friday. The Thunderwolves continue the trip with doubleheaders against Alexandria Technical & Community College at 9:15 a.m. Saturday and SUNY Adirondack at 11 a.m. Sunday and a full schedule can be viewed on our website, ncccathletics.com.