2021 Roster
2021 Schedule
2020 Statistics

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State baseball team is set to begin its 20th season under head coach Kris Doorey in 2021.

Plattsburgh State, which played to a 1-4 (0-0 State University of New York Athletic Conference [SUNYAC]) record during a COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, is looking to build upon a 2019 campaign when the Cardinals played to a 12-20 (6-12 SUNYAC) record and narrowly missed out on a berth in the SUNYAC Tournament.

Doorey believes that his team can make it back to the SUNYAC Tournament in 2021. "I think we are significantly more competitive than we have been," Doorey said. "Our competitiveness has improved drastically. We are at a point where we are going to compete at a high level."    

Plattsburgh State's 2021 roster consists of 18 returners and 22 newcomers.

CATCHERS:
Returning behind the plate for the Cardinals are junior Jacob Hutton (Albany, N.Y./Colonie Central) and sophomore catcher and outfielder Kaden Kowalowski (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown). Jacob Hutton has played in 16 games over two seasons, and Kowalowski appeared in five games last season.

New to Plattsburgh State's catching group is first-year student Angel Espinal (New York, N.Y./East Side Community).

INFIELDERS:
Returning in the infield are senior shortstop Stephen Bryant (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches), senior second baseman Jack Bermingham (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury), senior first baseman Steve Messerschmitt (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Carmel), sophomore infielder and right-handed pitcher Christian Ott (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) and sophomore third baseman Conner Gonzalski (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse).

Bryant, who is a team captain for the second year in a row, became the 19th student-athlete in program history to eclipse 100 career hits when he went 3-for-3 at the plate during game one of a doubleheader at Maritime College on March 1, 2020. In 2019, Bryant was named to the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) All-Conference Second Team. That season, he led the SUNYAC in assists with 102, while ranking third in stolen bases with 20, tied for fifth in triples with three, sixth in on-base percentage at .443, ninth in batting average at .327 and tied for ninth in walks with 19. Bryant has been named a NCAA Division III Player to Watch for 2021 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Bermingham has played in 31 career games over three seasons. Ott is an assistant captain, who was named a NCAA Division III Player to Watch for 2021 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.  

Joining the infield are sophomore shortstop and right-handed pitcher Andrew Veit (Yaphank, N.Y./Bellport), first-year shortstop Alex Kornblau (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane), first-year utility player Ian Slate (Cambridge, N.Y./Grace Christian School), and first-year first baseman and right-handed pitcher Zachary Stone (New Spring Hill, Fla./Weeki Wachee).    

OUTFIELDERS:
Returning in the outfield are senior Erik Matz (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford), sophomore Cody Peryea (Altona, N.Y./Northern Adirondack) and Kowalowski. 

Matz enters his fourth year as a member of the Plattsburgh State outfield. In a COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Matz compiled a career-best .313 batting average. In 2019, he tallied career highs in games played (29), runs (21), hits (21), RBI (11) and stolen bases (9). Matz has played 56 games in a Cardinal uniform and is a team captain for the first time.  

Newcomers bolstering the outfield are junior outfielder and right-handed pitcher Aaron Roman (Pelham, N.Y./Pelham Memorial), junior Dylan Reilly (Lawrence, N.Y./Holy Trinity Diocesan) and first-year student Paul Rockenstyre III (Colonie, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy [Albany, N.Y.]).

Reilly has been named a NCAA Division III Player to Watch for 2021 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

PITCHERS:
Returning to the mound for Plattsburgh State are senior right-hander Matt Triola (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs), senior right-hander Chase Blazak (Antrim, N.H./Bishop Guertin), senior Jorge Victoria (Bronx, N.Y./Walton), junior right-hander Daniel Grant (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle), junior left-hander and right-hander David Ghiloni (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley), junior right-hander Peter Gregory (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle), junior right-hander Pierce Steinberg (Mahopac, N.Y./The Harvey School), sophomore right-hander Gabe Mounkhall (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Nyack), sophomore right-hander Ryan Nista (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) and sophomore left-hander Hayden Ives (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Ogdensburg Free Academy).

Triola, a team captain this season, has the most experience pitching in a Cardinal uniform. Over his first three seasons at Plattsburgh State, Triola has appeared in 23 games, including four starts. In 2019, Triola set career highs in innings pitched (28 2/3) and appearances (12).     

New to the pitching staff are Roman (right-hander), Veit (right-hander), Stone (right-hander), senior right-hander Carson McKinley (Greenwich, N.Y./Greenwich Central), junior right-hander Lucas Rodriguez (Middletown, N.Y./Middletown), junior right-hander Ryan Lawyer (Schenectady, N.Y./Colonie Central), first-year left-hander Kaden Myers (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown), first-year right-hander Eric Agan (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake), first-year right-hander Jack Scardino (East Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville), first-year left-hander Chris Santic (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland), first-year right-hander Garrett Engstrom (Massena, N.Y./Massena Central), first-year left-hander Eli LeonGreene (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown North), first-year right-hander Daniel Strysko (Hillburn, N.Y./Suffern), first-year right-hander Tyler Kohn (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North) and first-year right-hander Nathan Preston (Gansevoort, N.Y./Schuylerville). 

Rodriguez is serving as an assistant captain this season, Rodriguez and Veit were both named NCAA Division III Players to Watch for 2021 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.