Thunderwolves sweep Cayuga CC in season-opening doubleheader Saturday; Clingersmith wins 700th game
After its ninth NJCAA Division III World Series trip in program history last season, SUNY Niagara returned to the diamond and recorded two wins against Cayuga CC Saturday in Auburn, NY. The Thunderwolves defeated the Spartans, 11-1, in Game One, and 13-0 in Game Two.
The Thunderwolves, who were ranked fourth in the NJCAA Div. III preseason rankings that were released on Jan. 20, are 2-0 in the 2026 campaign.
SUNY Niagara continues its season with a double-billing versus Minnesota North Vermillion starting at 10:15 a.m. Friday at the RussMatt Invitational in Florida. These are the first two of 18 gamesfor the Thunderwolves on this trip.
SUNY Niagara 11, Cayuga CC 1
Keegan Bazinet recorded his first win of the season on the mound as he allowed one run on five hits, struck out two and walked another two in five innings of work on 87 pitches.
In his Thunderwolf debut, former Fredonia star Ashton Putney threw 20 pitches of relief and retired all six batters (no hits) and struck out one.
Penn State commit Dalton Harper went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs, had two doubles and a triple. Lenoir-Rhyne commit Cooper Rossano also went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs and scored an additional three for the blue-and-gold.
In his Thunderwolf debut, sophomore Cam Gravelle delivered a two-run home run in the fourth inning as part of his 2-for-4 outing and delivered three more runs.
Lancaster resident and University of Southern Indiana commit Mike Schaefer scored two runs. Veteran Luke Gigliotti and newcomers Luke Rybczynski and Evan Kohr all recorded a run each. Niagara Wheafield graduate Cameron Gruarin drove in a run.
The Thunderwolves scored 11 runs on 12 hits.
SUNY Niagara 13, Cayuga CC 0, Final/5
After a short intermission, the hit parade continued for the Thunderwolves as they scored 13 runs on 14 hits for the mercy rule. SUNY Niagara only scored one run during the first three innings of play, but then added four in the fourth and fifth in the eighth.
Dalton Harper went 3-for-4 at the plate and brought home Mike Schaefer on a two-run home run during SUNY Niagara’s four-run fourth inning (5-0). Harper drove in a total of four runs and scored three times himself.
Cameron Gruarin went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in three runs, plus scored a run. Cooper Rossano went 1-for-3 and drove in two runs and scored a run.
Cam Gravelle went 2-for-3 and scored a run, while Schaefer drove in a run and scored twice. Freshman Iain Farber and sophomore and Canisius High School graduate Cooper Prizel tallied a RBI each.
Evan Kohr scored three runs and Luke Gigliotti added a run.
The scoring complemented Derrick Allen’s five-inning day on the mound. The freshman and Rochester resident recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed only three hits and two walks in 88 pitches.
Clingersmith reaches 700 wins
SUNY Niagara head coach Matt Clingersmith recorded his 700th career win in Game One of the doubleheader against Cayuga CC. Clingermith entered the season one win shy of the milestone and is now 701-227-1 all-time since taking over the program in Sanborn in 2007.
Now in his 20th season, Clingersmith has led the Thunderwolves to their only nine NJCAA Div. III World Series appearances in program history and three national runners-up finishes in 2012, 2017 and 2021.
Clingersmith has also won nine NJCAA Region III championships in 12 appearances and has been named the Coach of the Year eight times (2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016 & 2017, 2024, 2025).