SUNY COBLESKILL BASEBALL GETS 5TH SEED IN 2006 NJCAA REGION III DIVISION III TOURNAMENT WILL FACE GENESEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The SUNY Cobleskill men’s baseball team will travel to Batavia, NY on Tuesday May 9th to meet Genesee Community College in the Quarterfinal Round of the 2006 NJCAA Region III Division III Tournament. The number five seeded Fighting Tigers, 18-16 overall and 15-5 Region III Division III, will meet the number four seeded Cougars, 26-15 and 17-8 Region III Division III, beginning at 3:00 PM. The winner of Tuesday’s contest will advance to the tournament’s double-elimination championship round to be hosted by Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY beginning on Friday May 12th and running through Sunday May 14th at Joseph Bruno Stadium located on the HVCC campus.

Under first-year Head Coach Bill Makarowski the Fighting Tigers have tied the program’s all-time record for most wins in a single season while posting the best Region III Division III record in program history at 15-5 as well as the best Mountain Valley Conference mark in school history at 12-4. This will be Cobleskill’s first NJCAA Region III Division III post-season appearance since 1995 when the Fighting Tigers finished as the Region III Runners-up with a 14-9 overall record.

The Fighting Tigers are hitting .310 on the season as a team and are led offensively by senior All-Mountain Valley Conference first baseman/pitcher Matt Young, Delmar, NY, Bethlehem High School, who is hitting .433 on the season with two home runs and 31 RBI along with freshman right fielder Adam Cernauskus, Cobleskill, NY, Cobleskill-Richmondville High School, batting .355 with four homers and 29 RBI on the year. Cobleskill also receives productivity from senior catcher Tyler Hibsch, Strykersville, NY, Pioneer High School, hitting .300 with one home run and 13 RBI and from third baseman/pitcher Mike Disarno, Grand Island, NY, Grand Island High School, batting .351 with 23 RBI on the season.

On the mound, lefty Matt Young leads the pitching staff with a 3-2 record in eight appearances with a 3.23 ERA while fellow senior southpaw Matt Aker, Nelliston, NY, Fort Plain High School, is 4-3 with a 6.38 ERA. Mike Disarno adds right handed stability to the rotation compiling a 3-4 overall mark with a 5.17 ERA while freshman right hander Kyle Claypool, Arcade, NY, Pioneer High School, leads the staff in victories with a 5-2 record and an ERA of 5.37 on the year.

2006 NJCAA Region III Division III Tournament Pairings:

#1 Erie Community College   hosts   #8 Jefferson Community College
#2 Herkimer Community College hosts #7 Hudson Valley Community College
#3 Finger Lakes Community College hosts #6 Mohawk Valley Community College
#4 GENESEE Community College hosts #5 SUNY Cobleskill