NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Niagara baseball head coach
Rob McCoy has announced eight additions to the team for the 2021 season.
"Once again, Coach Spatafora has done a wonderful job finding and signing top-notch student-athletes," McCoy said. "They are all talented ball players, students and people and they fit our EAGLES culture to a T. We have a good mix of the best local players, while filling some positional needs from anywhere and everywhere we needed to go. These young men are excited about our school, our cohesive team environment, our facilities and the direction of the program. We look forward to their future impact as Purple Eagles."
Nick Castellana | 6-foot-2 | Catcher/Outfield | Lancaster, NY | Lancaster High School
Castellana is a local product, joining the Purple Eagles from Lancaster High School where he played three years of varsity baseball and three years of varsity football. He batted .390 and was an All-ECIC selection his sophomore and junior seasons. His team also won a section championship. Castellana was an All-WNY honoree for football and his team were three-time section champions. He played at the club level for the Niagara Junior Thunderwolves and he served as a team captain for both his high school and club teams. Castellana was an honor roll student.
Joe Dell'Oso | 6-foot-1 | Left-Handed Pitcher | Lockport, NY | Starpoint
Dell'Oso comes to Niagara from Starpoint High School in Lockport, New York. Dell'Oso finished his high school career with an ERA of 2.20 and was a First Team All-ECIC selection. He played at the club level for the Niagara Junior Thunderwolves. Dell'Oso was a three-sport athlete, also competing in golf and basketball, and he was a team captain for all three teams. Dell'Oso was also a Scholar Athlete Award recipient and was a high honor roll student. He was a member of student council and National Honor Society.
Brady Desjardins | 5-foot-10 | Infield | Westbrook, ME | Berwick Academy
Desjardins played four years of varsity ball at Berwick Academy and batted .400 during his high school career. His team won an Eastern Independent League (EIL) championship in 2018. Desjardins was an EIL honorable mention his freshman and sophomore years and was an EIL All-League selection his junior year. He played at the club level for Team Nike New England. He batted .500 for his club team. Desjardins was a two-sport athlete, also playing hockey competitively.
Andrew Gault | 6-foot-2 | Right-Handed Pitcher/Third Base | Lockport, NY | Lockport
Gault joins Niagara from Lockport High School, where he played four years of varsity baseball. He batted .300 with a .500 on-base percentage and was an All-WNY honoree both his sophomore and junior seasons. Gault served as a captain of his high school team. He played club ball for Titans Baseball. Gault was a two-sport athlete, also competing on the football team.
Myles Pallister | 6-foot-2 | Right-Handed Pitcher | Lacombe, AB | Lacombe Composite
Pallister joins the Purple Eagles from Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. Pallister played for the Red Deer Braves and played for Team Alberta in the 2019 Canada Cup, as well as playing for Team Maroon at Tournament 12 in the Rogers Centre. He tossed three games for Team Alberta at the Canada Cup, picking up one win and finishing with a 1.16 ERA. He pitched three innings for Team Maroon at Tournament 12 and did not allow any earned runs. Pallister also competed in hockey and basketball. He was also a standout in the classroom and was a Principal's List Award winner all four years of high school.
Wyatt Palmer | 5-foot-8 | Outfield | Suffern, NY | Suffern High School
Palmer comes to Monteagle Ridge from Suffern High School, where he played three years of varsity baseball. Palmer batted .382 in high school with a .571 on-base percentage. His high school team won county titles in 2018 and 2019 and won a section championship in 2019. His team also won a regional championship in 2019 and was a semi-finalist in the Class AA State Championships. Palmer was an All-District selection and an All-Section honorable mention in 2018 and was an All-County Team honoree in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He played club ball for Time to Sign and the Rockland Royals. He also excelled academically; Palmer received the Scholar Athlete Award in 2018 and 2019 and a was a high honor roll student.
Liam Ward | 6-foot-0 | Infield | Albion, NY | Albion
Ward joins the Purple Eagles from Albion High School in Albion, New York. Ward was a three-sport athlete, also competing in football and basketball. He played on his school's varsity baseball team for five years and was a five-time First Team Niagara-Orleans All-League honoree. He was also a three-time First Team All-League selection for basketball. He served as a team captain for both the baseball and basketball teams. Ward played club ball for the Niagara Junior Thunderwolves. He was a high honor roll student.
Ben Wiegand | 6-foot-0 | Left-Handed Pitcher | Warren, MI | Lansing Community College
Wiegand started his collegiate career at Ball State, playing two seasons with the Cardinals before playing the shortened 2020 season at Lansing Community College. He attended high school at Mother of Divine Grace and played club ball for the Detroit Metro Stars. In high school, he had a 0.87 ERA with 247 strikeouts. He tossed two no-hitters. His team won a championship in 2016 and Wiegand also won his team's MVP award.
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