Niagara University, N.Y.—Niagara baseball head coach Rob McCoy announced the 2024 roster for the upcoming season. Niagara welcomes 10 freshmen to the program while six transfers have joined the Purple Eagles in 2024.
McCoy praised assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Matt Spatafora for the quality of the incoming players ahead of the 2024 season. "Coach Spatafora has once again outdone himself with the quality of this recruiting class. We addressed, and exceeded, our needs with good high school players, juco transfers, and portal players. The class consists of tons of athleticism, talent, and high potential. The hitters can all do damage at the plate and defend their positions. The pitchers are strikes throwers with a ton of upside. Most importantly, we stayed true to our EAGLES core values and brought in high character kids that believe in the legacy of Niagara University and Niagara University Baseball. We are excited to see what these young men can help us become!"
Jack Dickinson | Montauk, N.Y. | East Hampton H.S. | RHP | Freshman
Dickinson joins the Purple Eagles after playing for East Hampton High School. He played two seasons of varsity; in the two seasons he had 100 strikeouts in 71.2 innings. He was named all-league as both a junior and a senior. He played club for MVP Beast.
"Jack is one of the most competitive arms in this class. He will stop at nothing to be great and that, combined with a four-pitch mix, will set him up nicely as he tries to establish a role for himself. His upside is exciting."
Carter Fink | Victor, N.Y | Victor H.S. | RHP| Freshman
Fink comes to Niagara from the Rochester area after playing for Victor in high school and Diamond Pro for club. In high school he racked up 130 strikeouts and a 3.00 ERA. While serving as a captain in high school was named to the All-Monroe County Team twice, the All-Greater Rochester Team twice, and was a Class AA Rochester Top 10 Player honoree twice.
"Carter, another WNY kid, is a solid addition to our pitching staff. He has life on his fastball and his off-speed offerings are quickly improving. As well, he has a projectable frame, solid athleticism, and a competitive demeanor."
Jason Green | Georgetown, Ont. | Georgetown District | C/1B | Freshman
Green joins Niagara from Georgetown, Ontario and in alum of the Ontario Terriers for club. He competed in multiple tournaments and showcases across Canada before making the jump to college including the 2023 Best of the West (PBR Canada Selects), the 2022 Northeast Senior Games and the New Year Open in 2022 and 2021.
"Jason is an exciting player. He's solid, but still raw, with incredibly exciting upside. He is mature in every phase of the game and with polish will be an outstanding fit in several roles for us."
Rees Kozar | Amherstburg, Ont. | St. Thomas of Villanova | C/OF | Freshman
Kozar was a multi-sport athlete in high school as he played volleyball, basketball, and hockey along with baseball. He played for the Great Lake Canadians while produced multiple current Purple Eagles for club baseball. He helped lead his team to CPBL Championships in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He also was a member of the Canadian Junior National Team.
"Rees arrives here as a highly touted former member of the Canadian Junior National Team. He's a versatile catcher who can play the infield and outfield as well. His best weapon, however, is his bat and we think he will make an immediate impact in our lineup."
Matt Marsh | Havelock, Ont. | Adam Scott CVI | LHP | Freshman
Marsh was also a multi-sport athlete prior to joining the Purple Eagles as he played hockey and basketball growing up. He spent last season with the Team Ontario Astros where he went 8-1 with a 2.30 ERA. In the last three seasons before Niagara, he went 15-5 overall on the mound.
"Matt is one of the best Canadian left-handed pitchers in his class and looks to make an early impact for us and our pitching staff. He has advanced stuff and, with hard work, could see significant innings this spring. The sky is the limit for him!"
John Ondus | Gowanda, N.Y. | Gowanda H.S. | RHP | Freshman
Ondus suited up for the varsity team at Gowanda for five seasons before graduating. In his career he was a two-way player, at the plate as a senior he hit .559 with 40 RBI. He owns the school record for career homers (eight), season batting average (.559), hits in a season (38) and OPS in a season at 1.718. On the mound he pitched 35 innings last year with 76 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .092 average. He was a First Team All-WNY and First Team All-Conference honoree while being named the Roger K. Moore Pitcher of the Year. He helped lead his team to Sectional Championships in 2021 and 2023.
"John is a local WNY kid who we identified early on as a high ceiling guy. He has an electric arm, and we are excited to see how high the ceiling can go with his development."
Ben Ruth | Ithaca, N.Y. | Ithaca H.S. | RHP | Freshman
Ruth completed his senior season at Ithaca High School 32 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. He allowed just eight hits while having a 1.20 ERA. At the plate he had a .306 batting average. He comes from an athletic family as his mother played basketball and volleyball at Nazareth College, his brother played baseball at St. John Fisher.
"Ben comes to us from Ithaca, NY with a ton of upside on the mound. Three pitches for strikes and courage to us them whenever and however he needs to. With improvements in size and strength, Ben will have a significant impact here during his time."
Connor Schramm | Commack, N.Y. | Commack H.S. | INF | Freshman
Schramm is no stranger to Niagara as both his mother and father attended Niagara while his mother played softball and his father played baseball for the Purple Eagles. During his high school career at Commack H.S. he had a batting average over .400 while being named All-League twice and All-Conference twice. He was also the winner of the Brian Bonin Memorial Award. He helped lead Commack to three county championships along with two Long Island Championships. While playing high school baseball he also played club baseball for Team MVP.
"We love legacy recruits and Connor is just that! He's the son of Niagara alums, Glenn Schramm (baseball) and Stacy Pino (softball). He is a talented infielder from Commack, NY who has a ton of experience playing on very successful teams. We love his bat to ball skills and the solid defense he brings to the table. With his knowledge of the game, we look for him to be a solid addition to our future."
Will Studebaker | Moraga, CA| The Bolles School | RHP | Freshman
Studebaker played three seasons for The Bolles School in Florida. While being a two-way player he hit .313 at the plate with eight homers. He pitched 68 innings while holding a 2.20 ERA along with 75 strikeouts. In 2020 and 2021 he helped lead his team to the state semifinals.
"Will has joined us from Jacksonville, FL. His pitch-ability is already high, but with a live arm and projectable frame, we are looking for him to make leaps and bounds in our program in no time. "
Gage Wheaton | Penfield, N.Y. | Penfield H.S. | RHP | Freshman
Wheaton is no stranger to WNY after growing up and starting his baseball career in Penfield. In his final season at Penfield according to Maxpreps.com he appeared in 11 games while pitching 37.1 innings. He notched 48 strikeouts as a senior while holding opposing batters to a .219 batting average. In 2023 he helped lead his club team (Greece Post) to a Legion State Championship.
"Gage joins us on the Ridge with an electric fastball and several solid off-speed offerings. He has the stuff and the confidence to log early innings for us and will, without a doubt, have a hand in our success while he's here."
Colin Bruce | Naperville, Ill. | Joliet Junior College | OF | Redshirt Junior
Bruce comes to Niagara after playing at Joliet Junior College in Illinois. Last season he played in 58 games while hitting .308 with nine home runs and 54 RBI. He also came across to score 46 times and swiped 12 bases. His team won both District and Regional Championships while advancing to the NJCAA Division III World Series. He earned First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region, and Third Team All-American.
"Colin is coming off a tremendous season at Joliet JC. He was one of the best hitters in D3 junior college baseball and helped lead his team to the Junior College World Series. He has a pedigree of winning and we look forward to his future as a Purple Eagle."
Jack Colella | Old Saybrook, Conn. | Hartford | RHP | Redshirt Junior
Colella joins the Purple Eagles after playing at Hartford in 2022-23 for their final season at the Division I level. Last season, he appeared in 10 games while pitching 13.1 innings. He went 1-0, he had four outings in which he did not allow a hit and five outings without allowing an earned run. He went to Old Saybrook High School where he was named All-State as a junior.
"Jack is an interesting and exciting piece to our team. Relatively new to pitching, Jack broke onto the scene last year at Hartford throwing high spin fastballs and creating a ton of bad contact and swings and misses. The sky is the limit for him, and we are excited to see him thrive."
Brodie MacKay | Burlington, Ont. | Western Kentucky | INF | Redshirt Sophomore
Mackay comes to Niagara after playing one season for Western Kentucky in 2022. As a freshman he appeared in 17 games. Ahead of his freshman season he was named to the Top 10 Conference USA First Impact List. Prior to Western Kentucky he was named to the 2021 Baseball Factory All-American Team, the 2021 Rawlings/Perfect Game Preseason All-Region Team. He also attended the 2020 Canadian Premier Baseball League All-Star Showcase.
"Brodie is a 4-year transfer from Western Kentucky. He had solid freshman campaign starting at shortstop for them. He's got good size, smooth actions, and a solid left-handed bat. We can't wait to see the impact he can make here."
Eric Rataczak | Circle Pines, MN. | San Diego | OF/1B | Redshirt Junior
Rataczak took a non-traditional route to Niagara as he started his collegiate career at Arizona Western College, a community college in Arizona. In his one season at AWC he hit .314 in 32 games while driving in 11 runs and scoring 16. Last season he played club baseball at San Diego University. This past summer he played in the WCBL for Brooks and appeared in 50 games with a .358 batting average, 11 homers and 48 RBI.
"Eric is an imposing human and brings a box-presence that will help our offense tremendously. He is an experienced hitter and a solid defender at 1st Base. Additionally, his leadership on and off the field is a tremendous asset."
Tommy Takayoski | Spanaway, Wash. | Fresno State | C/1B | Redshirt Junior
Takayoski comes to WNY after redshirting at Fresno State in 2023. Prior to Fresno State he attended Pierce College in 2021-22, he spent 2020 at Washington where he made his college debut, he appeared in two games prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021-22 at Pierce, he played in 22 games while hitting .284 with 11 RBI. He had 103 putouts behind the plate along with 12 assists to go along with a .983 fielding percentage.
"Tommy is an electric player with a strong baseball pedigree. Being the son of professional coach and coming from strong college programs like University of Washington, Pierce College, and Fresno State, Tommy brings a wealth of knowledge, leadership, and talent to our team."
Matt Torresan | Grimsby, Ont. | Iowa Lakes C.C. | 1B/OF | Junior
Torresan spent two seasons at Iowa Lakes Community College before joining the Purple Eagles, he suited up in 77 games in two seasons. Over the two seasons he had a .352 batting average along with four homers and 28 RBI. Last season he had 54 hits while having 11 doubles and a triple. Across the two seasons he swiped 20 bases and had a .425 on-base percentage. In the field he had a .971 fielding percentage on 312 chances.
"Matt joins us here at Niagara after a very successful two-year stint at Iowa Lakes CC. He's been a top hitter for them and a solid defender. He has the rare combination of size and speed and will help us at multiple positions this spring."
Niagara returns 21 players from 2023 that saw them go 24-22-1 in the regular season. Nick Groves, Kelly Corl, Vincent Mauro, and Matt Ward headline returns in the field while 11 pitchers who appeared in a game last season returning including closer Zach Cameron who is the program leader in career saves.
The 2024 schedule will be released in the coming weeks.
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