Thunderwolves move past Northern Essex to open NJCAA Division III World Series
*** PHOTO CREDIT: SUNY NIAGARA ATHLETICS ***
In the first game of the 2026 NJCAA Div. III World Series, No. 3 SUNY Niagara defeated No. 6 Northern Essex Community College, 11-5, Saturday, at TVA Credit Union Ballpark in Johnson City, Tennessee. This began the Thunderwolves’ 10th all-time appearance in the World Series since 2009, the third season of the Matt Clingersmith era.
SUNY Niagara scored four runs on five hits in the third, breaking the game open to a 5-0 lead. The Thunderwolves then scored four more runs in the sixth, extending their lead to 10-2, and their season RBI total to 567, the most over the last 12 seasons.
With the win, SUNY Niagara is 52-6 on the season, establishing a new single-season record in victories. The previous record was last year’s 51-2 team, which finished in the World Series final four.
Saturday marked the Thunderwolves’ first postseason meeting with the Knights since a 9-8 loss in the World Series Final Four in Greenville, Tennessee in 2023, and their seventh win in the last eight meetings since 2017. SUNY Niagara is also 51-20 in the postseason, including 11-10 at the World Series, and 405-79 (.837) since 2017.
SUNY Niagara now faces the winner of No. 2 RCSJ Gloucester - No. 7 Caldwell Tech in the championship bracket at 4 p.m. Sunday at TVA Credit Union Ballpark. The game will air exclusively on the NJCAA Network (subscription is required).
Sophomore and Penn State commit Dalton Harper drove in a team-high four runs on two hits and scored twice, including a two-run home run in the third inning. This marked Harper’s team-high 17th home run of the season and the 20th in his career, breaking a tie with 2025 graduate Gavyn Boyle for the most in the program’s modern era (since 2007), the latest program record he holds through 105 career games. (125 RBI, 161 hits)
Classmate and Southern Indiana commit Mike Schaefer went 3-for-5, drove in a run and scored twice. Schaefer also recorded a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, his fourth of the season (sixth of career) and his 121st career RBI in 106 career games.
Cam Gravelle went 3-for-4 at the plate, scored two runs and stole two bases. This marked Gravelle’s 24th multi-hit game of the season and his most hits in a postseason since he tallied four and drove in a career-high five runs in SUNY Niagara’s 8-0 Region III semifinal versus Hudson Valley May 15 in Auburn.
Sophomore and Arkansas Tech commit Evan Kohr had a 2-for-5 outing at the plate, drove in a run and tallied a stolen base. In his 55th game of the season, Kohr is now tied with Gravelle with a team-high 28 stolen bases and is one of four Thunderwolves to appear in at least 50 games (Mike Schaefer 57, Dalton Harper 56, Luke Gigliotti 52).
Fellow sophomore and Lenoir-Rhyne commit Cooper Rossano had one hit and drove in two runs while scoring twice himself. In his 94th career game as a Thunderwolf, Rossano recorded his 106th and 107th career RBI, breaking a tie with 2013 graduate Dylan Baun for fourth all-time in the modern era.
Freshman and Niagara Wheatfield graduate Cameron Gruarin posted his third multi-game of the postseason, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs batted in. Gruarin has recorded 43 RBI in 42 games this season, the fourth-most on the team and the most among all freshmen.
Cooper Prizel went 1-for-3 with a run, his 62nd run this season (38 runs, 34 RBI). Luke Gigliotti went 1-for-4 and scored twice, marking the sixth consecutive postseason game he has crossed home plate.
On 113 pitches, Keegan Bazinet threw seven innings, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits and striking out four and walking three. The George Mason commit improved to 12-0 this season — the most wins in NJCAA Division III — and the 13th of his career, tying 2023 graduate Kyle Finn for fifth most in the modern era.
Cooper Polcovich recorded the game’s final six outs without allowing a hit and striking out two on 22 pitches (16 strikes). Polcovich has posted 28 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched this season.
The Thunderwolves scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the first. Gravelle drew a lead-off walk, stole second and later scored from third on Harper’s sacrifice fly-out (1-0 SUNY).
SUNY Niagara then scored four runs on five hits in the third. Rossano brought home Gravelle on a one-run single, followed by Harper’s two-home run, and a one-run double from Gruarin (5-0 SUNY).
Northern Essex scored twice in the top of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 5-2. SUNY Niagara got a run back as Gigliotti scored from third on a Knights’ balk (6-2).
The Thunderwolves then scored four runs again in a frame, extending their lead to 10-2 after the sixth. Rossano started the scoring with a one-run fielder’s choice, followed by RBI singles from Harper, Kohr and Gruarin.
A triple and a two-run home run in the top of the seventh from Northern Essex cut the deficit to five runs (10-5 SUNY). This remained the score until Schaefer recorded a solo home run for SUNY Niagara in the bottom of the eighth (11-5 SUNY).