CHAMPIONSHIP CLINCHED! Thunderwolves win first World Series crown

When SUNY Niagara traveled down to Johnson City six days ago, the team had one mission in mind. And nearly a week later, the mission was accomplished.

Eight runs through the first three innings helped the third-seeded Thunderwolves’ 12-8 victory against No. 2 Rowan College South Jersey Gloucester, 12-8, in the NJCAA Div. III World Series championship game Wednesday at TVA Credit Union Ballpark in Johnson City, Tennessee. A rematch of SUNY Niagara’s second-round victory on Sunday, the blue-and-gold clinched its first national championship in its 59-year history and only the fourth in SUNY Niagara history (Bowling in 1976 and 1979 and Wrestling in 2026), while also denying the Roadrunners a fourth consecutive ring. 

Making its 10th all-time appearance at the World Series and its first trip to the finals since 2021, SUNY Niagara finished the season with a 55-6 record — a new single-season record in wins. The previous record was last year’s 51-2 team, which placed fourth at the World Series.

With the win, SUNY Niagara is now 23-18 all-time in the NJCAA Div. III World Series and 94-38 in the postseason overall since 2008, Matt Clingersmith’s second season as head coach (now 754-233-1 overall). The Thunderwolves are also 408-79 (.838) over the last 10 seasons since 2017. 

In his 97th and final career game with the Thunderwolves, sophomore and Lenoir Rhyne commit Cooper Rossano went 2-for-4 at the plate, posted a two-run home run (his first of the season and ninth of career) and drove in four runs. The four-RBI performance was his highest output since against Herkimer on May 16, 2025 and his 113 career RBI places him tied for third with Gavyn Boyle in the program’s modern era.

Freshman and Niagara Wheatfield graduate Cameron Gruarin went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple, drove in two runs and scored once. Finishing his freshman season with 47 RBI, the fourth highest on the team, this marked Gruarin’s sixth multi-hit game of the postseason (fourth consecutive) and his sixth straight game where he drove in a run. 

Sophomore and Smithville, Ont. resident Cam Gravelle also drove in four runs on two hits and scored twice. This marked his fifth multi-hit postseason outing and his 27th of the season. In his lone season with the Thunderwolves, Gravelle finished with a .452 batting average (84-of-166), 64 RBI and 29 stolen bases. 

In his 108th and final game with SUNY Niagara, sophomore and Penn State commit Dalton Harper finished 3-for-4 at the plate (fourth three-hit game in postseason) and recorded his 40th career double (27 this season), a new modern era record. Harper also finishes as the program’s modern era leader in home runs (20), RBI (129) and hits (172).  

Sophomore and St. John Fisher commit Cooper Prizel had two hits and scored twice. Classmate and Arkansas Tech commit Evan Kohr hit a double and scored twice.

Freshman Alexander Graham had a hit and scored twice. Sophomore and Milligan University commit Luke Gigliotti had a hit and scored twice.

Sophomore and Southern Indiana commit Mike Schaefer went 0-for-3 at the plate in his 109th and final game. Schaefer finished his career second in the modern era in both hits (149) and RBI (125).

On the mound, sophomore and George Mason commit Keegan Bazinet allowed six runs on 11 hits, struck out five and walked two over 6.1 innings (86 pitches, 55 strikes) and finished with an unbeaten 13-0 record over 78.1 innings. Bazinet finished with 14 career wins, tying with Ryan Bircahrd for fourth most in the modern era and his 118 strikeouts are the sixth most in this span.

Mike Munzert then recorded two outs and allowed one unearned run on one hit plus two strikeouts and one walk (24 pitches). This marked his first appearance out of the bull-pen in his SUNY Niagara career (10th career appearance).

Cooper Polcovich then threw the final 2.1 innings and allowed one run on hit and struck out two on 32 pitches. Polcovich finished the World Series with 5.2 innings pitched, allowed only one run and one hit and struck out five.

For the first time in this year’s World Series, SUNY Niagara did not score the first run of the game. A solo home run over the right field wall by Jack Mustaro gave RCSJ Gloucester a 1-0 lead.

The Thunderwolves wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as a base hit from Cam Gravelle set up Cooper Rossano’s two-run home run to right field, giving the Thunderwolves a 2-1 lead. This marked Rossano’s first home run of the season and the ninth of his career, placing him in a three-way tie with Cal Brazier and Alex Minnehan for sixth most all-time in the modern era (since 2007).

SUNY Niagara then scored four runs in the bottom of the second, extending its lead to 6-1. After loading the bases, Gravelle sent Alexander Graham, Cooper Prizel and Luke Gigliotti home with a bases-clearing three-run double, and Mike Schaefer added a fielder’s choice RBI.

SUNY Niagara added four more runs in the bottom of the third for a 10-2 lead. Evan Kohr recorded a lead-off double and was sent home on Cam Gruarin’s one-run triple (7-2 SUNY Niagara), followed by one-run singles from Prizel and Rossano and Gravelle’s RBI ground-out (10-2 SUNY Niagara).

RCSJ Gloucester then scored the game’s next three runs, starting with a solo home run in the third (10-3 SUNY Niagara). An RBI double came in the top of the fourth (10-4 SUNY Niagara) and a one-run double with the bases loaded followed in the top of the fifth (10-5 SUNY Niagara).

After recording seven straight outs from the bottom of the fourth through the first out of the sixth, SUNY Niagara ended the streak with Evan Kohr’s walk. Kohr then scored on Gruarin’s RBI double, extending the Thunderwolves’ lead to 11-6. 

SUNY Niagara then added one more run in the bottom of the seventh for a 12-6 lead. After Gigliotti reached base with a lead-off walk and advanced to third on an infield error, Rossano brought him home on a sacrifice fly. 

RCSJ Gloucester recorded a run off an RBI single, cutting the deficit to five (12-7 SUNY Niagara) and had runners on first and third. Both were left stranded as reliever Cooper Polcovich recorded a fly-out and back-to-back strikeouts for the Thunderwolves.

The Roadrunners recorded the game’s final run with a solo home run in the ninth, cutting the deficit to 12-8. The Thunderwolves then recorded the final out of the game with a pop-out to Schaefer at third.

This season, SUNY Niagara went 16-6 when it didn’t score at least 10 runs in a game, including Wednesday’s win, and 39-0 when it reached the mark. The Thunderwolves also drove in 573 runs on the season.