Baseball Earns Top Seed in Region 3 Playoffs; Host Erie Saturday

CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu,(518) 629-7898 or (518) 416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Wednesday, May 7, 2025

The Hudson Valley Community College baseball program concluded the 2025 regular season with an outstanding 25-1 Region 3 record (35-2 overall), earning the No. 1 seed in the Region 3 East Division. The Vikings will host the No. 4 seed from the West Division, SUNY Erie, on Saturday, May 10, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the HVCC campus.

The sub-regional round is a best-of-three series. A nine-inning doubleheader will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday. If necessary, game three will be played on Sunday, May 11, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

The Vikings are having a remarkable season, highlighted by winning 28 consecutive games following a 2-1 loss to Anne Arundel in the season opener on February 14. They have climbed the NJCAA national rankings, reaching as high as No. 4, and are currently ranked No. 5 in the latest NJCAA baseball poll. This marks the first time HVCC has secured the top overall seed in the East Division since Region 3 adopted the East/West division format in 2017.

Jameson Balich, a potential All-American candidate, leads the nation with a .545 batting average. He is one of four starters hitting over .400 this season. Balich has collected 55 hits and driven in 43 RBIs—both team highs. Tyree Jackson has hit seven home runs in just 19 games and is batting .407. Logan Norman is having a stellar freshman campaign, hitting .432 with 48 hits, 43 RBIs, and 23 extra-base hits, including four home runs. Nico DeSanto is batting .404 with 44 hits, and his versatility in the field has allowed Coach Parrow to keep the hot-hitting DeSanto in the lineup all season.

As a team, the Vikings are batting .388—ranking fourth nationally—trailing only Niagara (.413) and Herkimer (.401) from Region 3. They rank second nationally in slugging percentage at .623 (behind Herkimer's .662), and second in on-base percentage at .513 (Herkimer leads at .536).

The pitching staff's depth has helped elevate HVCC to national recognition. The Vikings rank second in the country with a 2.70 ERA (behind Niagara's 2.14). The staff has allowed only one home run—the fewest in the nation—and holds the second-best WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) at 1.13. They have surrendered just 88 runs on 162 hits and have recorded 273 strikeouts.

Individually, sophomore Hunter Stolov leads the pitching staff with a 1.29 ERA and a 3-1 record over 28 innings pitched. Alex Deitz and Tyler Spenard have combined for an 11-0 record, each maintaining an ERA under 2.00. Deitz leads the team with 51 strikeouts over 130 batters faced. Connor Trudeau has also impressed, posting a 5-0 record and 30 strikeouts, with an average of 13.09 strikeouts per nine innings.

The experienced bullpen has been instrumental in securing the Vikings' success. Jake O'Connor and Tyler Murray lead the team in appearances out of the bullpen. Murray has recorded a 1.50 ERA over 18 innings, while O'Connor, a crafty veteran, has consistently delivered in high-pressure situations throughout his career.

Complete NJCAA Postseason Schedule

NJCAA Region 3 Sub-Regionals (Erie at Hudson Valley)

Games 1 & 2: Saturday, May 10 at 10 AM
Game 3 (If Necessary): Sunday, May 11 (Time: TBD)

NJCAA Region 3 Regionals (Hosted by Cayuga)

Thursday, May 15 – Saturday, May 17 (Double Elimination)

NJCAA Nationals (Hosted by Cayuga)

Saturday, May 24 – Thursday, May 29 (Double Elimination)