Baseball
Coaches
Head Coach Matt Palisin
Matt Palisin completed his seventh season as head coach at Fredonia State in 2009.
This past year, the Devils had the best season in the long history of the program. The team set a school record with 26 wins, was ranked as high a No. 4 in the New York region and was selected to host the ECAC New York Regional Tournament as the No. 1 seed. In addition, they received votes for the Top 25 in the d3baseball.com weekly poll for the first time.
The Devils 26 wins also marked the fifth consecutive season that its win total increased. The squad set new school standards in batting average (.343), hits (444), doubles (76), RBI (263), stolen bases (110), complete games (14) and runs (290). Four Devils -- Jordan Basile, Ricky Carlson, Josh Greco and Rob Herrmann -- were named all conference. Greco and Basile were also named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All Star team and the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) New York Region team. Another pair -- Jeremy Borst and Taylor Gahagen -- earned Rawlings/ABCA New York Region Gold Glove Awards. Completing the list of honors the players received were SUNYAC Players of the Week winners Pete Lusk, Greco and Carlson.
On the national scene, the team ranked highly among the 359 DIII teams sevearl key categories: fewest walks per nine innings (10th, 2.63), stolen bases per game (11th, 2.9), ERA (20th, 3.77) and team batting average (34th, .343)
During the 2007 and 2008 campaigns, a total of 10 Blue Devils were named to the all-SUNYAC team. Over the past seven years, 28 Devils have received that honor. Rob Herrmann was named ECAC all region in 2008, and Don Kirsch earned a Rawlings New York Region Gold Glove award the same year.
Palisin began his coaching career at Penn State Behrend, where he served as an assistant coach for five seasons. He also spent one season as the pitching coach at Gannon University. Palisin then took over the baseball program at Hilbert College in 1999. During his three-seasons at the Hamburg, N.Y., school, the team made great strides, setting or breaking nearly every team offensive record. Seven Hawks earned all-conference honors during the 2001 and 2002 seasons, with one player earning ECAC recognition. In 2002, the team tied the school mark for wins in a season.
Palisin starred at Harborcreek (Pa.) High School, where he was a two-time second-team all county selection playing for the legendary Paul Foust. Palisin went on to play collegiately at Penn State Behrend for two years before transferring to Embry-Riddle University for his final two seasons, playing under National Coach of the Year Greg Guilliams. Following his collegiate career, he played four seasons of professional baseball compiling a 17-14 career record. His teams won Frontier League titles in 1993 (Zanesville Greys) and 1994 (Erie Sailors). Palisin graduated from Penn State Behrend in 1994 with a degree in chemistry.
Palisin succeeded Dave Criscione, who had been involved with the program as an assistant and head coach for 22 years. Criscione, who played briefly with the Baltimore Orioles, retired from coaching following the 2002 spring season.
Chad Bongiovanni has been with the Blue Devils for three seasons. In each year working with the Devil hitters, the team set school records in hits (320 in 2007; 380 in 2008; and 444 in 2009). In 2008, he helped Jordan Basile become the school's all time hit leader (63 in a season, 158 for his career). In 2007 six of the team's starting nine earned first- or second- team all conference.
Bongiovanni played collegiately at the University of Charleston. He was a three-time all conference selection as a catcher at the Division II school. His senior year, he was named National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's NCAA Division II All-North Atlantic Region second team.
Bongiovanni's duties include working with the team's hitters and catchers, throwing batting practice, hitting pregame and dragging the infield. He is currently an Elementary Education teacher at Love School in Jamestown.
Kyle Adams has been with the Devils for six seasons -- four as a player and two as a coach. Adams was a four-year starter and the team's all-time leader in games played. He ranks second in career doubles and seventh in hits. He played shortstop, outfield, and saw action as a pitcher.
Adams' duties working with the infielders and hitter, coaching first base and fundraising organization. Adams graduated with honors with a degree in Education. He is working on his Master's degree and teaches in the Dunkirk School District.
Matt Saeva joined the Blue Devil staff in the fall of 2009 after playing two seasons for the Blue Devils. Matt was a key figure in the Devils record-setting 2009 season. He started eight games and completing four -- including the Devils first post-season game in 16 years and complete-game win over Division II Gannon.
Saeva's duties include working with the pitchers as well as serving as the team's strength and conditioning coach.
Ricky Carlson joined the Blue Devil staff in the fall of 2009 after playing three seasons for the Blue Devils. Ricky was a First Team All SUNYAC selection as a senior in 2009. He also ranked among the national leaders in fewest walks the past two season. In addition, his 7-1 record was the best in team history. Carlson also gained valuable experience in the summer of 2008, pitching in the Western Major Baseball League in Canada.
Carlson will work with the team's pitcher and assist with the team's recruiting efforts.