SUNY Niagara's Keegan Bazinet named DIII Baseball Pitcher of the Year
Charlotte, NC: SUNY Niagara's (NY) right-handed pitcher Keegan Bazinet has been named the 2026 NJCAA Division III Baseball Pitcher of the Year.
The sophomore put together an incredible season for the Thunderwolves, striking out the third-most batters with 89 in the nation and holding a top 10 ERA with 2.54. Bazinet finished the season with a 12-0, 78 innings pitched, five scoreless outings, two shutouts the season, and a WHIP of 1.21.
"Keegan filled in the role as our ace in the starting rotation and ran with it all year," said SUNY Niagara head coach Matt Clingersmith. "In two years, Keegan developed into a mid-90 (miles per hour) pitcher with great pitches and he's a great student-athlete with a degree in Engineering. Keegan was our leader in strikeouts and earned two wins at the NJCAA Division III World Series."
SUNY Niagara would enter the 2026 NJCAA DIII Baseball World Series as the No. 3 seed. In the first round, the Thunderwolves would face off against sixth seeded Northern Essex (MA) and would win 11-5. Their second round matchup would be against 3-time defending champion and No. 2 seed RCSJ Gloucester (NJ) and upset the No. 2 seed 9-7. SUNY Niagara's semifinal matchup would find them facing off with the No. 1 seed Dallas-Eastfield (TX). The Thunderwolves rallied from a three run deficit after the first inning and upset the No. 1 seed 6-5. The championship game would see Niagara rematch against Gloucester in which Niagara would seal the championship with a 12-8 win.
"Keegan will go down as one of the best pitchers in SUNY Niagara program history," Clingersmith said, highlighting the lasting impact of the standout pitchers career.
Bazinet has committed to continuing his baseball career at George Mason University.
