NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Niagara Thunderwolves have been storming through baseball seasons for the better part of two decades. This year it seems they have caught lightning in a bottle.
Undefeated at 44-0 entering the postseason and stocked with Western New York and Southern Ontario locals being recruited by NCAA schools, the Thunderwolves are ranked No. 2 in the country among Division III junior colleges.
"It's been awesome," coach Matt Clingersmith said. "I'm more happy for the kids. Because they're local kids getting the recognition that they deserve. They work hard, and the social media and the text messages I've been getting from family friends and outsiders and saying, 'Hey, you guys killed it, good job,' even teams in our region, other coaches. It's been awesome because we do put a lot of hard work into this and to get all that and get recognized, it's been like a dream come true."
SUNY Niagara, formerly Niagara County Community College and long before that Nabisco Tech, has won more than 75% of its games since Clingersmith took command in 2006 of a program that had not had a winning record in ages. The Thunderwolves have qualified for the NJCAA D-III World Series eight times as regional champions, and have been national runner-up on three occasions.
But this is the first time Clingersmith’s crew has been unbeaten this deep into what he calls the “sprinter” season, due to the late-arriving baseball weather along the Niagara Frontier. "We've played in rain, snow and sleet," the coach said.
The Thunderwolves' fewest losses at this point in any previous season was three in 2011. They are currently five wins away from matching the school record (49) set in 2022. As they prepare to open the playoffs hosting Broome CC in a sub-regional series starting Saturday night at Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls, the Thunderwolves are back at the top of the order
“We’re truly 0-0 now that playoffs are starting," said Gavyn Boyle, a native of nearby Gasport who was a Juco All-American last season after transferring home from Virginia Commonwealth University, and will be returning to the NCAA Division I ranks next year at Southern Indiana.
The winner of the best-of-three series that concludes Sunday at Sal Maglie advances to the four-team, double-elimination Region III championship in Auburn, N.Y. The national tournament also will be played there at Falcon Park in Cayuga County. The Thunderwolves' past World Series trips have been to Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina.
"Hopefully we get back to the World Series and get that Buffalo support," said Clingersmith, a Niagara Falls native who pitched for Erie Community College and Canisius College before getting hired by NCCC at age 22. "Buffalo is a great sports town with a great fan base. Playing back here in Niagara Falls where I was born and raised has been a dream come true."
Clingersmith has helped more than 100 of his former players achieve their dream of playing college baseball at the scholarship level. Most all of the 20 sophomores on the current roster have D-I or D-II offers for next year, including pitchers Nolan Feidt and Mark Holm going to St. Bonaventure, Starpoint graduate Sean Duffy headed to Canisius, Aidan Paul (Medina) to High Point, and infielder Braden Hill (St. Francis) to Mercyhurst.
Matt Barr, a 6-foot-6 freshman power pitcher from Cheektowaga, is being recruited by SEC schools and expected to be selected in this summer's MLB draft.
Much of the Thunderwolves pack came of age together playing travel ball. That has helped foster a family atmosphere in the dugout.
"Forget about me, I love you," Barr explained the acronym. "Team over everything."
Niagara's flow of success over the years has fertilized the recruiting trail and helped the program continue to achieve more.
"We're a staple in Western New York and we're a staple nationally," Clingersmith said. "We're here to stay now. We've earned our mark nationally as an elite program."
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
