Tommy Kreider Becomes SUNY New Paltz Baseball First Two-Time All-American
New Paltz Sports Information Department
Tommy Kreider: two-time All-American.
The State University of New York New Paltz Baseball senior second baseball Tommy Kreider was named as an ABCA/Rawlings fourth team and D3Baseball.com fifth team All-American, cementing an already storied legacy for No. 22.
Last season, Kreider was the catalyst in an improbable run to the program's first ever SUNYAC title setting numerous individual records along the way all while having the best season a Hawk has ever had, en route to being named as the team's first ever All-American. He topped his junior campaign with another year of gaudy numbers, earning his second-straight All-American recognition at a deep position across the country at second base.
"I kind of knew he was going to put himself in position to be an All-American," said SUNY New Paltz coach Thomas Seay. "What I didn't anticipate was the depth of the second base position throughout the country. Not only in our conference, which was loaded with quality second basemen, but in our region and nationally. Every guy who was listed as an All-American whether it was first, second or third team was very deserving… being a two-time All-American is quite an accomplishment."
After having the best season any Hawk has ever had as a junior in 2024, leading his team to its first SUNYAC title while becoming the program's first ever All-American, Kreider doubled down and had another standout season. He led his team in batting average (.439), OPS (1.206), runs (63), hits (72), extra base hits (26), slugging percentage (.665), walks (30), on-base-percentage (.541) and steals (37). He set single season program records in doubles (19), runs, stolen base attempts and stolen bases while nearing his 2024 totals in four less games played in single season records he had set in hits and total bases.
"The 2024 and 2025 seasons were tremendous years," Seay said. "Tommy was definitely the headliner of the graduating class but Mike Ascanio was a very special player, Anthony Pericolosi was a very special player, Dillon Ristano had a lot of key moments for us, but definitely Tommy with the things that he was able to accomplish in his career — he quite honestly could have had more accolades, he just battled injuries his freshman and sophomore year a little bit. His second half of his sophomore year, he was every bit as good as he was then than he is now… He had a very special career."
Named among the best in the country, Kreider was joined by just one other from the SUNYAC in Pitcher of the Year Luis Misla of Cortland. Kreider was one of six second baseman selected of the 75 named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-America team. He was also named among 80 players across five times on the 18th annual D3baseball.com All-America team and one of five second basemen recognized.
"Timing, rhythm, just those innate characteristics that you either have or you don't," said Seay of what set Kreider apart as one of the best in the nation. "He always puts himself in a position to be successful. That's a characteristic that's hard to coach, most of the things that we work on is about cleaning up a specific skillset either on the mound or offensively or defensively, but players have to have the athleticism and internal rhythm to them to put themselves in really good positions to be successful. I felt like Tommy was that type of player. All players are different, but I felt like Tommy had that feel of being a really good hitter, being a really good position player."
For Seay, it was the second time in his career he had the opportunity to coach the best player in program history. First was during his tenure at Slippery Rock where he coached Matt Adams, a three-time All-American who went on to get drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009, playing 10-years in the Big Leagues. And although not the pro prospect Adams was, Kreider and Adams still have the link of being the best players to suit up for their collegiate teams. As Kreider departs, he will be regarded as the best to ever play for the Hawks.
"Guys like that are special. They're fun to work with," Seay said. "They're a challenge to work with as well, because they bring out the best in a coach because you have to challenge them to get better. You've got to come to the ballpark prepared to make guys better because they want to be challenged. Those guys, like Tommy and other guys we have in the program, they want to be challenged day in and day out and that's really kind of been the transformation of our success the last couple years. We've got guys that come that want to get better that want to be challenged that want to be coached that want to be developed."
As he notched another All-America accolade, Kreider has developed a Hall of Fame like resume, which includes: Bob Wallace SUNYAC Player of the Year (first ever in program history), two-time ABCA/Rawlings All-American (first ever), two-time D3baseball.come All-American (first ever), three-time ABCA All-Region First Team (first ever), three-time All-SUNYAC selection, D3baseball.com Preseason All-American (first ever), SUNYAC Tournament MVP (first ever) and SUNYAC Champion, all while holding 16 program records before hanging up his cleats for the last time.
However, maybe more importantly, the New City, NY native exits the program leaving it better than how he found it.
"I don't know if you ever replace a player like Tommy quite honestly," Seay said. "They're all different. They're all special. But what he's allowed us to do is to leave the program in a position where we can be a marketable program to the next type of player. The next New Paltz great baseball player. I don't know if you ever replace the person himself, but he has provided a landing spot and he's left the program in a better situation from where in a recruiting standpoint we can show, hey New Paltz baseball a very competitive college baseball program not only within the SUNYAC but in our region and shortly, in the NJAC. We are striving for greatness every single day in arguably the most competitive Division III Baseball in this area has ever been."
To view the full ABCA/Rawlings 2025 All-America team click here.
To view the full D3baseball.com 2025 All-America team click here.
