A Message from Head Coach Barry Davis
Dear Rider Supporter,
The 2024-25 baseball season is here. We're coming off a year where Rider again qualified for the MAAC tournament, tying a school record with 18 conference wins (2013). Our season was punctuated by a remarkable win over the 6th-ranked and ACC champion Duke, marking our second victory over the Blue Devils in as many years. The team's national ranking of 21st in defense and the 4th-best walk-strikeout ratio on offense in all of DI are testaments to our resilience and determination.
The 2024 season saw the emergence of three young players. Sophomore RHP PJ Craig was named to the All-MAAC first team. True freshman Joe Tiroly earned All-MAAC second-team honors. Freshman transfer OF Kyle Neri was named to the All-MAAC rookie team.
The 2024-25 roster will include many new faces but will return several key performers from 2024: Junior Centerfielder Anthony Paskell, who hit .403 in conference; sophomore SS Matt Leahy (only three errors); and junior RHP Clayton Poiley, who was 4-3 and garnered MAAC pitcher of the week twice.
The 2025 spring is once again challenging. In addition to the annual MAAC conference opponents, our non-conference early season schedule includes Campbell and Western Carolina. There are mid-week contests vs. St. Joe, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Princeton, NJIT, and Penn State. This year's conference season will include 30 contests. Rider will open conference play on March 7 at St. Peters.
This year, we face a significant challenge. The cost to maintain the level of excellence that Rider baseball has achieved is higher than ever. We must surpass our previous fundraising efforts to ensure that our team can continue to compete at the highest level.
Rider baseball has been a model program for decades, a source of immense pride for our community. We've qualified for one College World Series, 15 regional appearances, and 13 conference championships, including four MAAC tournament championships.
Your contribution is not just financial support, but a vote of confidence in our team and our mission. We deeply appreciate your commitment to Rider Baseball. Your support will be acknowledged in the University's Honor Roll of Donors annual publication, and your donation is 100% tax deductible. You will receive an acknowledgment letter for your tax files. On behalf of the Rider baseball program and its players, I extend my heartfelt thanks to you for your unwavering support.
Barry Davis
Head Baseball Coach