LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Baseball Head Coach Tony Rossi has announced the addition of 17 newcomers to the roster for the upcoming 2023 season. The Saints have welcomed 12 true freshmen plus five transfers, as nearly half of the squad's 38-man roster is comprised of newcomers.
 
"We are extremely excited to have this group of young men added to our program," said Rossi, who is set to enter his 54^th season at the helm of the Siena Baseball program next spring. "This is a talented group of newcomers who will each have an opportunity to have an impact athletic career at Siena, and they will be a positive addition to the community."
 
The 17 newcomers feature a breakdown of nine pitchers and eight position players, with three of the hurlers being lefthanded. The five transfers include three juniors and a pair of sophomores, with two of the additions matriculating to Siena from high-major programs.
 
A native of Weston, Florida, Sebastian Bentz joins the Saints after spending the past two seasons at Triton College out of the junior college ranks in River Grove, Illinois. The 6-3, 215-pound junior lefthanded pitcher appeared in 15 games (11 starts) over his two years with the Trojans, and posted a 3-2 record with a 4.11 ERA over seven starts last spring. Bentz concluded his high school career at Zachary High School in Louisiana, where he was rated as the fourth-best lefthanded pitcher in the state by Perfect Game. In 2019, he participated in both the MLB Dream Series in Arizona and the MLB Breakthrough Series in Florida.
 
Another junior transfer, Rob Conley matriculates to Siena following junior college stops at Mohawk Valley Community College (2022) and Herkimer College (2021). A versatile 6-2, 190-pound junior catcher who can also play the outfield, the Utica, New York native earned All-League honors after hitting .292 with 31 runs scored, while leading the Hawks in doubles (nine), homers (four), and RBI (31) this past spring. Conley then went on to hit .306 this summer while playing for the Watertown Rapids in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. He hit .310 with a pair of homers and 16 RBI over just 29 at-bats while helping Herkimer to a 32-4 overall record and a Region III Championship Game appearance in 2021. Conley played his high school baseball at Thomas R. Proctor.
 
The Saints third junior transfer is two-way player Richie Paltridge who arrives at Siena via Penn State. A 6-2, 200-pound lefthander out of Montgomery, New York, he had his first two seasons with the Nittany Lions curtailed following Tommy John surgery. Paltridge returned to action this summer with the Nashua Silver Knights of the Future Collegiate Baseball League where, as a hitter, he hit .265 with a pair of homers and 18 RBI. A New York State Section IX First Team selection while serving as a team captain for John S. Burke Catholic High, he was ranked as the sixth-best lefthanded pitcher in the state by Perfect Game, while as a hitter he broke the Section IX single-game record with four home runs in a contest. Paltridge, who played his travel ball for the Frozen Ropes Rockies, is expected to be an additional asset for the Saints in both the outfield and at first base in addition to pitching.
 
One of two sophomore transfers to join Siena, Ramsey Collins red-shirted this past season at the University of Connecticut. The 6-0, 195-pound righthanded pitcher out of Oakton, Virginia is a hard thrower with a plus breaking pitch. Collins was an All-League selection at James Madison High, who he helped lead to the 2021 Class 6 State Championship.
 
Billy Rice is a sophomore righthanded pitcher who matriculates to Siena after spending his freshman season at Division II Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. The two-way, 6-2, 175-pound product out of Coto de Caza, California saw action exclusively as a position player for the Jets, registering 18 at-bats over nine appearances. Rice attended Mater Dei High School.
 
A local standout from right in Loudonville, Danny Barbero was named both an Albany Times Union Large School First Team All-Star and a Suburban Council First Team selection this spring while starring at Colonie Central. The 5-9, 185-pound infielder set a Colonie single-season record with nine homers, while hitting .533 with seven doubles, 25 RBI, and 14 stolen bases during his senior season.
 
Another Section II standout, Ryan Bates earned Albany Times Union Large School Second Team honors this past spring as a standout at nearby Shaker High. The 6-2, 215-pound righthanded pitcher out of Cohoes possesses outstanding command, and features a fastball touching the low 90's which is complimented by a sharp curveball.
 
A native of Caldwell, New Jersey, Nick Bergamotto hit .392 with 88 runs scored, 77 RBI, 36 extra-base hits, and 47 stolen bases as a four-year starter at Caldwell High. The 5-8, 180-pound infielder earned All-Area and All-League acclaim each of the past two seasons. Bergamotto hit .453 with 37 RBI and 20 stolen bases this spring while leading the Chiefs to the NJSIAA Section 2, Group 2 Championship. He played his summer ball for the prestigious Diamond Jacks.
 
One of the top hitters and outfielders downstate in Section 1, Sean Camacho was an All-Area, All-Section, and All-League selection each of the past two seasons at Roy C. Ketcham. The 5-9, 150-pound Wappingers Falls, New York native was named a Poughkeepsie Journal All-Star after leading Ketcham to the Section 1 Class AA Championship this spring. Camacho also starred for the Beekman Gamers where he earned Hudson Valley Collegiate Baseball League Second Team honors. A multi-sport standout, he was also an All-County and All-League selection in football.
 
A native of Fairfield, Connecticut, Joe D'Elia starred in the outfield at Fairfield Prep. The 6-0, 165-pound product was a two-time Second Team All-Southern Connecticut Conference selection after helping lead the Jesuits to consecutive SCC Championships the past two seasons. D'Elia also played football at Fairfield Prep.
 
Another local product from nearby East Greenbush, New York, Eddie Girtler was named the Colonial Council Co-MVP this spring. The 6-0, 191-pound lefthanded pitcher was also tabbed an All-County and All-League selection as well as an Albany Times Union Large School Second Team All-Star following a stellar senior season at the La Salle Institute, which was punctuated by a no-hitter in a Section II Tournament victory over Queensbury.
 
Cam Heeman is a 6-0, 160-pound righthanded pitcher who joins the Saints following a postgraduate year at Canterbury School. The Beacon Falls, Connecticut native was an All-League selection while setting the school record for wins his senior season at Woodland High School. Heeman played club with the CT Gamecocks.
 
Chris McKeon is considered one of the top pitchers from Section 1. The 6-3, 200-pound righthander from Mahopac, New York was a four-year mainstay in the rotation for the Indians. McKeon played club with the Northeast Pride.
 
Rob Moynihan is a 6-1, 195-pound righthanded pitcher from Ledyard, Connecticut. He was a two-year starting pitcher at Ledyard. Moynihan played his travel baseball with the CT Hurricanes.
 
A native of Sterling, New York, Louis Percival was an on-base machine this spring at Christian Brothers Academy. The 5-11, 185-pound catcher hit .545 (30-55) with 28 runs scored, seven doubles, 14 RBI, and seven stolen bases while adding 14 walks in 20 games during his senior season.
 
Aiden Stewart was a central part of a pair of State Championships (2019, 2022) at McQuaid Jesuit. The 5-10, 180-pound infielder out of Victor, New York earned All-Greater Rochester First Team honors this past spring. Stewart played travel baseball for Diamond Pro.
 
Gavin Thorburn joins the Saints from The MacDuffie School in Massachusetts. The 6-0, 170-pound outfielder from Norwich, Connecticut was a team captain who broke numerous records. Thorburn previously played for Bacon Academy.