Despite losing their three starting pitchers at the end of the 2023 season, NYU baseball has started off the 2024 year strong — holding their opponents to only 32 runs in the season’s first seven games.
The 2024 season for NYU’s baseball began Feb. 24. On opening weekend, the Violets scored 60 runs in four games. The following weekend, despite losing one out of the three games, they scored an impressive 26 runs in three games.
Junior outfielder and co-captain Nate Pallotta started his season on a hot streak, hitting .448 with two home runs and a team-leading 14 runs batted in. He was happy to start the season with a weekend of wins, but Pallotta believes team unity and morale are important elements to keep the success going.
“My only focus has been on uniting the group of guys and keeping everyone focused on working hard and being good teammates,” Pallotta said. “The goal that we have been focusing on since the start of our fall season is to just work as hard as possible and be extremely focused every day.”
Pallotta believes in helping every individual player find their own place of focus, preferring to boost morale off the field.
“I told everyone that we need to all come back this year as better people and better players, regardless of how good or bad your individual performance was,” Pallotta said. “I think that is exactly what everyone has worked towards and has done.”
Coach Doug Kimbler, who is returning for his tenth season, also pointed out that a new indoor facility leveled the playing field with the rest of the conference.
First baseman Nick Argenziano, a co-captain and graduate student, has impressed early on in the season, hitting .320 with a team-leading 12 runs scored.
“I think baseball and spring sports have some stuff to prove and we’re excited to show it to the NYU athletics community,” Argenziano said.
Argenziano wants the energy in the stands to be as high as it is on the field. The Violets play their home games on Staten Island, and he hopes more people will make the trip on the ferry to come fill the stands.
“The added pieces on the pitching side, as well as the experience of the hitters, can really prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the UAA,” Argenziano said. “That could be the best chance we’ve had for the win, for sure.”
The Violets will look to restart their winning streak this weekend with a three-game series against the College of Mount Saint Vincent at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park. The series opens with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 9 and continues with a single game on Sunday.
Contact Sidney Snider at [email protected].
