SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team kicks off 150th season in program history this weekend with a two-game series at Merchant Marine on Sunday beginning at noon.
 
150th Season of Union Baseball
The 2025 season marks the 150th season of Union baseball. The first game in program history was on November 1, 1873, a 27-14 win over the Mohawks. Only two seasons were missed since the 1873-74 season: 1878 and 1943.
 
Schedule Preview
February 23 marks the earliest opening day in program history. Union opens the home portion of the schedule on March 8 with a doubleheader against SUNY Cobleskill. The Garnet Chargers will play 11 non-conference games before heading south to compete in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. Union will play five games in Florida before opening conference play at Vassar College on March 28. The Garnet Chargers will celebrate the class of 2025 with a doubleheader against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on April 26. The Liberty League Crossover Series is set for May 2-3 with the Liberty League Tournament scheduled for May 8-10.   
 
The Lineup
Union's roster is comprised of nine seniors, nine juniors, 10 sophomores, and 10 first-years. Twenty-five players from the 2024 team return for this season.
 
A Look Back at 2024
Union finished the 2024 campaign with a 29-12 record overall and a 12-5 record against Liberty League opponents, marking the best finish for the team since 2018. The Garnet Chargers qualified for the Liberty League Tournament for the first time since 2021. Union went 1-2 in the double-elimination tournament with a win over rival RPI, 11-4, and losses to #30 Ithaca and the University of Rochester.
 
No Place Like Home
In the team's first full season at Central Park under head coach John Muller, Union went 15-3 at home. The program celebrated the first game under the lights with an 18-9 win over Russell Sage and
 
He's Back
The 2024 Liberty League Player of the Year, Caleb Miller, returns for his junior season after a stellar sophomore campaign. Miller earned a spot on the first team for D3baseball.com and the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region III team last season. The Rome, N.Y. native was an All-Liberty League First Team honoree. Miller appeared in 40 games for Union with a .374 average and a 1.081 OPS with 58 hits, 12 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 44 RBI, and 44 runs scored. Miller recorded a 24-game hitting streak which was the longest in over a decade for Union. The catcher ranked in the top three in the conference in runs (third), hits (second), doubles (fourth), triples (second), home runs (second), and RBI (third).
 
The Hot Corner
Senior Kyle Zaslaw is back to man third base after a career year as a junior. Zaslaw appeared in all 41 games for Union last year with 38 starts. He hit a career high .354 with a .432 OBP across 147 at-bats. As a junior, he recorded 52 hits with two triples, five home runs, and 44 RBIs while leading the team with 13 doubles and 20 multi-hit games. In the field, Zaslaw helped turn 11 of Union's 37 double-plays last season. Zaslaw's play earned him a spot on the All-Liberty League First Team and a spot on the ABCA All-Region III Third Team.
 
Suter Up
Senior Chris Suter put together a career year as a junior with a program-record 11 starts and 15 appearances on the mound. Suter went 6-3 with a 4.40 ERA and a career-high 71.2 innings. He led the Union pitching staff with 44 batters and ranked second in the Liberty League in innings pitched and in wins. Suter was stellar in the Liberty League Tournament with a season-high eight strikeouts in seven innings on 122 pitches to defeat top-seeded Rensselaer in the conference tournament. An All-Liberty League Honorable Mention, Suter earned Liberty League Pitcher of the Week once last season as well as a spot on the D3baseball.com Team of the Week.
 
Calling Klein
Junior Jack Klein was one of the steady arms out of the pen during his sophomore campaign. Klein made 13 appearances and two starts. The Wyckoff, N.J. native went 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA and held batters to a .222 average in 25.1 innings. He struck out a career-high 22 batters and only allowed eight earned runs.
 
Leader of the Pack
Senior Sam Strazza recorded a breakout year as a junior to lead the Liberty League and rank eighth in Division III with a .446 batting average and a .555 on-base percentage across 101 at-bats. The conference leader with a .772 slugging percentage, Strazza also ranked 18th nationally. Strazza hit seven home runs, including a home run in each game of the Liberty League Tournament, to rank second on the team and in the conference.  
 
New Kids on the Block
Union welcomes 10 first-years and three transfer students to the roster for the 2025 campaign. The students hail from seven states and two countries. The first-years are comprised of four pitchers, four outfielders, and two infielders.
 
Oh Captain, My Captain!
Seniors Chris Suter and Kyle Zaslaw return for their second season as captains of the Garnet Chargers. Fellow seniors Cal Place, Sam Strazza, and Dan Sheeran round out the captains for Union this spring.