Douglas Kimbler has been the New York University baseball team’s head coach since the Division III varsity program began in 2014-15. His teams have posted an overall 203-143-1 record and have had only one losing season.
Two of Kimbler’s players have been signed by a Major League Baseball organization. Outfielder Adrian Spitz was inked by the Oakland Athletics in 2017, while the Washington Nationals drafted and signed catcher CJ Picerni following the 2016 season.
In 2025, the Violets posted their eighth consecutive winning season, finishing with a 20-17-1 record and tying the program mark with eight University Athletic Association (UAA) victories. The teams’ pitchers struck out a program-record 304 batters, while the teams’ hitters twice belted four home runs in a game, tying the team record.
Another Violet signed a professional contract following the ’25 season, as shortstop Dakota Barbet was inked by the Reggio Rays in Serie A, the top division of Italy’s domestic league. Several other individuals also made their marks, as Kosta Mocklis was selected
D3baseball.com Second Team Region 4 and ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association)/Rawlings All-Region IV Second Team, Connor Roggero was named ABCA/Rawlings All-Region IV Third Team, and both earned First Team All-UAA honors.
The accolades were not confined to the diamond as 12 players earned UAA Spring All-Academic honors.
In 2024, the Violets went 25-13 overall and 8-8 in the UAA. Kimbler oversaw an offensive explosion by his team, as the Violets established program records for batting average (.343), runs (361), hits (455), home runs (36), doubles (100), slugging percentage (.507), and on-base percentage (.436). His pitchers recorded the then-most strikeouts (279) in team annals, while the defense set new marks for fielding percentage (.970) and fewest errors (40).
NYU was fourth in NCAA Division III in batting average, eighth in on-base percentage, and 12
th in slugging percentage.
Kimbler’s players received a multitude of accolades. Cam Dunn was chosen ABCA All-Region 4 First Team and First Team All-UAA. Nick Argenziano was selected First Team All-UAA and ABCA All-Region 4 Third Team. Alex VanLandingham was also named First Team All-UAA, while Harrison Blueweiss, Nate Pallotta and Andrew Reid were Second Team honorees.
The accolades were not limited to the diamond as 14 players received UAA All-Academic honors and four were selected College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District.
In 2023, the Violets posted a 17-16 record, ending the campaign on a five-game winning streak. The squad set then-program records for home runs (23) and fewest errors (46), while recording a .312 batting average.
Several players were honored for their outstanding achievements. The trio of Dunn, Richard Beggy and John Gassler all received First Team All-UAA accolades. Gassler also was cited as a
D3baseball.com Fifth Team All-American and First Team All-Region 4, while Dunn was a Third Team selection. The ABCA recognized Gassler as First Team All-Region 4 and VanLandingham as All-Defensive Team – Region 4 (outfield).
A total of 17 players earned UAA All-Academic honors. Gassler was chosen as a CSC Second Team Academic All-American and was one of three players to earn CSC Academic All-District honors. In addition, three players earned the prestigious Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award.
Kimbler’s 2022 squad went 19-13, winning its first 12 games of the season and 14 of the first 15.
Individually, Grant Berman was selected First Team All-UAA, ABCA All-Region 4 Third Team and All-ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) Honorable Mention. Jacob Singer was a First Team All-UAA honoree, while Dunn, Gassler and Connor Roggero were all Second Team choices. Roggero also made ABCA All-Region 4 Third Team.
There were also many accolades bestowed for their classroom performances, as 21 team members earned UAA All-Academic honors while Gassler, Reid, Ryan Carr, and Joe Cetale received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award. The Violets also received the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award.
NYU did not compete at all in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic and only played five games in 2020. That squad went 4-1, with several of Kimbler’s players receiving accolades for their performances. Both Coltrane Tait and Berman earned UAA Player of the Week honors and received All-UAA honors along with Gabe Golob, Ford Ladd and Michael Santorum.
A total of 15 players earned UAA All-Academic honors in 2021, while 14 were selected in 2020.
Prior to the shortened 2020 campaign, Kimbler’s teams had won at least 20 games every season, including a 26-13 mark in 2019. The Violets also posted a best-ever 8-8 record in UAA play in 2019, including a six-game winning streak from April 13-21 which featured five victories against UAA opponents Washington University in St. Louis and Brandeis University.
Under Kimbler’s leadership in ‘19, Colman Hendershot earned Third Team CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-America honors, as well as Second Team All-East Region accolades from both the ABCA and
D3baseball.com. Hendershot was also selected First Team All-UAA and All-ECAC, and was chosen NYU’s Senior Athlete of the Year.
Also that season, Jack Walter earned Second Team honors from both the ABCA and
D3baseball.com, and was named First Team All-UAA and Second Team All-ECAC. Ryan McLoughlin earned Third Team honors from both the ABCA and
D3baseball.com and was a Second Team All-UAA selection.
The excellence of Kimbler’s players were not confined to the playing field as 12 team members earned UAA All-Academic honors during the 2019 campaign.
In 2018, Kimbler’s squad finished the season with a program-record 28 wins (28-12) and a 6-10 mark in the UAA. The Violets went undefeated over its spring trip (7-0) and posted winning records both at home (13-7) and away (8-5). Multiple players received honors for their outstanding play. Hendershot, Tate, Jonathon Iaione, and Cameron Serapilio-Frank were selected First Team All-UAA, while Cooper Halpern and McLaughlin earned Second Team accolades. Additionally, Hendershot earned UAA Co-Player of the Year,
D3Baseball.com First Team All New York Region and First Team All-ECAC honors. Iaione was named to the UAA 30-Year Anniversary Team as well as First Team All-ECAC. Tait earned
D3baseball.com Second Team All-New York Region honors, while Serapilio-Frank earned Third Team accolades.
Kimbler posted his first winning season with the Violets in 2017, as the team went 23-13 overall and 4-8 in the UAA. The Violets won six of their last seven games and posted a 17-6 record at their home field, MCU Park in Coney Island. Hendershot, Iaione and Walter earned First Team All-UAA honors, with Iaione also being named UAA Position Player of the Year, First Team All-ECAC Metro, ABCA First Team All-New York Region, and Second Team All-New York Region by
D3Baseball.com. Walter was also selected First Team All-ECAC Metro and ABCA Second Team All-New York Region, while Hendershot was recognized as Second Team All-New York Region by
D3Baseball.com and Third Team All-New York Region by the ABCA.
In 2016, Kimbler’s Violets produced a 20-22 record, including an 8-5 victory over #3-ranked Emory University on March 10. Following the season, Spitz earned First Team All-UAA honors and was a Second Team All-ECAC selection.
In Kimbler’s first season in 2015, the Violets finished 21-23 overall and 2-6 in the UAA. Composed of a roster featuring mainly freshmen and sophomores, Kimbler helped guide the team to a 12-5 record in the final 17 games of the campaign. NYU’s inaugural Division III season was also highlighted by a number of individual accomplishments, including Second Team All-UAA honors for Matthew Millus, Picerni and Spitz.
Kimbler, who came to NYU after two seasons as head coach of NYU-Poly’s baseball team, brought a wealth of collegiate and professional experience. He served as head coach at Hartwick College for three seasons (2004-06) and as assistant head coach at Castleton State College for two (2007-08).
After playing for the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY, Kimbler was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 1990 MLB Amateur Draft. He played eight years at the minor league level for both the Tigers and the Chicago Cubs organizations before returning to Saint Rose and earning his Bachelor of Science degree in special education in 1998. He
was inducted into the College’s Hall of Fame in 2007.
Kimbler’s first collegiate coaching experience was as the infield and hitting coach for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 2001-03. While there, he helped lead the Engineers to three Liberty League Championships and three NCAA Tournament bids, including an appearance in the 2002 Division III World Series.
From 2008-12, Kimbler served as Vice President of the Westland Hills Little League in Albany and was in charge of all baseball operations.
A native of Plattsburgh, NY, Kimbler resides in Albany with his wife Amy and their sons Teige and Willie.
KIMBLER'S YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD
NYU
| Year |
Overall |
UAA |
| 2015 |
21-23 |
2-6 |
| 2016 |
20-22 |
2-6 |
| 2017 |
23-12 |
4-8 |
| 2018 |
28-12 |
6-10 |
| 2019 |
26-13 |
8-8 |
| 2020* |
4-1 |
----- |
| 2021** |
----- |
----- |
| 2022 |
19-13 |
7-9 |
| 2023 |
17-16 |
5-10 |
| 2024 |
25-13 |
8-8 |
| 2025 |
20-17-1 |
8-11-1 |
| TOTALS |
203-143-1 (.586) |
50-76-1 (.397) |
NYU-Poly
| Year |
Overall |
Skyline |
| 2013 |
3-20 |
1-15 |
| 2014 |
4-18 |
4-12 |
| TOTALS |
7-38 |
5-27 |
Hartwick
| Year |
Overall |
Empire 8 |
| 2004 |
8-26 |
2-6 |
| 2005 |
10-28 |
2-6 |
| 2006 |
15-21 |
6-10 |
| TOTALS |
33-75 |
10-22 |
Overall Record: 243-256-1 (.487)
* Season suspended due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
** Season canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
