A Fredonia native is making his return to SUNY Niagara as the school's head assistant baseball coach. Cole Tippens joins the Thunderwolves, who are coming off the program's first-ever NJCAA Division III World Series championship. Tippens played a key role in SUNY Niagara's 2024 season, when it compiled a 48-11 record, appeared in the NJCAA Region III semifinals, and a No. 5 ranking in the NJCAA Division III poll. Tippens was a four-year letterman at Fredonia High School from 2014-2017, winning Section VI titles each year under head coach Vince Gullo and reaching the New York State Class B finals in 2016. Most recently, Tippens was a member of the coaching staffs at NJCAA Division II/Region X Patrick & Henry Community College in Virginia in 2026 and NCAA Division III Westminster College in Pittsburgh in 2025.
With the Patriots last season, Tippens was promoted to interim associate head coach and oversaw defensive, offensive and base-running strategies for a 20-22 finish with a .300 batting average, 27 home runs and 261 RBI. With the Titans in 2025, Tippens served as a graduate assistant coach and was named hitting coach, while also overseeing aspects of in-game defensive strategy. Westminster finished 19-22 and appeared in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship for the first time since 2007.
