Head Coach
psaikia@ycp.edu
(717) 815-1245
Head Baseball Coach Paul Saikia
Paul Saikia enters his 21st year as Head
Baseball Coach at York College of Pennsylvania. He has elevated the
Spartan program to one of the most respected in the region, if not
the nation.
Saikia has led his Spartans to three Capital
Athletic Conference championships during his tenure as York. The
Spartans have also made seven NCAA Tournament appearances under the
guidance of Saikia.
In 1991, the Spartans won the Capital Athletic
Conference Championship and made their first trip to the NCAA in
eight years. As the number one seed in the Mid-Atlantic region,
York finished the campaign with a then school-record 28 wins in 39
games.
Saikia’s 1992 squad earned another trip to
the NCAA tournament with a 27 win season while the skipper earned
Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors.
After a two-year absence, the Spartans returned
to the NCAA Tournament in both 1995 and 1996. The 1996 season also
included York’s second Capital Athletic Conference
championship and Saikia’s second Coach-of-the-Year selection.
The Spartans capture their third CAC Championship in 1999 and
Saikia earned his third Conference Coach-of-the-Year
award.
The 2002 season saw the Spartans reach new
heights as they recorded a school-record 34 wins en route to a
second-place finish in the Winston-Salem Regional. The Spartans
finished the campaign ranked 16th in the nation, the highest finish
ever for a Spartan squad. The Spartans made their sixth NCAA
Tournament appearance under Saikia’s guidance in 2004. York
returned to the tournament in 2007 where they finished third in the
Ferrum Regional. The Spartans won three elimination games as they
advanced to the consolation finals before falling to host
Ferrum.
Saikia picked up his 400th career win on March
7, 2006 when the Spartans defeated Dickinson College 14-1. He now
owns a career record of 452-305-4.
Saikia, his assistants, and his players continue
to put a wealth of energy into York’s well-respected program.
An obvious area of attention is the Spartans' home, Jaquet Field,
which was renovated after the 2001 season, making it one of the
finest facilities on the east coast.
Saikia is a native of Chicago, Illinois. In
1985, he graduated from Southern Illinois University where he
earned his bachelor of arts degree while pitching for the
“Salukis” on a baseball scholarship.
Saikia also serves as an assistant athletic
director at YCP, a position he assumed in July of
2001.
Mike Scappa
Asst. Baseball Coach
mscappa@ycp.edu
Assistant Baseball Coach Mike Scappa
Mike Scappa enters his tenth season as an assistant coach and
his 14th as a part of the York College Spartan baseball program.
Scappa was a four-year starter as a switch-hitting catcher from
1995-1998. Scappa coaches first base while working closely with the
team’s hitters and catchers.
Scappa has accumulated a wealth of baseball knowledge during
his playing career that included high school baseball at
tradition-filled Gloucester Catholic High School in southern New
Jersey. He played summer ball for the Brooklyn American Legion that
is perennially considered one of the best in the nation.
While wearing the green and white of York College, Scappa
accomplished as much as any team leader in program history. A
two-time captain of the team, Scappa hit for a career average of
.305 and was twice named to the All-CAC squad. He made two trips to
the NCAA Tournament and won one CAC championship.
Scappa graduated from York College in 1998 with his
bachelor’s degree in history. Scappa resides in York with his
wife, Heather, and their son, Carter.
Matt Day
Asst. Baseball Coach
gday@ycp.edu
Assistant Baseball Coach Matt Day
Matt Day returns for his second year as a member of Paul
Saikia’s coaching staff. Day was a standout four-year starter
at shortstop from 1999-2002. His coaching duties include working
extensively with the infielders while also assisting Coach Scappa
with the hitters. Day also works extensively in recruiting for the
program.
Day was one of the most decorated players in Spartan history.
He was a two-time All-American, earning second team honors after
his junior year and a third team pick as a senior. Day is the only
Spartan baseball player to ever earn All-American honors
twice.
He owns career records for hits (251), runs scored (183), and
doubles (66). Day is ranked fourth in career batting average (.393)
and fifth in RBIs (139). Day was named the 2002 Capital Athletic
Conference Player-of-the-Year in addition to being named to the
All-CAC squad in all four years of his career.
Day was also a two-time District II Academic All-America and a
national Academic All-America in 2001.
Day currently serves as the manager of Campus Recreation. He
lives in Hellam with his wife, Sara, a former Spartan women’s
basketball player.