Part of maturing as an athlete is understanding that your team will not look the same year to year. Your modified baseball team will have different faces than your Varsity team, and that is even more common at the collegiate level. That has not been a concern for identical twins, Adam and Tyler Funk.
Adam and Tyler Funk grew up surrounded by sports, their father was a baseball player at SUNY Cortland in the 80s, and even holds the single-game scoring record in basketball at their alma mater – Stissing Mountain JR/SR High School.
The twins played sports year-round, soccer in the fall, and basketball in the winter, but their favorite sport was baseball. Throughout middle and high school, the Funk twins often had long weekend trips for baseball tournaments in the fall and summer. By the time they reached their sophomore year of high school, they dropped soccer, to concentrate their time on baseball.
During that same year, their older brother, Matt, had just committed to SUNY Cortland to play baseball. During their high school careers, the Funks excelled in baseball, both finishing first all-county in their sophomore and junior season, leading the Pine Plains Bombers to 4 straight section titles. But unlike their older brother Matt, the twins did not see themselves playing at the collegiate level.
Due to COVID-19, Pine Plains 2020 baseball season was canceled, leaving what was seemingly the last chapter in the twin’s baseball careers. With graduation coming up, Adam and Tyler decided to stay close to home and go to Dutchess Community college for the 2020- 2021 school year. They would take trips with their family to see Matt at Cortland and watch his games.
After a few trips, the twins realized they wanted to go to Cortland during the 2021-22 school year to have a year with their older brother Matt as he was in his final year of college the upcoming fall.
Fast forward to the fall of 2021, Adam and Tyler were accepted into Cortland. Being around their older brother made them realize they both missed baseball and the thrill of competition. After talking to Matt, Adam recalls matt pitching the idea of joining club baseball if they wanted to get back into the game.
“Matt said he knew a bunch of guys who were great baseball players, but didn’t want the stress and time commitment of being on the baseball team, so they joined the club baseball team,” Adam said.
This was the exact situation that Adam and Tyler were in.
“I have no doubt that skill-wise we could play at Cortland, but the time I’ve seen Matt put into baseball, would take away from what I want to do while at college,” said Tyler.
The twins took their brother’s advice and decided to try out for the club team in the fall of 2021. After what was as the twins described, a “stressful but rewarding” tryout period, both Adam and Tyler made the Cortland club baseball team.
As the club team’s season draws closer, both Adam and Tyler said they are more than excited to get back out on the field together for the first time since 2019. The Funks look to add onto their more than impressive baseball resumes, as the club baseball team starts their season mid-march.