One of the top baseball coaches in NCAA D-III history, the roots for Paul Saikia’s success began at Salem Community High School.

A 1980 graduate of SCHS, Saikia was a stellar pitcher for the Wildcats having tossed a no-hitter against Mt. Vernon in a contest where he had the game’s only hit and the game’s only run.

Saikia continued his baseball career as a player at Eastern Illinois where he was part of a Panthers squad that reached the NCAA D-II World Series. Saikia transferred to Rend Lake College and transferred again to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Saikia played two seasons for the Kenai Peninsula Oilers in the Alaska League and was named to the All-Alaska Team in 1984.

After his days as a player ended, he became the head baseball coach at York, PA. College. Saikia served as the Spartans head coach for 24 years and complied a 515-392-4 record during that time. His teams won three Capital Athletic Conference championships and three times he was named the CAC Coach of the Year (1992,1996 and 1999). Nine times he coached teams that reached the NCAA D-III tournament. Saikia coached four players that won the CAC Player of the Year and five players who were named CAC rookie of the Year.

Saikia served as York’s assistant athletic director form 2001-11. He was named interim assistant Dean of Athletics in 2011, the same year he stepped away from coaching the Spartans baseball program. Saikia had the interim tag removed the following summer. Saikia was inducted into the York College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.