Albany, N.Y. ? The University at Albany baseball team begins its 2008 schedule with four
games at the Clearwater Invitational at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla.
starting on Friday, Feb. 22. The Great Danes, the defending America East
Conference champion, open against Big Ten Conference foe Iowa at 6 p.m. UAlbany
squares off with Liberty at 10:00 a.m. and Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The Great Danes close out the tournament against Notre Dame at 1:30 on Sunday.
UAlbany returns 18 letterwinners,
including three position player starters and six pitchers who were in the
rotation, from last season's 29-29 squad that advanced to the NCAA Regionals
for the first time in school history. The Great Danes have a trio of
all-conference selections from last season, all of which have been named “Top
Players to Watch” in the America East by Collegiate
Baseball newspaper. Senior closer Alexander Beaulieu and junior outfielder
Dave West earned a spot on the America East first team, while junior shortstop
Sean Donovan was selected to the second team. Beaulieu, one of the team's four
captains, registered a conference-high 10 saves and a team-best 2.81 ERA in 24
appearances out of the bullpen. West hit .267 with four home runs and 14 RBI
and Donovan batted .322, 10th in the America East, with 34 runs scored. His 37
RBI was the eighth-best total in the conference.
In the field, the Great Danes will
see a new look to the lineup this season. On a regular basis, at least six
players will likely be at new positions. Behind the plate, junior college
transfer Ryan Gugel, a second team NJCAA All-America selection at Genesee Community College, will see a majority
of the time. On the corners, senior captain Mike Konstanty, who hit .262 in 29
starts as a junior, will be the team's primary first baseman, while junior Zac
Halloran, who made 18 starts at four different positions last season, is slated
to man the hot corner. Up the middle, freshman Kyle Crean, a .438 hitter on the
scholastic level, will be the primary starter at second base and will form a
double-play combination with shortstop Donovan, who has made 96 starts the last
two seasons and recorded 146 assists in 2007.
In the outfield, junior college
transfer Gary Pitcheralle, a two-time All-Region III first-team selection at Alfred State,
will play left field for the Great Danes. West, who registered seven outfield
assists last season, returns to patrol center. Brendan Rowland, a starter in 16
games as a freshman, will see action in right field. Senior Tom Zink, a 27-game
starter last season, will be the team's top designated hitter.
On the mound, senior captain Casey
Walsh, who registered a team-high 57 strikeouts last season, junior Cory Warrings,
the 2007 America East Championship's most outstanding player, and junior Nate
Novak, a two-time first team All-Region III selection at Hudson Valley
Community College, are at the front of head coach Jon Mueller's rotation. The
Great Danes also return senior Marco Rivera and juniors Josh Willimott, Chris
Ott and Sean Gregory, all of whom made starts last season. Juniors Jeff Kaier
and Matthew Herrick, who made 26 and 18 appearances, respectively, combined for
four wins out of the bullpen.
