Baseball Opens Season Friday At Ron Fraser Classic

Photo: Jeff Welsh

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The University at Albany baseball team opens its 2013 campaign this weekend in Cary, N.C. at the Ron Fraser Classic. The tournament begins Friday, February 15, and runs through Sunday, February 17 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The Great Danes will face four of the nine teams in attendance; starting Friday against Canisius at 3:30 p.m. UAlbany will also go head-to-head with Toledo, Wright State, and Delaware.

2012 UALBANY SEASON SUMMARY (22-32-1, 16-8 America East)
In 2012, UAlbany earned the No. 2 seed in the America East Championship, recording the highest total league wins in the program's Division I history with a 16-8 record. Seven earned all-conference honors, highlighted by first-teamers Mike Tirri and Nolan Gaige, as Gaige finished the season ranked third in the nation for triples (9). In addition, left-handed pitcher Sean Lucas was chosen in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, marking the highest draft choice from the UAlbany program since 2002, and the eighth player in UAlbany history to be selected.

2013 OUTLOOK
The Great Danes return 20 from a season ago, including eight starting position players. UAlbany added 10 newcomers to the mix, including Derek Zielinski, a redshirt senior transfer from LeMoyne College who is expected to make an immediate impact in the pitching rotation. UAlbany was picked to finish fourth in the America East preseason coaches' poll.

THE COACH
Jon Mueller enters his 14th season as the head coach of the University at Albany baseball program in 2013. The Stillwater, N.Y. native has had proven success as both a player and coach throughout his career. Mueller ranks first among UAlbany's career leaders with 279 coaching victories, and was named the America East Coach of the Year in 2004. He also led the Danes to the program's first America East Conference tournament championship title and NCAA appearance in 2007. Mueller has produced dozens of all-conference standouts and has had six players selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft under his direction, including one in each of the past two seasons.

THE HURLERS
UAlbany looks to fill the void of graduates Sean Lucas and Zach Kraham with projected weekend starters Derek Zielinski, Austin Chase, and Kasceim Graham. Chase (4-2, 4.24 ERA) and Graham (2-5, 5.37 ERA) combined for a 6-7 record in 2012, while Zielinski went 9-3 in 2012 for LeMoyne with 98 strikeouts and a 3.17 ERA. Some important bullpen arms include Stephen Carey, Cameron Sorgie and Merced College transfer Andrew Jaurique.

PROJECTED ROTATION AT FRASER CLASSIC
RHP Derek Zielinski vs. Canisius
RHP Austin Chase vs. Toledo
RHP Kasceim Graham vs. Wright State
TBD vs. Delaware

THE INFIELD
While the mound will see some changes, the infield returns nearly the entire cast from 2012. The left side boasts two 2012 America East All-Rookie Team selections in sophomores Joey Tracy and Gordon Madej. Tracy started 42 games at third a year ago, batting .291 with 19 RBI, while Madej was a mainstay at shortstop, starting all 55 games with 21 double plays turned. He also hit .262 with 29 RBIs. Redshirt junior Brian Bullard returns to fill second base. He recorded a .282 batting average in conference play and ranked second on the team with 99 assists.  Continuing on to first base, Greg Muller, a native of Massapequa, N.Y., recorded a .301 batting average in 2012 with a .400 on-base percentage. The senior lined five doubles, knocked in 13 runs, and scored 16. Muller is one of the team's most trusted defenders, logging a .993 fielding percentage with 247 putouts and 20 assists last season. Behind the plate, sophomore Craig Lepre returns after a solid rookie season. Lepre made 34 starts, batting .214

THE OUTFIELD
UAlbany's top returning bats reside in the outfield, as junior D.J. Hoagboon, senior Nolan Gaige, and redshirt junior Josh Nethaway will cover the gaps. Hoagboon, a junior from Mayfield, N.Y., is the Great Danes' top returning hitter, batting .318 overall and .392 in conference play in 2012. The second team All-America East outfielder recorded a .398 on-base percentage and .411 slugging percentage, including seven doubles, two triples, and a home run. Gaige, a three-time all-conference pick and first team selection in 2012, started all 55 games, hitting .302 with a team-best 42 runs scored. Gaige also belted 11 doubles, a team-high nine triples, and one home run, while also pacing the Danes with 14 stolen bases. Nethaway, a redshirt junior, finished second on the squad a year ago with a .313 batting average. The Fonda, N.Y. native was also a second team all-conference selection and All-Academic honoree, logging 12 doubles, a triple and two home runs, while scoring 27 runs and driving in 30. Splitting starts between first base and the outfield, Nethaway boasted a .993 fielding percentage with 275 putouts and 23 assists.

CAPTAINS
D.J. Hoagboon, Josh Nethaway, Greg Muller, and Jeff Welsh were named team captains for the 2013 baseball season. Welsh, a redshirt senior from West Haverstraw, N.Y., batted .284 a season ago with a .474 slugging percentage, including three home runs, three triples, and three doubles. Likely to spend time as UAlbany's designated hitter, he also knocked home 16 runs, while scoring 17 in 2012.

THE OPPONENTS
CANISIUS (2012: 33-27, 16-8 MAAC): With a 33-27 overall record, Canisius advanced to the championship game of its conference tournament in 2012, while going 16-8 in regular season MAAC play. The Griffins lost to league champion Manhattan in extra innings in each of the final two games of the conference tournament. In this season's preseason poll, Canisius is forecasted to finish second in the MAAC, while junior right-handed pitcher Garrett Cortright was selected to the preseason all-league team. Cortright, who went 6-6 with a 3.50 ERA in 16 appearances last season and was a second team All-MAAC pick, is expected to start against UAlbany on Friday.

TOLEDO (2012: 30-27, 19-8 MAC): With a 19-8 record in Mid-American Conference play and 30-27 overall record, Toledo comes off one of its best seasons in program history. The Rockets won the regular season MAC West division title and earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. Toledo's top returners include junior left-handed pitcher Ryan Wilkinson, senior infielder Matt Delewski and junior catcher/infielder James Miglin. UAlbany is expected to face senior southpaw Kyle Shaw (6-3, 3.87 ERA).

WRIGHT STATE (2012: 37-21, 20-10 Horizon): Tournament host Wright State went 37-21 last season and boasted a 20-10 mark in the Horizon League. The Raiders were picked third in the Horizon's preseason coaches' poll. WSU's top-returners include senior catcher Garrett Gray who batted .354 last season, and senior shortstop Justin Kopale (.281, 45 RBI). On the mound, junior pitchers Taylor Braun and Joey Hoelzel each return to the starting rotation after combining to account for 24 starts and 11 wins last season.

DELAWARE (2012: 31-27, 17-13 CAA): Delaware, which fell just one game short of claiming a Colonial Athletic Association Championship a year ago, earned a No. 4 spot in the CAA Coaches pre-season poll. Junior first baseman Jimmy Yezzo was named the CAA Pre-Season Co-Player of the Year. On the mound, juniors Chad Kuhl (5-5, 4.42 ERA) and Dan Gatto (4-2, 4.89 ERA) are expected to resume their slots in the starting rotation. Kuhl was a pre-season CAA honorable mention and was named the No. 1 prospect in the CAA by Baseball America.

ON DECK
UAlbany meets the South Carolina Gamecocks for the first time in program history in a three-game series at Carolina Stadium (Feb. 22-24). The SEC powerhouse won the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in 2010 and 2011, and finished 2012 as the nation's runner-up.