Baseball Garners Seven All-Conference Honorees
AMERICA EAST ALL-CONFERENCE RELEASE
LOWELL, Mass. – Announced by the America East Conference office Tuesday evening at LaLecheur Park in Lowell, Mass., the University at Albany baseball team garnered a total of seven all-conference honorees. Highlighting the cast, junior Josh Nethaway was named to the first team, while seniors Austin Chase, Nolan Gaige, Kasceim Graham, and Greg Muller were selected to the second team. Rounding out the honors, freshmen Matt Hinchy and Ryan Stinar were picked to the all-rookie team.
Heading into the America East Conference Tournament, Nethaway pilots the Great Danes with a .324 batting average and .472 slugging percentage with 17 doubles, three home runs, and 35 RBI. Against conference opponents this spring, Nethaway boasts a .342 batting average, and league-high 13 two-baggers, while also ranking second with 39 hits. The Fonda, N.Y. native has started all 47 games for the Danes in the outfield with a perfect fielding percentage and earned America East Player of the Week honors twice.
Chase, a native of East Greenbush, N.Y., earned second-team honors for the second consecutive season after accruing a 6-4 record and 3.97 ERA with 54 strikeouts and three complete games on the mound. Chase garnered America East Pitcher of the Week honors once after hurling a complete-game gem versus Maine. In his career, Chase has made 50 appearances on the mound, including 30 starts, accruing a 13-12 overall record and 5.40 earned run average.
Gaige, also a native of East Greenbush, N.Y., has rewritten the UAlbany record book in his four-year career. Playing and starting in 204 games, which ranks second in the archives, Gaige has been a mainstay in the leadoff spot as well as in centerfield for the Great Danes. Entering the tournament with a .311 career average, Gaige is the program's all-time hits leader with 247, the all-time leader for at-bats with 794, as well as the record-holder for career triples with 17. A two-time all-conference honoree, Gaige earned America East Player of the Week honors after leading UAlbany to a series win over UMBC earlier this season. This spring, Gaige boasts a .315 average with nine doubles, six triples, a home run, 30 RBI, and team-high 33 runs scored.
Graham, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., leads the Great Danes with a 7-4 record and 3.93 earned run average in 12 starts this season, including a two-hit complete-game shutout over UMBC. Graham has logged 49 strikeouts with just 19 walks in 68.2 innings of work. Against conference foes, the right-hander owns a 5-3 record with a 3.58 ERA. Making 50 appearances on the mound in his career, Graham has totaled 14 wins, a 4.74 ERA, a save, and 152 strikeouts in four seasons.
Muller, a native of Massapequa, N.Y., has been a mainstay at first base for the Great Danes this season. Muller has appeared in all 47 games with 46 starts, while batting .311 with 10 doubles, two triples, a home run, and a team-high 38 RBI. Muller also leads the Danes against America East opponents with a .346 batting average and co-leads the league with 27 runs batted in.
Hinchy, a native of Miller Place, N.Y. played in 29 games with 25 starts between third base and the designated hitter role. Hinchy batted .283 in his rookie campaign with six doubles, two triples, 13 runs, and 11 RBI. In conference clashes, Hinchy recorded a .292 average and .400 slugging percentage.
Stinar, a native of Forest Hill, Md. also made a mark in his first year, proving to be one of the top closers in the conference. Making 14 appearances, including 10 in relief, Stinar logged a team-high five saves, which also ranks second in the America East. In his first career start, Stinar led UAlbany to a 5-2 victory over UMBC, which also captured the series for the Great Danes. Since then, the rookie also made three more league starts, but went without a decision in all. Stinar will take a 1-0 record with a 3.71 ERA into the conference tournament.
UAlbany, the No. 3 seed, takes on No. 2 Binghamton in the America East Conference Tournament's first round Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. at LaLecheur Park.
