Baseball to Play Home Opener Against Fordham Wednesday
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ALBANY, N.Y.— Due to impending weather, the University at Albany baseball team will play its home opener against Fordham on Wednesday beginning at 2 p.m. at Varsity Field.
SCOUTING UALBANY (8-12, 1-2 America East)
HEAD COACH: Jon Mueller (Eckerd College (Fla.) '92), 17th season
THE COACH: Jon Mueller enters his 17th season as head coach of the University at Albany baseball team in 2016. The Stillwater, N.Y. native has had proven success as both a player and coach throughout his career. Mueller is first among UAlbany's career leaders with 328 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.
OVERVIEW: The Great Danes are coming off a 1-2 week with a 3-0 win over Harvard as well as a 5-4 loss to Fairfield and 3-2 loss to Harvard. Junior RHP Stephen Woods (3-1) picked up the win against Harvard, throwing a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts. Brendan Ryan (1-1) was given the loss in the Fairfield game that went to extra innings after pitching 2.2 innings and giving up two hits and striking out four, but threw a wild pitch that allowed Fairfield to score the game winning run. Kenny McLean (1-2) lost the second game of Sunday's doubleheader after going 5.0 innings and allowed one earned run on six hits with four strikeouts. Connor Powers led the Danes this week with a .333 batting average and batted in two runs. Brian Paulino (1-0, 2.16 ERA) will get the start for UAlbany against Fordham.
LAST WEEK'S TOP PERFORMERS
(Player) Evan Harasta/RJr./C/Webster, N.Y.
- Batted .300 this past week with three RBI's, two runs scored and two doubles.
(Pitcher) Stephen Woods/Jr./RHP/Dix Hills, N.Y.
- Threw a complete game shutout in the 3-0 win over Harvard on Sunday.
- Went 7.0 innings and allowed three hits and struck out eight batters.
(Rookie) Angelo Spedafino/RFr./RHP/Mamaroneck, N.Y.
- Started his first game against Fairfield, earning the no-decision.
- Went 5.0 innings and allowed one earned run on two hits and had three strikeouts.
SCOUTING FORDHAM (11-13, 0-0 Atlantic 10)
HEAD COACH: Kevin Leighton (Seton Hall, '01) 5th season
THE COACH: Came to Fordham after six years as the head coach at Manhattan College, where the team won at least 30 games in every year he was there. Last year, he led Fordham to its second straight appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship. That year, the pitching staff broke the team record for strikeouts in a season with 392.
OVERVIEW: The Rams are coming off a 3-1 weekend series against NJIT, winning 10-4, 2-0, and 3-1 and their only loss was a 3-2 loss in the second game of the doubleheader on Friday. Ryan McNally, who is batting .309 with five home runs and 16 runs scored, leads Fordham offensively. Behind him are Justin Bardwell (.271, five runs and one homerun) and Joseph Runco (.269, 14 runs scored). Kirk Haynes Jr. is pitching with a 1.93 ERA and is 2-0 on the season with 29 strikeouts. Ben Greenberg has a team high three wins with a 2.23 ERA with 17 strikeouts. RHP Luke Stampfl (6.75 ERA) will get the start for Fordham against UAlbany.
NEXT UP: The Danes return to conference play as they head to Binghamton for a three game series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.
