ALBANY, N.Y. – Following two mid-week games against opponents from the Northeast Conference, the University at Albany baseball team returns to America East action this weekend for a three-game set against the team directly ahead of them in the standings, the Maine Black Bears.
UAlbany (17-19, 7-8 AE) last kicked off a season-long 10-game home stand with mid-week games against Central Connecticut St. and Fairleigh Dickinson. The Great Danes swept both games, defeating the Blue Devils 7-3 and defeating the Knights 8-2. In the latter game, Travis Collins and Marc Wangenstein each hit home runs to power UAlbany to victory.
Maine hasn't played since last weekend, when they hosted UMass for a nonconference three-game series. The Black Bears fell in the first two games, on Saturday, 7-5 and 6-5, before the series finale was cancelled on Sunday. Before the two straight losses, Maine had rolled off five straight wins, all against America East opponents.
Last season, Maine swept UAlbany both at home and on the road, outscoring the Great Danes 31-4 in Maine and 24-17 on Varsity Field. The teams met again in the elimination bracket of the America East Tournament, where the Black Bears once again claimed victory, 6-1, to end UAlbany's season.
Through five America East series this season, UAlbany is fourth in the conference standings. Stony Brook remains in first place, boasting an 11-4 in-conference record. Hartford is second at 7-5, tied in the loss column with third-place Maine.
Following the series against Maine, UAlbany will host a single mid-week game against Fordham on Tuesday, April 30 before hosting LIU Brooklyn next weekend.
THE OUTLOOK: MAINE (8-24, 6-5 AE) | Saturday-Sunday, April 27-28 | Albany, N.Y.
Game Schedule
April 27, 12:00 p.m. | Silva, RHP (3-4, 4.91 ERA) vs. Savino, RHP (0-4, 3.56 ERA)
April 27, 3:00 p.m. | Kemble, RHP (2-4, 5.77 ERA) vs. Clayton, RHP (4-2, 5.48 ERA)
April 28, 12:00 p.m. | Laweryson, RHP (2-3, 2.21 ERA) vs. Weber, RHP (4-2, 4.97 ERA)
Last we met: L, 6-1, May 24, 2018, Orono, Maine
Tale of the Tape
- UAlbany is 5-4 at home this season
- Maine is 2-21 on the road
- UAlbany has won three of four
- Against common opponents, UAlbany is 7-6 and Maine is 7-7
- Since starting the America East schedule 1-4, Maine has gone 5-1
- Maine started the season 0-14
- Maine has won the last eight games in the series
- Maine had two players selected in the 2018 MLB Draft
- Maine ranks last in the America East in hitting (.215) and scoring (109)
- UAlbany (5.91) and Maine (5.92) rank third and fourth, respectively, in pitching
- Maine's Hernan Sardinas and Danny Casals rank second and third in home runs
- Joe Kruszka leads in ERA (1.93) and saves (7)
- Maine's Cody Laweryson ranks second in ERA (2.21)
Series History: Maine leads 31-17 (since 2006)
2018 Record: 20-34, (12-12 AE); fifth place AE, 2-2 AE Tournament
Top Offensive Player: Joe Bramanti, So., INF, (.288/.405/.423, 8 2B, 2 HR, 18 RBIs)
Top Pitcher: Cody Laweryson, Jr., RHP, (2-3, 2.21 ERA 40.2 IP, 47 K, 12 BB)
