ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany baseball team travels to Maryland to take on America East rival UMBC to start conference play. First pitch on Friday at Alumni Field in Baltimore, Md., is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

Series Info
Friday, March 18
3:00 p.m. ET
Live Stats  
 
Saturday, March 19
2:00 p.m. ET
Live Stats  
 
Sunday, March 20
3:00 p.m. ET
Live Stats 
 
Projected Starting Pitchers for UAlbany
Game 1: Ray Weber – R-Sr. | RHP | 6-1 | 180
Game 2: Anthony Germinerio – R-So. | RHP | 6-4 | 240
Game 3: Connor Eisenmann – So. | RHP | 6-0 | 155

Leading the Pack

• The Great Danes currently lead the America East with a batting average of .298. In 14 games, the team has accumulated a total of 153 hits, 118 runs, 20 home runs and 107 RBIs.
• On the mound, UAlbany pitchers sit at a 4.90 ERA, with opponents allowing 7.03 earned runs on average. The Great Danes have struck out 108 while also allowing 115 hits and holding a 1.51 WHIP.
• Brad Malm leads the team and the America East in home runs, RBIs, hits, runs scored as well as slugging percentage. The shortstop's 10 home runs on the season are good for a tied first place in the country. He has additionally collected 24 RBIs and 29 total hits, while scoring 23 runs and holding a slugging percentage of 1.031, the third-best in all of D1 baseball. Malm also leads the team with a .453 batting average and .507 on-base percentage.
• Carson Dunkel leads the team and the America East with 13 walks. He is tied for second on the team in RBIs with 14. 
• Jason Bottari has collected 14 RBIs as well. He ranks first on the team and the America East, and fourth in the country in stolen bases with 14.
• UAlbany pitchers Connor Eisenmann and Anthony Germinerio lead the conference in earned run average. Eisenmann holds a 0.68 ERA in 13.1 innings pitched and Germinerio sits with a 1.13 ERA in 24.0 innings of work.
• Eisenmann has allowed just four hits and one run while striking out 16. Germinerio has struck out 18 and given up three runs so far.
• Ray Weber leads the team in strikeouts with 21 in 20.2 innings pitched. 

Last Time Out
UAlbany split its doubleheader with Coppin State this past Friday, dropping the first game 10-17 and taking the second 15-3. The Eagles shot out to an 8-0 lead in the first two innings of game one. The Great Danes fought their way back into the game in the fourth, scoring six runs led by Will Binder and Johnny Marti, who each hit two-run doubles. Despite a home run by Binder, who collected a team-high three RBIs that game, and an unearned run by Will Feil in the fifth, CSU increased its lead to 8-13. Brad Malm homered in the seventh and Jason Bottari hit an RBI single in the ninth, but Coppin State was able to add to its lead and win the game 10-17.
 
UAlbany got off to a better start in the second game of the day. The Great Danes built a 10-0 lead in the first three innings, highlighted by three home runs – one each by Malm, Feil, and Marti – and four RBI singles, including one two-run hit. UAlbany steadily increased its lead from the sixth to the ninth and added a fourth home run by Bottari in the final inning while allowing just three runs to take the game 15-3. Redshirt sophomore pitcher Anthony Germinerio allowed one run for the Eagles while striking out seven in 5.0 innings of work.

Scouting UMBC
UMBC enters conference play with an overall record of 7-9. Behind UAlbany, the Retrievers currently rank second in the America East in batting average and earned runs. The team holds a .268 batting average, with opponents batting an average of .277. UMBC pitchers sit at a 6.04 overall ERA. The Retrievers last played two single games against George Washington and Massachusetts on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Both games were lost; 0-2 on Tuesday and 5-10 on Wednesday. 
 
UMBC is led by graduate second baseman Myles Nicholson who ranks first in the America East with a .467 batting average and a .556 on-base percentage. He ranks second with a .683 slugging percentage and leads the Retrievers with 10 RBIs. Freshman Jayden Shertel has collected 10 RBIs as well, and is batting .333. Senior pitcher Colton Bare holds an ERA of 1.29 in 7.0 innings pitched. In 20.0 innings of work, Luke Johnson holds a 3.15 ERA while striking out 24, the most for UMBC.
 
Around the America East 
The America East is split up into two divisions. UAlbany competes in Division A and enters conference play on Friday with an overall record of 9-5, the best of the entire conference. Also in Division A will be UMass Lowell, currently holding a 4-10 record, Maine with a 3-10 record and Hartford (0-9). 
 
In Division B, UMBC (7-9) has picked up the most wins, and the second most of all America East teams, with seven. Both NJIT (4-8) and Stony Brook (4-11) each won four games so far. Binghamton will open conference action with a record of 3-10.
 
Overall, the America East is led by UAlbany and UMBC, both offensively and defensively. The Great Danes bat .298 and give up 4.90 runs on average whereas UMBC bats an average of .268 and holds an ERA of 6.04. On offense, UMass Lowell ranks third with .247, ahead of NJIT with .242. Stony Brook sits in fifth place with .239, followed by Maine with .236 and Binghamton with .233. Hartford bats .212 on average. Defensively, NJIT comes in at third place with a 6.43 ERA. Stony Brook pitchers allow 7.21 runs on average, followed by UMass Lowell with a 7.37 ERA and Binghamton with a 7.83 ERA. Maine has given up 8.69 runs on average and Hartford has allowed an average of 9.45.
 
By the Numbers – Batting Leaders 

• Batting Average
  • Brad Malm - .453
  • John Daly - .347
  • Jason Bottari - .333
• Slugging Percentage
  • Brad Malm - 1.031
  • Carson Dunkel - .565
  • Will Feil - .533
• On-Base Percentage
  • Brad Malm - .507
  • Carson Dunkel - .475
  • Josh Loeffler - .472
• Runs Scored
  • Brad Malm - 23
  • Jason Bottari - 18
  • Will Feil - 16
• Hits
  • Brad Malm - 29
  • Jason Bottari - 19
  • Will Feil - 19
• Runs Batted In
  • Brad Malm - 24
  • Jason Bottari - 14
  • Carson Dunkel - 14
• Home Runs
  • Brad Malm - 10
  • Will Feil - 3
  • Carson Dunkel / Jason Bottari - 2
• Walks
  • Carson Dunkel - 13
  • Jason Bottari - 10
  • Will Feil - 9
• Stolen Bases
  • Jason Bottari - 14
  • Josh Loeffler – 4
  • Carson Dunkel - 3

By the Numbers – Pitching Leaders

• Earned Run Average
  • Connor Eisenmann - 0.68
  • Anthony Germinerio – 1.13
  • Nicholas Jessen - 3.68
• Opposing Batting Average
  • Connor Eisenmann - .089
  • Marshall Winn - .136
  • Cregg Scherrer - .209
• Wins
  • Anthony Germinerio – 3
  • Ray Weber - 2
  • Connor Eisenmann - 2
• Strikeouts
  • Ray Weber - 21
  • Anthony Germinerio - 18
  • Connor Eisenmann - 16

2022 America East Preseason Poll
The UAlbany baseball team has been picked to finish fourth in the 2022 America East Coaches' Poll. The Great Danes earned 34 points in the annual poll, finishing ahead of Maine (27 points), UMass Lowell (18 points), UMBC (12 points) and Hartford (10 points). Stony Brook, 2021 regular-season champions and tournament finalist, was selected first, receiving 46 points and four first-place votes. Close behind, NJIT earned three first-place votes and a total of 40 points. Binghamton came in third with 37 points and a single first-place vote. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.
 
2022 Captains
Leading the Great Danes in 2022 will be Ray Weber, Brad Malm, Will Feil, Johnny Marti, and John Daly. When asked about these selections, Head Coach Jon Mueller stated "These guys all exemplify what we're looking for in captains. They are tremendous in the classroom, they've shown great leadership qualities, and they've had an immediate and profound impact on our younger guys."
 
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