ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany baseball team is set to open conference play this weekend, traveling to Lowell. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for Friday at 1 pm.
 
Series Info
Game 1- Friday, March 22
LeLacheur Park – Lowell, Mass.
1:00 pm E.T.
Live Stats | Stream
 
Game 2- Friday, March 22
LeLacheur Park – Lowell, Mass.
3:00 pm E.T.
Live Stats | Stream
 
Game 3- Sunday, March 24
LeLacheur Park – Lowell, Mass.
2:00 pm E.T.
Live Stats | Steam
 
Probable Starters – UAlbany
Game 1: Owen Birkman – RHP | Sr. | 6-0 | 210 | 11.94 ERA
Game 2: Matthew Mariano – RHP | R-So. | 6-0 | 205 | 20.25 ERA
Game 3: Ryan Pittz – RHP | So. | 6-1 | 160 | 4.76 ERA
 
Probable Starters – UMass Lowell
Brendan Williams – RHP | Sr. | 6-0 | 200 | 5.70 ERA
LJ Keevan – LHP | Jr. | 6-0 | 205 | 13.25 ERA

 
Leading the Pack

• Starting in all 11 games this season, Will Binder leads the offense with a .333 batting average, a .421 on-base percentage, and eight RBIs.
• Jared Toby has brought power to the lineup with a team-best six extra-base hits, including three home runs.
• In addition to patrolling center field, Luke Filippi has 11 hits on the season.
• Ryan Pittz has led the pitching staff so far this season, owning a 4.76 ERA through 11.1 innings pitched.
• The pitching staff has amassed a 12.44 ERA over 106.1 innings, with an opposing batting average of .350.

 
March Matchness
The University at Albany's annual March Matchness giving challenge is back. This year, baseball has a goal of raising $12,500 over the next week. Every donation made could be matched not just once, but twice! All of the money raised goes directly to our program. If you would like to donate click here.

Season Review

• UAlbany started the season going 0-14 in non-conference play.
• Opening their season against #9 Tennessee (2.23-25), the Great Danes narrowly fell 5-8 in game one before being defeated 6-21 and 0-12.
• Traveling to George Washington (3.1-3), UAlbany lost the first two games with the Revolutionaries completing the sweep, winning 3-5 in game three.
• The Great Danes fell in all four games at Purdue (3.9-10) before falling to Army (3.13) in heartbreaking fashion.
• Most recently, UAlbany was swept in a three-game series at Georgetown (3.15-17).
• Will Binder leads the team with 16 hits followed by Jared Toby with 12. 
• Toby leads the team with six extra-base hits, including three doubles and three home runs.
• Two players have tallied eight RBIs- Toby, and Binder.
• Connor Eisenmann leads all qualified pitchers with a 10.43 ERA through 14.2 innings pitched.

 
Heating Up

• Will Binder continued his hot stretch at the plate, hitting .400 over four games with three doubles, three RBIs, and a home run.
• Luke Myers tallied five RBIs from four hits last week.
• Ryan Pittz started two games for UAlbany last week. Throwing seven innings, Pittz only allowed three earned runs and five hits while striking out four batters.
• In 3.2 innings pitched, Michael DiMartino struck out six batters.  

 
Scouting UMass Lowell
The Riverhawks enter conference play with a 6-12 record.

• Beginning their season on the road, UMass Lowell won three games in a four-game series against High Point (2.16-18).
• The Riverhawks were swept in their next three series against William & Mary (2.23-25), Kansas State (3.1-3), and Creighton (3.5-6).
• Falling in the series' first game against Oral Roberts, UMass Lowell bounced back to defeat them in the next two contests.
• Most recently, the Riverhawks claimed one contest in a three-game series at Penn State (3.14-16).
• Alex Luccini has been a force in the UMass Lowell lineup, leading the team with 23 hits, 14 RBIs, and four home runs.
• The Riverhawks have four players batting over .300 on the season – Trey Brown, Roddy Hernandez, Carlos Martinez, and Luccini.
• James Capellupo leads the pitching staff with two wins and two saves while recording a team-best 1.96 ERA.

 
Leading the League
The Great Danes have leaders in six of the hitting categories, six of the pitching categories, and four of the fielding categories.

• Will Binder
  • T1st – 1.000 fielding percentage
  • 4th – .333 batting average
  • T6th – 5 doubles
  • 11th – .921 OPS
  • T11th – .500 slugging percentage
  • 13th – .421 on-base percentage
  • 14th – 26 assists
• Jared Toby
  • T7th – 3 home runs
• Connor Eisenmann
  • 8th – 21 hits allowed
  • 9th – 11 walks allowed
  • T10th – 4 strikeouts looking
  • T14th – 17 earned runs allowed
  • 15th – .328 opposing batting average
  • 15th – 21 runs allowed
• Owen Birkman
  • 15th – 26 hits allowed
  • T10th – 12 walks allowed
• Levi McAllister
  • T1st – 1.000 fielding percentage
  • T3rd – 4 caught stealing by
• Ryan Ferremi
  • 6th – 76 putouts
• Cooper Loyal
  • 15th – 25 assists

 
2024 Captains
Will Binder, Connor Eisenmann, and Cregg Scherrer will serve as the captains for the Great Danes during the 2024 season. Binder enters his third season with UAlbany after starting his collegiate career at LaSalle. Since joining the Great Danes, he has started in 89 games and has a .325 batting average. Eisenmann returns to UAlbany for his fourth season. Through 37 appearances for the Great Danes, he has recorded a 5.93 ERA with 121 strikeouts and a .254 batting average against. Scherrer is a redshirt senior from Skaneateles, N.Y., entering his fifth season with the team. Appearing in 44 games, including 34 starts, Scherrer has struck out 195 batters and owns a 5.73 ERA.
 
Fresh Faces
The Great Danes have had multiple freshmen find success to open the season.

• Thomas McElwee has started the year with a .304 batting average while also tallying two runners caught stealing.
• John Vitucci has gone 8-26 (.308) at the plate while scoring six runs.  
• Levi McAllister has been a wall behind the plate, throwing out seven players.
• Cooper Loyal has recorded seven hits and four RBIs while registering a .978 fielding percentage at shortstop.
• In 22 at-bats, Anthony Scarabino has a double, five RBIs, and two runs.
• In 5.2 innings pitched, Luke Boule has struck out six batters.

 
2024 America East Preseason Poll

• UAlbany was picked to finish seventh in the 2024 America East Preseason Poll, earning eight points.
• The Bearcats were picked to finish first in the conference with 35 points, including five first-place votes.
• Maine, the defending champions, followed closely behind with 31 points and two first-place votes.
• UMBC (26) placed third, NJIT (19) fourth, and Bryant (18) fifth.
• UMass Lowell (10) and UAlbany rounded out the poll.

 
America East Standings
Binghamton sits on top of the conference table with two conference wins. NJIT trails behind with one. Not having started their conference season, Bryant sits in third with a 9-9 overall record. UMBC and Bryant have both tallied six wins with the Golden Retrievers owning the advantage with one less loss. Maine is in sixth place having won two contests. UAlbany is still looking for their first win of the season. 
 
America East Contests This Week

• Friday
  • NJIT at Fairfield, 11:30 am
  • UAlbany at UMass Lowell, 12:00 pm
  • NJIT at Fairfield, 2:30 pm
  • Maine at Bryant, 3:00 pm
  • Binghamton at UMBC, 3:00 pm
  • UAlbany at UMass Lowell, 3:00 pm
  • Binghamton at UMBC, 6:00 pm
• Saturday
  • Maine at Bryant, 1:00 pm
• Sunday
  • Maine at Bryant, 1:00 pm
  • NJIT at Fairfield, 1:00 pm
  • Binghamton at UMBC, 1:00 pm
  • UAlbany at UMass Lowell, 2:00 pm

                       
Up Next: The Great Danes will host UMass for their first home contest of the season, Tuesday at 3 pm.
 
Keep up with all the latest news, highlights, and insights on UAlbany baseball by following the team on X (@UAlbanybaseball), Instagram (@ualbanybaseball), and Facebook (UAlbany Baseball).