ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany baseball team will travel to Beaumont, Texas, to open their 2025 campaign with a three-game series against Lamar University. The series is set to start Friday at 3:00 p.m.
 
Series Info
Game 1- Friday, February 21 
3:00 pm E.T. 
Live Stats | ESPN+ 
 
Game 2- Saturday, February 22 
2:00 pm E.T. (Updated Time) 
Live Stats | ESPN+ 
 
Game 3- Sunday, February 23 
4:00 pm E.T. (Updated Time)
Live Stats | ESPN+ 
 
Probable Starters – UAlbany 
Game 1: Dylan Banner - RHP | Jr. | 0.00 ERA
Game 2: Matthew Mariano - RHP | R-Jr. | 0.00 ERA
Game 3: Ryan Pittz - RHP | Jr. | 0.00 ERA
 
Leading the Pack

• Luke Filippi returns after hitting .309 last year and leading the team in hits (56), triples (3), and RBI's (34)
• Dylan Banner was named a Preseason All-Conference selection after pacing the team last year in ERA, strikeouts, wins, IP, WHIP, and holding batters to a .207 batting average against
• Ryan Ferremi is back for his Senior season after posting a .821 OPS, .427 OB%, 3 homeruns, and a .288 batting average. He was also named a Preseason All-Conference selection
• Jared Toby returns after leading UAlbany in homers, while also hitting 10 doubles with 32 RBIs, and a .413 SLG% 

 
Plethora of Returners
At the start of last season, only one starting position player returned. This year, the Great Danes are returning starters at every position but third base. With at least one year of experience under everybody's belts, the Danes look to take a big step forward on offense and defense. Look for Levi McAllister, John Vitucci and Cooper Loyal to improve upon successful campaigns and to help lead UAlbany in 2025. Also, after a heartbreaking injury at UMass Lowell in the playoffs last year, Luke Myers is returning to play second base where he brings his stellar defense and will be a key contributor to UAlbany's lineup.
 
Last Time Out 

• The Great Danes went 15-34-1 in the 2024 season 
• The Great Danes finished fifth in the end of regular season standings, outperforming their preseason ranking of seventh
• The team closed the season with a playoff loss against UMass Lowell 
• As a team, the Great Danes held a .243 batting average, a .370 OB%, and a .335 SLG%. On the mound, the pitching staff combined for an 8.32 ERA 
• The team garnered one America East Second-Team All-Conference selection 

 Scouting Lamar 

• The Cardinals finished last season with a staggering 44-15 record
• Lamar finished first in the regular season standings last year
• In the semifinals of the Southland Conference Tournament, the Cardinals fell to McNeese 14-4
• Coach Will Davis was named Coach of The Year 
• The Cardinals were picked to finish first in the conference this year
• Zak Skinner, Brayden Evans and Kyle Moseley were named to the Preseason All-Conference first team while Matt Ryan was selected to the Preseason All-Conference second team 
• Starting their season already, Lamar recorded two wins and one loss against CSU Bakersfield and two wins against North Dakota State
• Tab Tracy leads the team with a .588 batting average and 10 hits
• Carter Sutton holds a team-best 0.00 ERA in 5.0 innings pitched

Captains 
Dylan Banner, Ryan Ferremi and Matthew Mariano will serve as captains for the Great Danes during the 2025 season. Banner, a junior right-handed pitcher, holds a career ERA of 4.31 over 64.2 innings. Ferremi, a senior infielder has a career average of .256 with 55 hits and 10 doubles. Mariano, a redshirt junior right-handed pitcher from Clifton Park, N.Y., has a career 7.80 ERA through 25 appearances. 
 
Injection of Youth to the Pitching Staff 
UAlbany baseball is set for a fresh start in 2025, welcoming 11 freshmen to the roster, including seven new pitchers. This influx of arms comes in response to the departure of seven pitchers from the 2024 season, who combined for 212 innings pitched. The team will also benefit from the return of Aidan Gelbsman and Thomas Quinn, both of whom missed last season due to injury. With a mix of young talent and experienced arms returning, the Great Danes are looking to rebuild their pitching staff and make a strong impact this year. 
 
2025 America East Preseason Poll 

• UAlbany was picked to finish seventh in the 2025 America East Preseason Poll, earning seven points 
• Bryant was picked to finish first in the conference with 35 points, including five first-place votes 
• Binghamton, followed closely behind with 30 points and two first-place votes 
• Maine (21) placed third, NJIT (21) fourth, and UMass Lowell (18) fifth
• UMBC (15) and UAlbany rounded out the poll 

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).