ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany baseball team will travel to Farmville, Va., to face off against Longwood in a four-game series. The series is set to start Friday at 3:00 p.m.
 
Series Info
Game 1- Friday, February 28
3:00 pm E.T. 
Live Stats 
 
Game 2- Saturday, March 1
12:00 pm E.T. 
Live Stats 
 
Game 3- Saturday, March 1
4:00 pm E.T. 
Live Stats 
 
Game 4- Sunday, March 2
1:00 pm E.T. 
Live Stats 

* There will be no Live Stream available for this weekend.
 
Probable Starters – UAlbany 
Game 1: Dylan Banner – RHP | Jr. | 6-5 | 245 | 0.00 ERA
Game 2: Matthew Mariano – RHP | R-Jr. | 6-0 | 205 | 18.00 ERA
Game 3: Ryan Pittz– RHP | Jr. | 6-1 | 160 | 2.25 ERA
Game 4: TBD

Probable Starters – Longwood 
Game 1: Alek Elges – RHP | Grad. | 6-0 | 195 | 8.31 ERA
Game 2: Guillermo Garcia, Jr. – RHP | Grad. | 6-1 | 206 | 10.61 ERA
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: Kyle Miller – RHP | So. | 6-5 | 217 | 5.68 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 (4.85), 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, 3 homeruns, .427 OB% and a .288 batting average. He was also named a Preseason All-Conference
• Jared Toby led UAlbany in homers, hit 10 doubles, had 32 RBIs, and recorded a .413 SLG% 

 
Plethora of Returners
Heading into 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 the Danes 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 the
Danes' 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 heartbreaking walk off 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.
• UAlbany started the season 0-3 after being swept by Lamar on opening weekend.
• Michael Maggio leads the team with three hits, including one double and a .333 batting average.
• Dylan Banner leads the team on the mound, throwing six shutout innings against Lamar.
• Ryan Pittz also holds a 2.25 ERA after a solid start at Lamar, going four innings and only allowing one earned run.

 Scouting Longwood 

• The Lancers finished last year 23-29. Starting their season already, Longwood has a 1-6 record. 
• In their opening series against Wright State, Longwood was defeated 1-12 and 8-14.
• Longwood then recorded their first win of the season against VCU but have since lost four straight.
• James Nelson leads the way for the Lancers offensively, topping the leaderboard in batting average (.294), OPS (1.1015), homeruns (1) and SLG% (.647).
• On the mound Longwood holds an 8.54 ERA across 59 innings, with Alek Elges and Guillermo Garcio Jr making two starts each.

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 throughout his career, holds a career ERA of 4.31 over 64.2 innings. Prior to the season, Banner was named a Preseason All-Conference selection. 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 2024 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).