2026 Baseball Season Preview

ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany baseball program enters the 2026 season following a competitive 2025 campaign and an America East championship appearance, returning a veteran core and looking to build momentum in America East action.

"The team is excited to get the 2026 season underway," said Coach Mueller. "We have a nice mix of returners and newcomers and there is plenty of competition across the board. The preseason stretch is very strong which should prepare the team for the conference schedule."

Texas Tech Series Preview
UAlbany opens the 2026 season with a four-game series at Texas Tech beginning Friday, Feb. 20 at 3:00 PM ET in Lubbock, Texas. The matchup serves as the first test of a challenging nonconference schedule as the Great Danes face a premier program to open the year.

Game 1
Fri, Feb. 20 | 3:00 PM ET
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Game 2 (DH)
Sat, Feb. 21 | 1:00 PM ET
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Game 3 (DH)
Sat, Feb. 21 | 4:00 PM ET
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Game 4
Sun, Feb. 22 | 2:00 PM ET
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2025 In Review
UAlbany finished the 2025 season with a 22-32 overall record and a 10-14 mark in America East play. The Great Danes showed resilience throughout the season, including 14 road wins.

Offensively, UAlbany hit .254 as a team with 326 runs scored and 449 hits. Levi McAllister led the offense with a .310 batting average, nine home runs, and 55 RBI. Ryan Ferremi added 58 hits and 41 runs scored, while Luke Filippi contributed 51 hits and 42 runs. Jared Toby drove in 34 runs as part of a balanced lineup.

On the mound, Dylan Banner led the pitching staff with a 3.82 ERA across 94.1 innings while pacing the team in starts and strikeouts. Matthew Mariano recorded 60 strikeouts, and Aidan Gelbsman posted a 3.90 ERA in limited action.

Defensively, the Great Danes turned 42 double plays and posted a .966 fielding percentage.

Looking Ahead
UAlbany returns key contributors on both sides of the ball, led by preseason All-Conference selections Dylan Banner and Levi McAllister.

Position players returning from last season include Luke Filippi, Cooper Loyal, Logan Morris, Michael Maggio, Anthony Scarabino, Victor Mazzara, Justin Hurd, and others, providing experience and depth across the lineup. McAllister returns behind the plate alongside Kyle Stephens and freshman Joe Perri.

The pitching staff returns Banner, Matthew Mariano, Ethan Nardacci, Mark Gajowski, Christian Mello, Ryan Pittz, Alex Enea, Tyler Kneller, and Cam Fuer, among others, forming a deep group entering the spring.

Freshmen and newcomers such as Patrick DeSarno, Zach Mravlja, Brian Guerrero, Zach Nalawadi, Tye Mariano, Jaden Schmidt, Jameson Walsh, Brian Cadieux, and Steven Filler-Berroll add depth across the roster.

2026 America East Preseason
After a strong finish to conference play last season, UAlbany was picked to finish fourth in the 2026 America East Preseason Poll and received one first-place vote.

Binghamton was selected as the preseason favorite with 32 points and three first-place votes, followed by Bryant with 30 points and three first-place votes. NJIT placed third with 26 points, followed by UAlbany with 21, Maine with 19, UMass Lowell with 11, and UMBC with eight.

Dylan Banner and Levi McAllister were named to the America East Preseason All-Conference Team.

America East Preseason Coaches' Poll
Binghamton - 32 (3)
Bryant - 30 (3)
NJIT - 26
UAlbany - 21 (1)
Maine - 19
UMass Lowell - 11
UMBC - 8

America East Preseason All-Conference (UAlbany)
C         Levi McAllister (UAlbany)
1B       Dillon Can (NJIT)
2B       Zac Zyons (Bryant)
SS      Chris Bear (Maine)
3B       Anthony Mascuilli (UMBC)
OF      Matt Bolton (Binghamton)
OF      Carlos Martinez (UMass Lowell)
OF      Brody Rasmussen (Maine)
OF      Ty Sallie (NJIT)
DH      Brandyn Durand (Bryant)
UTIL   Austin Francis (NJIT)
SP       Dylan Banner (UAlbany)
SP       Michael Belcher (Bryant)
SP       Gianni Gambardella (Maine)
SP       Tarsia Hayden (Binghamton)
RP       Sebastian Holt (Maine)

2026 Captains
The Great Danes will be led by captains Dylan Banner, Matthew Mariano, Luke Filippi, and Levi McAllister during the 2026 season.

"This year Luke Filippi and Levi McAllister will join Matthew Mariano and Dylan Banner as our team captains," said Mueller. "All four student-athletes have helped set the tone throughout the fall season. They have set a positive example for our team on a daily basis and helped guide the current and new team members on and off the field. We are looking forward to our rigorous non-conference schedule as well as the highly competitive America East schedule in 2026."

Banner returns as one of UAlbany's most reliable starting pitchers after leading the staff in starts, innings, ERA, and strikeouts in 2025 and reprises his role as captain for a second straight season.

Mariano brings experience and durability to the pitching staff after making 20 appearances last season and continues as a returning captain entering his fifth year with the program.

Filippi returns as a consistent presence in the lineup after starting a majority of games last spring and appearing in more than 100 career games for the Great Danes.

McAllister anchors the lineup after posting a team-leading batting average and slugging percentage last season while establishing himself as one of the top catchers in the conference.

Schedule
UAlbany opens the 2026 season Feb. 20-22 with a road series at Texas Tech before traveling to Greenville, S.C., to face James Madison, Michigan State, and Illinois.

The early schedule continues with trips to CCSU, St. John's, Yale, Army, and NJIT before the home opener on March 24 against UMass.

Conference play includes home series against UMBC, UMass Lowell, NJIT, Binghamton, and Maine, with road series at Bryant and UMBC. The Great Danes will also face nonconference opponents, including CCSU, Siena, Marist, and Le Moyne throughout the spring.

The America East Championship is scheduled for May 20-23 in Binghamton.

How To Watch
All UAlbany home games will be available on AmericaEast.TV. Road contests will be streamed on host platforms.

Social Central
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).

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Players Mentioned

#5 Ryan Ferremi: INF; 6' 2"; Senior; L/R

#21 Aidan Gelbsman: LHP; 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman; L/L

#15 Jared Toby: C/OF; 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#18 Dylan Banner: RHP; 6' 5"; Senior; R/R

#39 Brian Cadieux: RHP; 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#33 Alex Enea: RHP; 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R

#12 Luke Filippi: OF; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#25 Steven Filler-Berroll: OF; 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#35 Cam Fuer: RHP; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#23 Mark Gajowski: LHP; 5' 11"; Sophomore; L/L

#20 Justin Hurd: INF; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#37 Tyler Kneller: RHP; 6' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

Players Mentioned

#5 Ryan Ferremi
: 6' 2"; Senior; L/R
: INF

#21 Aidan Gelbsman
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman; L/L
: LHP

#15 Jared Toby
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: C/OF

#18 Dylan Banner
: 6' 5"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#39 Brian Cadieux
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: RHP

#33 Alex Enea
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#12 Luke Filippi
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#25 Steven Filler-Berroll
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: OF

#35 Cam Fuer
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: RHP

#23 Mark Gajowski
: 5' 11"; Sophomore; L/L
: LHP

#20 Justin Hurd
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: INF

#37 Tyler Kneller
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: RHP