This Week in UAlbany Athletics: March 30

ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany athletic programs return home for a busy week at home, starting with a softball doubleheader, followed by a baseball weekend series, and finishing with men's lacrosse on Saturday. 

Wednesday, April 1

The UAlbany softball team enters the week 12-11 overall. Last week the Great Danes hosted Le Moyne and UMass Lowell, where they went 3-1 on the week. Senior Kasey Conn holds the team-high .380 batting average, while freshman Katie Parisi leads the team with 29 hits. Parisi's hits are good enough for second overall in the America East; additionally, 13 of them were doubles which leads the America East. Junior Mary Kate Murray, the Great Danes' clean up, leads with four home runs. In the circle, sophomore Hayley Wieczerzak continues to lead with a 1.29 ERA in 43.1 inning, her ERA is currently the best in the America East. She has thrown for 52 strikeouts and 16 walks.

CCSU comes in with a 13-10 overall record, and are 8-1 in NEC play. The Blue Devils lost to UMass Lowell earlier this season, their only contest with another America East team thus far. Grace Lawton leads CCSU with a .464 batting average and 28 RBI. Lawton boasts 32 hits, including nine home runs, and seven doubles. Ava Cino follows with a .385 batting average, 25 hits, and ten RBI. In the circle, Liz Hamilton has been the most effective with a 4.02 ERA in 71.1 innings, including nine complete games.

Thursday, April 2

The Great Danes open the weekend at Varsity Field looking to gain ground in America East play. UAlbany is led offensively by Michael Maggio, who enters the series hitting .353 with a .463 on-base percentage, while Tre Mariano leads the team with a .522 slugging percentage. Patrick DeSarno has also been a steady presence at the top of the lineup, reaching base consistently and setting the table for the middle of the order.

UMass Lowell enters the weekend at 2-4 in conference play and has relied on a balanced offensive approach, with multiple hitters contributing throughout the lineup and capitalizing on scoring chances.

UAlbany leads the all-time series 12-9 over UMass Lowell, with many recent matchups decided by two runs or fewer.

Friday, April 3

UAlbany looks to build consistency in the middle game after showing offensive flashes in recent outings. Jaxon Mueller leads the team with 13 RBI on the season, while Kyle Stephens has added extra-base production, including multiple doubles. The Great Danes have also been aggressive on the bases, with Michael Maggio and John Vitucci creating additional scoring opportunities.

UMass Lowell has shown the ability to generate runs in key moments, using situational hitting to capitalize with runners in scoring position and keep games close deep into the later innings.

Saturday, April 4

The Great Danes close out the series looking to finish strong at home. UAlbany’s bullpen has been a strength, highlighted by Matthew Mariano, who owns a 1.64 ERA over 33.0 innings, and Tyler Kneller, who carries a 0.77 ERA. Their ability to limit damage late will be critical in the finale.

Offensively, UAlbany has produced in bursts, putting together multiple multi-run innings this past week. Continued execution with runners on base will be key in the series finale.

UMass Lowell will look to rely on steady pitching and late-game execution as both teams battle for a key conference result.

The Great Danes (5-4, 3-0 America East) return home this Saturday following a three-game road sweep to host rival Binghamton. UAlbany extended its winning streak to three games this past weekend with a 13-7 victory over UMass Lowell, led by a defensive effort that has now held conference opponents to fewer than eight goals per game in every matchup. Max Neeson, recently named the America East Defensive Player of the Week, and Brady Smith, who just won Goalkeeper of the Week honors, anchor a unit that has limited opponents during the current win streak.

Binghamton travels to UAlbany looking to bounce back after a 9-4 non-conference loss to Delaware. The Bearcats’ offense features Andrew Girolamo, while goalie Connor Winters enters the matchup following a 12-save performance. UAlbany has dominated the all-time series 20-5 and has won eight of the last 10 meetings against the Bearcats, including an 11-9 victory in their last matchup in 2025. A win on Saturday would keep the Great Danes perfect in America East play as they move toward the final stretch of the regular season.

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