ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany baseball team is set to travel to Binghamton for the 2026 America East Baseball Championship, sponsored by Visit Binghamton. The Great Danes enter the Championship as the No. 6 seed and will play No. 3 Maine on Wednesday.
 
Championship Breakdown
The 2026 America East Baseball Championship features a hybrid format, shifting from a single-elimination opening round to a double-elimination bracket for the final four teams.
 
Action kicks off on Wednesday at the Bearcats Baseball Campus in Vestal, N.Y., with two single-elimination games where the losing teams go home. No. 4 Bryant faces No. 5 UMass Lowell at 1:00 p.m., followed by No. 6 UAlbany taking on No. 3 Maine at 5:00 p.m.
 
The two advancing teams from Wednesday will move on to the double-elimination phase beginning Thursday, where top-seeded Binghamton and No. 2 UMBC await. The top-seeded Bearcats will play the lowest-seeded advancing team, while the Retrievers will square off against the highest-seeded advancing team.  A total of three games are scheduled for Thursday, followed by two on Friday.
 
The Championship series will take place on Saturday, weather permitting, to determine who earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Game One Info
Wednesday, May 20
5:00 p.m.
Bearcats Baseball Complex in Vestal, N.Y.
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Scouting the Great Danes
UAlbany enters the America East Baseball Championship as the No. 6 seed, looking to make a statement in the opening round. The Great Danes wrap up the regular season carrying a 15-33 overall record, including a 9-15 mark in conference play.
 
Offensively, UAlbany enters the tournament with a .253 team batting average, which ranks sixth in the America East. The Great Danes have shown flexibility on the base paths, matching up in the middle of the conference pack with 51 stolen bases on the year.
 
On the mound, the UAlbany pitching staff has combined for a 6.77 team ERA, placing them sixth overall in the conference. However, the rotation is anchored by a formidable one-two punch, as Matthew Mariano and Dylan Banner place first and second, respectively, in the America East in individual ERA.
 
Batting Leaders

• Michael Maggio: Led the team with a .323 batting average across 42 games. He recorded 52 hits, 33 runs scored, and a team-high 19 stolen bases on 22 attempts.
• Tre Mariano: Batted .301 while starting 40 games, providing significant power to the lineup with 10 doubles, seven home runs, and a team-leading 30 RBIs.
• Jaxon Mueller: Hit .300 in 40 appearances, registering 42 hits, 10 doubles, three home runs, and 25 RBIs while anchoring the corner defense with 237 putouts.
• Patrick DeSarno: Posted a .286 batting average and proved to be a reliable on-base threat, drawing 30 walks and scoring 27 runs while driving in 17.
• Levi McAllister: Collected 46 hits—including six doubles and two home runs—to finish the regular season with 30 RBIs, matching Mariano for the team lead.

 
Pitching Leaders

• Matthew Mariano: Served as the top weapon out of the bullpen and in spot starts, posting a team-best 3.41 ERA. He secured a 5-2 record across 14 appearances, striking out 41 batters over 63.1 innings pitched.
• Dylan Banner: Acted as the workhorse of the starting rotation, leading the staff with 80.0 innings pitched across 13 starts. He recorded three complete games and led the team with 63 strikeouts while maintaining a 3.94 ERA.
• The one-two punch of Mariano and Banner led the America East in ERA,
• Brian Cadieux: Made 12 appearances (six starts) on the mound, tossing 37.1 innings and striking out 23 batters.
• Ethan Nardacci: Served as a primary starter with 16 appearances and eight starts, eating up 47.1 innings of work while compiling 40 strikeouts.

 
Scouting the Black Bears
The No. 3 seed Maine Black Bears enter the tournament on a high note, carrying a four-game winning streak to close out the regular season. Maine sits at 21-30 overall with a strong 14-10 mark in America East play, allowing them to secure the upper hand in the opening-round seeding. 
 
Offensively, the Black Bears present a dangerous power threat. While their team batting average (.255) sits just ahead of UAlbany at fifth in the conference, they lead the America East by a wide margin with a staggering 68 home runs on the season. The lineup is powered by graduate outfielder Juju Stevens and freshman infielder Troy Carpenter, who each bludgeoned 14 home runs. Carpenter led the team as a rookie with 48 RBIs.
 
On the mound, Maine's pitching staff features a 5.84 team ERA, ranking fourth in the conference. While they have struggled with control at times—surrendering the second-most walks in the league with 259—they have shown an ability to limit hard contact, holding opponents to a .270 batting average. Defensively, the Black Bears are the top unit in the conference, leading the America East with a .975 fielding percentage and committing a league-low 44 errors.
 
Keep up with UAlbany baseball by following the team on X (@UAlbanybaseball), Instagram (@ualbanybaseball), and Facebook (UAlbany Baseball).