Baseball Welcomes Stony Brook To Varsity Field For Three
ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany baseball team will play host to America East Conference rival Stony Brook this weekend for a three-game series at Varsity Field. With impending rain, Saturday’s start time has changed to 3:00 p.m. and Sunday will turn into a doubleheader with a 12 p.m. first pitch.
GAMES 31-33
UAlbany (7-23, 4-11) vs. Stony Brook (22-14, 8-3) – Varsity Field – Albany, N.Y.
Saturday, April 26 (3 p.m.)
Sunday, April 27 (12 p.m.) DH
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO: AmericaEast.TV
PITCHING PROBABLES
Game 1
UAlbany: Kevin Archbold (Sr., LHP) (1-2, 2.06 ERA)
Stony Brook: Brandon McNitt (Sr. RHP) (3-1, 2.90 ERA)
Game 2
UAlbany: Ryan Stinar (So., RHP) (1-2, 5.00 ERA)
Stony Brook: Ryley MacEachern (Fr., RHP) (3-1, 3.12 ERA)
Game 3
UAlbany: Stephen Woods (Fr. RHP) (1-4, 9.64 ERA)
Stony Brook: Tyler Honahan (So., LHP) (5-2, 3.32 ERA)
SCOUTING THE GREAT DANES
2014 Record: 7-23, 4-11 America East
Head Coach: Jon Mueller (15th season / 307-431-5)
THE COACH: Jon Mueller is in his 15th season as the head coach of the University at Albany baseball program in 2014. The Stillwater, N.Y. native has had proven success as both a player and coach throughout his career. Mueller ranks first among UAlbany’s career leaders with 307 coaching victories, and was named the America East Coach of the Year in 2004. He also led the Danes to the program’s first America East Conference tournament championship title and NCAA appearance in 2007. Mueller has produced dozens of all-conference standouts and has had six players selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft under his direction, including two in the past three seasons.
LAST TIME OUT: UAlbany comes off a 9-7 midweek loss to Manhattan College. The Great Danes held a two-run lead heading into the ninth inning, but the Jaspers rallied for four runs in the top of the frame to steal the victory. Josh Nethaway led the Danes at the plate, going 3-for-5 five with two doubles and a two-run home run. Sophomore Evan Harasta also had a good day, going 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs, and a run scored, while Alex Lushkevich (2-for-4) also had multiple hits, knocking a pair of singles. It was staff day on the mound, as the Great Danes rotated through nine arms. Cameron Sorgie (2-3) took the loss, coming out of the bullpen in the ninth in search of a save. Sam DeCelle, Matt Gallup, and Daniel Castro highlighted the staff, all tossing one perfect inning.
IN CONFERENCE PLAY: UAlbany leads the America East with a .275 team batting average in conference games, led by Brian Bullard’s .368 average, which ranks third in the league. Evan Harasta also ranks in the top-10 with a .327 average, while D.J. Hoagboon boasts a .306 clip in conference play. The Great Danes enter the weekend with a 4-11 mark after succumbing to back-to-back weekend sweeps to UMBC and Hartford. The Danes will look to win their first series since taking 2-of-3 from UMass Lowell on April 5-6.
UALBANY LEADERS: Batting .242 as a team on the season, UAlbany is led by senior Brian Bullard’s .314 average with 12 RBI and 17 runs scored. Senior D.J. Hoagboon follows with .302 average, while sophomore Evan Harasta is batting .293 with 19 runs batted in. Junior Craig Lepre leads the team with 20 RBI. Defensively, UAlbany has a .940 fielding percentage and the pitching staff owns a collective 6.63 ERA.
SCOUTING THE SEAWOLVES
2014 Record: 22-14, 8-3 America East
Head Coach: Matt Senk (24th season / 670-439-3)
THE COACH: Now in his 24th season as head coach in 2014, Senk has delivered 18 winning seasons, four conference championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances, numerous professional athletes and a run to the College World Series in 2012. His career record is 670-439-3. In 2012, Senk led Stony Brook to a program record and NCAA-leading 52 wins as well as a memorable run to the College World Series. The Seawolves squad captured the attention of the nation, beating perennial powers Miami (FL) and LSU on their way to Omaha. SBU was just the second No. 4 seed to ever advance to the College World Series and became the first Northeast school since 1986 to advance to the CWS.
LAST TIME OUT: Stony Brook snapped its 15-game home winning streak Tuesday, falling to non-conference foe Central Connecticut State, 4-1. While falling in their last three outings, the Seawolves have won 22 of their last 30 games.
IN CONFERENCE PLAY: With an 8-3 record, Stony Brook currently sits in second-place in the America East standings, one game behind Hartford. The Seawolves come off their first conference series loss of the season, falling in 2-of-3 at UMass Lowell last weekend. The Seawolves have a .263 batting average and a 1.83 ERA in league play. Offensively, Kevin Courtney leads the America East with a .390 clip.
STONY BROOK LEADERS: As a team, the Seawolves are batting .272, led by Kevin Courtney’s .329 average, 30 RBI, and 26 runs scored. Robert Chavarria (.326, 14 RBI) and Kevin Krause (.310, 23 RBI) are also hitting well above .300 for the Seawolves. Defensively, Stony Brook own a .985 fielding percentage, while the pitching staff owns a collective 5.20 ERA.
LAST TIME VS. STONY BROOK
In their last meeting, Stony Brook came away with three wins on March 22-23. In game one, UAlbany ended up on the wrong end of a no-hitter tossed by the Seawolves’ Frankie Vanderka, falling 7-0, and then dropped the final two contests by scores of 6-2 and 7-3. Stony Brook leads the all-time series 49-30.
NETHAWAY IN THE RECORD BOOK
After ripping two against Manhattan Wednesday, senior Josh Nethaway has now hit 50 doubles in his career and is just one away from tying the program record. Michael Oliva (1997-01) holds the record with 51. In addition, Nethaway broke into the top-5 for career RBIs, currently with 121. He is just five away from Oliva’s second-place mark (126), while Steve Checksfield (1998-01) holds the record with 168.
NETHAWAY NEARS 200 HITS
Nethaway enters the weekend with 190 career hits, just 10 away from becoming UAlbany’s seventh member of the 200-hits club.
UP NEXT
The Great Danes hit the road for nine straight games, starting with six consecutive non-conference contests. UAlbany will travel to Central Connecticut State Tuesday before playing a four-game series at NJIT next weekend.
