FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
Albany, N.Y. – Trips to California and North Carolina highlight the 2011 University at Albany baseball schedule, as announced on Monday, Dec. 13 by Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy. The Great Danes will play a 29-game non-conference schedule as well as games against five America East Conference opponents.
UAlbany starts off the season with a trip to San Jose State on Feb. 23. The Great Danes then plays a four-game series at Santa Clara before heading to UNC Greensboro from March 4-6. UAlbany returns to the East Coast for a three-game series with New York Tech and faces St. John’s and Holy Cross in additional early-season action. The Great Danes first home game comes on Tuesday, March 22, hosting Marist for a doubleheader in the first half of a home-and-home with the Red Foxes, before welcoming Central Connecticut State to Varsity Field on March 23. UAlbany has a home-and -home series with Le Moyne, as the Great Danes visit Syracuse on April 19 before hosting the Dolphins on May 3.
UAlbany also hits the road for trips to St. Bonaventure (March 26-27) and Fordham (April 2-3) and then kicks off America East play with a three-game series against Hartford on April 9-10. Binghamton visits Varsity Field for four games on April 16-17, before the Great Danes take trips to Maine (April 23-24) and Hartford (April 30-May1). The Black Bears return the visit on May 7-8, and UMBC makes the trek from Baltimore on May 14-15. The Great Danes close out the conference season with a four-game series at Stony Brook (May 20-21). The America East Championship will take place at the highest seed on May 25-27, with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
UAlbany finished the 2010 season with a 13-40 overall record after advancing to the America East championship tournament for the fifth time in six seasons. The Great Danes return senior right-hander Dave Kubiak, who earned his third straight all-conference honor last year. He went 3-5 on the mound with staff-best 4.57 ERA on the season, and led the team with 66 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched. He recorded the Great Danes’ first shutout win since the 2007 season with an 8-0 victory over Hartford. America East all-rookie team members Brian Bullard and Nolan Gaige are also back.
As a freshman, Bullard earned all-league second team honors after making 47 starts at second base. He led the team at the plate, batting .326 on the season with 58 hits, including nine doubles and four home runs, while scoring 37 runs and driving in 32 more. Gaige missed just one start as a freshman, and finished third on the team batting .323. Gaige, who saw most of his action in left field, also made four appearances on the mound, including three starts. He recorded 62 hits on the season, including seven doubles, and scored 40 runs with 19 RBI.
