MacFawn, Costello Earn America East Softball Weekly Awards

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The University at Albany softball team took home two America East Weekly Awards on Monday, April 1, after sweeping Hartford in a three-game series last weekend. Junior pitcher Brittany MacFawn was named conference Pitcher of the Week while freshman Kelly Costello earned Rookie of the Week honors. MacFawn (Orlando, Fla.) was nearly perfect on the mound last week. The righthander won both her starts, allowing just a single hit and one earned run in two complete games. She threw the fifth no-hitter of her career, striking out 10 and walking zero in a 1-0 win over the Hawks on Friday. MacFawn followed with a one-hitter, fanning nine in a 2-1 win on Saturday. Costello (Windosr, N.Y.) went 3-for-5 with a walk in three games. The outfielder got a hit in her only official at-bat in the first win over Hartford on Friday. Her sixth inning RBI proved to bring home the winning run in a 1-0 victory. She then went 2-for-3, with a solo homer, and drove-in three in Friday’s nightcap, a 9-4 Great Danes’ win. This is her first Rookie of the Week selection. UAlbany will look to build on their 10-game win streak on Wednesday, April 3. They host crosstown rival Siena College in a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. at Albany Field.

Baseball Opens Home Slate With Fordham Tuesday

ALBANY, N.Y. – After a number of schedule rearrangements due to stubborn winter weather in the Capital Region, the University at Albany baseball team is finally set to play its first home game of the 2013 season. The Great Danes will square off against Fordham University Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Varsity Field. SCOUTING THE RAMS (11-14, 1-5 Atlantic 10) Fordham enters the midweek clash coming off a 4-3 victory over Saint Joseph’s. The win snapped a seven-game losing skid, as they dropped one to Hofstra (5-1), three to LaSalle, one game to Marist (7-1), and two games to Saint Joseph’s. The Rams own a collective .286 batting average led by Tim Swatek (.286), Charles Galiano (.276), and Matthew Cianci (.274), and also rank first in the A-10 with 14 triples as a team. Defensively, Fordam is fielding .959, while the pitching staff has accumulated a 4.24 earned run average. The Great Danes are expected to face junior right-handed pitcher J.C. Porter (1-2, 2.96 ERA) on the hill. THE RAMS COACH: Kevin Leighton (Seton Hall ‘01), 2nd season After six years at Manhattan College, Leighton was named head baseball coach at Fordham University in July 2011. In Leighton's first season at Fordham, the Rams finished with a 22-34 overall record and 12-12 mark in the A-10. As a player, Leighton had a standout four-year career at Seton Hall University, helping the Pirates to back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances in 2000 and 2001. He was also drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997. SCOUTING THE GREAT DANES (8-13, 4-5 America East) UAlbany comes off a 1-2 series at Maine. After falling, 4-1 and 7-4, the Great Danes rallied to capture a 7-6 victory in game three. On the season, UAlbany is batting .259 collectively led by Matt Hinchy (.394), Jeff Welsh (.322), Evan Harasta (.304), and Nolan Gaige (.291). Defensively, the squad owns a .963 fielding percentage, while the pitching staff has a combined 5.36 ERA and league-best 8.01 strikeouts per game. THE GREAT DANE COACH: Jon Mueller (14th season, Eckerd College, ‘92) Jon Mueller is in his 14th season as the head coach of the University at Albany baseball program. 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 287 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 one in each of the past two seasons. LAST TIME OUT… Trailing 6-3 in the seventh, UAlbany rallied for four unanswered runs en route to a 7-6 Easter Sunday victory over Maine at Mahaney Diamond. UAlbany out-slugged Maine, 12-4, in the series finale, as Nolan Gaige (2-for-4), D.J. Hoagboon (2-for-4), Gordon Madej (2-for-5), Matt Hinchy (2-for-4), and Greg Muller (2-for-4) all had multi-hit games. On the mound, UAlbany’s pitching staff held the Black Bears to four scattered hits. Coming out of the pen for the final three and a third frames, Derek Zielinski (2-3) earned the win, limiting Maine to one hit and one run, while striking out one. Starter Ryan Stinar threw the first five innings, allowing four runs (three earned), three hits, and recorded four strikeouts in the no-decision. LAST TIME VS. FORDHAM On March 7, 2012, UAlbany captured its first win of the season against Fordham, winning, 7-6, in 10 innings in the Bronx. Gordon Madej went 4-for-5 with two RBI, including the game-winning RBI, while Nolan Gaige hit his first home run of the season. MADEJ LEADS THE WAY Sophomore Gordon Madej led UAlbany with a .444 batting average last week, including three multi-hit games. Madej also drove in four runs, while scoring three, helping UAlbany to wins over Cornell and Maine. Against Cornell, Madej went 1-for-4 in the Danes’ 4-1 win over the reigning Ivy League champions and went 3-for-4, as well as had one RBI in the team’s tough-luck nightcap. Against conference foe Maine, Madej closed the series with back-to-back multi-hit performances, including going 2-for-5 with an RBI in UAlbany’s 7-6 victory. CHASING DOWN A WIN Redshirt senior Austin Chase (1-3) tossed all seven innings, earning the win, in UAlbany’s 4-1 victory over Cornell. Chase held the Big Red hitless until the fourth inning, and allowed just one run and three hits total, while striking out five. The win marked Chase’s first in his senior campaign. HINCHY HEATS UP Freshman Matt Hinchy recorded a .429 batting average in UAlbany’s conference series at Maine, while totaling a .308 average on the week. In the Great Danes’ 7-6 win over the Black Bears, Hinchy went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and also lined a double in game one versus Maine. Hinchy also helped UAlbany split a doubleheader with the reigning Ivy League champion, Cornell, starting at third base. CATCHERS RULE AT CORNELL Freshman catcher Evan Harasta had his best game yet in a Great Dane uniform, going 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and his first career home run in UAlbany’s 4-1 win over Cornell last Tuesday. The rookie accounted for half of his team’s hits in the victory. Fellow catcher, sophomore Craig Lepre, finished a triple shy of the cycle in the nightcap, as he went 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and three runs scored. With two outs in the sixth, Lepre belted a two-run home run, marking the first in his collegiate career, while also giving UAlbany a temporary lead. ON DECK UAlbany hosts conference rival Stony Brook Saturday and Sunday for a three-game series at Varsity Field. The squads will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon, and a single game Sunday, also at noon.

Tuesday's Softball Doubleheader Cancelled Due to Weather

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The University at Albany softball team's doubleheader against Colgate University on Tuesday, April 2, has been cancelled due to impending inclement weather. No make-up date has been announced. The Great Danes will be back in action on Wednesday, April 3. They host crosstown rival Siena College in a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. at Albany Field.

Lyle Thompson Named America East Player Of The Week For The Third Time

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The University at Albany men’s lacrosse sensational sophomore attack Lyle Thompson dazzled on offensive end last week, recording nine goals and eight assists to grab his third America East Conference Player of the Week honor.

Thompson, a Tewaaraton Award Nominee, has continued to add on to his offensive resume. Last week, he was able to tally 17 points, eight against Harvard and nine against Binghamton. He has totaled 64 points on the season which leads the conference.

The Onondaga Nation, N.Y. native is currently leading the nation in points per game (7.11), assists per game (4.33), and is tied for eighth in goals per game (2.78). The sophomore attack is currently riding an 18-game point streak, dating back to March 31, 2012.

The Great Danes boast the nation’s best offense, averaging 15.11 goals per game (1^st), 9.11 assists per game (1^st), 24.22 points per game (1^st).

UAlbany will look to take its high-powered offense into Baltimore, Md. against Johns Hopkins on Friday, April 5 at Homewood Field. The game is slated for 7 p.m. on ESPNU.

SU MEN’S LACROSSE COLLECTS TWO MORE BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Syracuse redshirt senior David Hamlin (New Hartford, N.Y.) was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career, and sophomore Kevin Rice (Skaneateles, N.Y.) was picked to the conference’s weekly honor roll for the second straight week on Monday, April 1.

Hamlin anchored an Orange defense that harassed Canisius into more turnovers (22) than it had shots (14) in a 17-5 victory against the Golden Griffins on March 29. No starting Canisius attackman had a point in the game and Hamlin was responsible for shutting out Sam Connors. In addition, Hamlin picked up a team-high four ground balls and set a career best with five caused turnovers.

Rice tallied a personal-best six points (three goals, three assists) versus Canisius to lead the Orange offense. Rice is averaging 4.3 points per game in his last three contests.

St. John’s attackman Kevin Cernuto was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week after recording four goals and three assists in the Red Storm’s 12-10 win over top-ranked Notre Dame.

Reilly O’Connor (Georgetown), Jack Connelly (Providence), Greg Fitzmaurice (Providence) and Kris Alleyne (Rutgers) joined Rice on this week’s honor roll.

Syracuse returns to action Saturday, April 6 with a road match against Princeton. Faceoff is slated for 5 p.m. on ESPNU.

Men’s Lacrosse Appears Back In The National Polls At No. 20

ALBANY, N.Y. - Fresh off back-to-back wins including a conference-opening 21-8 win against Binghamton, the University at Albany men’s lacrosse team moves back into both national polls at No. 20. The Great Danes have either been receiving votes or in the Top-20 since the preseason poll.

On Tuesday, the Great Danes had their best defensive effort, holding Harvard to a season-best seven goals. The win over the Crimson marked head coach Scott Marr’s 100^th career victory, all of which have come at UAlbany in 13 seasons. Then on Saturday, UAlbany turned up the heat and dominated Binghamton for the full 60 minutes. The Thompson trio racked up 13 goals and five assists and freshman goalie Blaze Riorden held the Bearcats to six goals on 17 chances.

The Great Danes head to Baltimore, Md. for an ESPNU showdown against the 10^th-ranked John Hopkins Blue Jays on Friday, April 5 at Homewood Field. The game is slated for 7 p.m.

	Nike/Inside Lacrosse	Media Poll
Rank	Team	Votes
1	Maryland	457
2	Cornell	434
3	Denver	404
4	Notre Dame	375
5	Loyola (Md.)	359
6	North Carolina	351
7	Princeton	320
8	Syracuse	302
9	Duke	273
10	St. John's	227
11	Johns Hopkins	206
12	Penn State	202
13	Bucknell	196
14	Drexel	186
15	Ohio State	125
16	Yale	110
17	Penn	86
18	Lehigh	82
19	Virginia	51
20	UAlbany	38

	USILA	Coaches Poll
Rank	Team	Votes
1	Maryland	174 (5)
2	Cornell	168 (3)
3	Denver	154
4	North Carolina	151 (1)
5	Notre Dame	148
6	Loyola (Md.)	145
7	Duke	120
8	Princeton	110
9	Syracuse	110
10	Johns Hopkins	102
11	Bucknell	95
12	Drexel	71
13	Penn State	68
14	St. John's	66
15	Ohio State	56
16	Yale	38
17	Penn	34
18	Virginia	26
19	Lehigh	18
20	UAlbany	17

Baseball Rallies For 7-6 Win Over Maine

ORONO, Maine – Trailing 6-3 in the seventh, the University at Albany baseball team rallied for four unanswered runs en route to a 7-6 Easter Sunday victory at Mahaney Diamond. With the win, the Great Danes improve to 8-13 overall and 4-5 in the America East, while the Black Bears fall to 15-14 on the season and 6-3 in conference play. UAlbany out-slugged Maine, 12-4 in the series finale, as Nolan Gaige (2-for-4), D.J. Hoagboon (2-for-4), Gordon Madej (2-for-5), Matt Hinchy (2-for-4), and Greg Muller (2-for-4) all had multi-hit games. On the mound, UAlbany’s pitching staff held the Black Bears to four scattered hits. Coming out of the pen for the final three and a third frames, Derek Zielinski (2-3) earned the win, limiting Maine to one hit and one run, while striking out one. Starter Ryan Stinar threw the first five innings, allowing four runs (three earned), three hits, and recorded four strikeouts in the no-decision. In the top of the first, UAlbany jumped all over Maine starter Shaun Coughlin, who earned the save in Saturday’s nightcap. The Great Danes tagged Coughlin for three consecutive hits, as Gaige singled, Hoagboon doubled, and Madej lined an RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 lead. UAlbany made it 2-0 in the second on Brian Bullard’s unearned run. Bullard reached on a misplayed sac bunt and scored on Hoagboon’s one-out fielder’s choice. Using a leadoff walk to their advantage, Maine cut the margin in half in the bottom of the inning, as Eric White lined a two-out RBI single to left, plating Alex Calbick. After getting out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth, UAlbany expanded its lead to 3-1 in the top of the sixth. With one out, Jeff Welsh drew a walk, advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored on Hinchy’s single up the middle. However, the rest of the sixth was not so kind to the Great Danes, as Maine responded with five runs, taking a 6-3 advantage. To begin the Black Bears’ at-bats, a pair of hit batsmen sandwiched around Brian Doran’s double to right field loaded the bases and prompted a call to the bullpen. Reliever Andrew Jaurique looked to get UAlbany out of the jam, but a fielding error allowed one run to score and the bases remained full. Still composed, Jaurique forced a lineout and a run-scoring groundout before being replaced by Zielinski. With two outs, Maine drew back-to-back walks, a run-scoring wild pitch, and a two-run scoring single by Michael Fransoso to cap the inning. The Great Danes fired back immediately in the seventh, however, with three runs, tying the ballgame. UAlbany loaded the bases to start things off, as Muller lined a leadoff single to left, Gaige single to second, and Hoagboon reached on a misplayed fielder’s choice. Madej and Nethaway followed with back-to-back RBI singles off hurler Jake Marks. Still with no outs, Welsh ripped a run-scoring single to right field off reliever Logan Fullmer before the Black Bears were able to cease the rally with a strikeout and double play groundball. Zielinski sat the hosts down in order, sending UAlbany to the plate in the eighth. With one out, Muller sparked the rally once again with a single to left, stole second, and scored on Hoagboon’s clutch two-out, game-winning liner to left. Zielinski followed with perfect frames in both the eighth and ninth innings to seal the victory. Fullmer (1-3) took the loss for Maine, throwing the final three innings, allowing one run and three hits, while striking out three. The Great Danes return to action Tuesday, hosting Fordham at 3:30 p.m. on Varsity Field.