UAlbany Volleyball Names Brooke Stanley Assistant Coach

University at Albany volleyball head coach MJ Engstrom announced today the appointment of former Great Danes standout Brooke Stanley to assistant coach for the 2013 season. Stanley returns to campus after coaching in her hometown of Hendersonville, N.C.
“Brooke will bring a lot of enthusiasm to the court this season,” said Engstrom. “She was a coach on the court for four years with us, and we’re excited to have her enthusiasm and excitement this year with a very young team.”

Stanley led the Hendersonville High School volleyball team to a state title in 2012, picking up Coach of the Year honors in the conference and region along the way. She led the Bearcats to a 22-5 record and their tenth state championship all-time. Stanley and her mother Jan are the only mother-daughter duo to both win North Carolina Class A state titles as head coaches. Keeping it in the family, Stanley’s sister Tiffany also coaches in the area.
While a student-athlete at UAlbany, Stanley coached club volleyball in the high school age group. She graduated with a degree in history with minors in education and psychology.

On the court, Stanley made her mark as a setter during the 2007-09 and 2011 seasons. A four-year letterwinner, Stanley was named the America East Most Outstanding Player in the conference tournament as a freshman in 2007. She recorded four seasons of over 1,000 assists for a total of 4,851 in her career, ranking second in the program all-time. She was named America East Setter of the Year in 2008, and was selected unanimously for the same award in 2009. In 2009 Stanley also garnered America East Player of the Year honors.

“I’m looking forward to helping the program, working and learning with and from MJ,” said Stanley. “This is a great place to start a career, and the team is very successful and only getting better.”

The Great Danes open their season at the Loyola Marymount Invitational on August 30, and play their first home match on Sunday, Sept. 29 against Binghamton.

UAlbany Volleyball Releases 2013 Schedule

ALBANY, N.Y. - University at Albany volleyball released its upcoming 2013 schedule, highlighted by matches against seven NCAA tournament teams from 2012. The UAlbany volleyball team has won six America East tournament titles all-time, including three under head coach MJ Engstrom. The Great Danes host league foe Binghamton in their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The 27-game schedule includes six nonconference contests against NCAA tournament teams from one year ago (UCLA, Loyola Marymount, North Carolina, Penn State, Yale, Colgate).

“The first four weeks of our season will be the toughest competition of the year,” said Engstrom. “After four weekends, we will have played five NCAA tournament teams in the first month , including two teams who have been in the NCAA semifinals the last two years.”

UAlbany's season debut is at UCLA on Aug. 30. The Great Danes continue play in Los Angeles, Calif., with match-ups against Loyola Marymount and North Texas on Aug. 31.
UAlbany ventures back east for three tournaments in September, starting with the UConn Classic on Sept. 6-7. The Great Danes face Pittsburgh on September 6th followed by UConn and Northeastern on Sept. 7 in Storrs, Conn.

UAlbany travels to Chapel Hill for the Carolina Classic Sept. 13-14, facing James Madison on the 13th and George Washington and North Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 14.

The Great Danes wrap-up the majority of their nonconference schedule at the Penn State Classic, taking on the 2012 NCAA tournament No. 1 seed Nittany Lions in the first match on Sept. 20. UAlbany faces Yale and Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 21.

The Great Danes begin the hunt for their sixth straight America East regular season title In their home opener against Binghamton on Sept. 28. UAlbany hits the road for its next two conference games, at Hartford (Oct. 4) and Providence (Oct. 5). A nonconference midweek contest at Colgate (Oct. 16) breaks up a four-game league homestand (Oct. 11-20). The Great Danes host UMBC (Oct. 11), Stony Brook (Oct. 13), UMass-Lowell (Oct. 18) and New Hampshire (Oct. 20). Engstrom and co. visit Binghamton on Oct. 26.
The Great Danes are on the road for four of six America East matches in November, opening the month at Stony Brook (Nov. 1) and UMBC (Nov. 3). UAlbany returns to University Gym for a pair of games against Providence (Nov. 8) and Hartford (Nov. 10). The Great Danes conclude the regular season at New Hampshire (Nov. 15) and at UMass-Lowell (Nov. 16).

The America East Tournament will be hosted by the regular season champion Nov. 22-23. The four teams with the best league records make the championship field.

After winning title, 18 baseball players competing in summer

VESTAL, N.Y.—On the heels of the team’s America East championship and NCAA appearance, 18 Binghamton baseball players are busy this summer, playing ball for teams up and down the east coast. Bearcats players are in action in seven different leagues, including the New England Collegiate League, which features five BU players on three different teams.

Below is a capsule of the assignments this summer with links to the leagues and teams. 
 
New England Collegiate League:
John Howell, Sanford
Jake Thomas, Sanford
Reed Gamache, Ocean State
Shawn McGraw, Ocean State
Zach Blanden, Danbury

Coastal Plains League:
Dan Nevares, Fayetteville
Bill Bereszniewicz, Fayetteville
Jack Rogalla, Martinsville
Mike Kaufman, Martinsville

Valley League:
Greg Ostner, Woodstock
Cal Ripken Sr. League:
David Schanz, Alexandria
Perfect Game League:
Brian Ruby, Amsterdam
Mike Urbanski, Amsterdam

New York Collegiate League:
Mike Bunal, Sherrill
Jake Cryts, Oneonta
Tsuyoshi Horibata, Oneonta

Atlantic Collegiate League:
Nick Pancerella, Allentown
Jed Lemen, New Jersey

Cross country releases 2013 schedule

VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton cross country program has released its 2013 schedule, which features the America East Championship Meet being held on the Bearcats’ home course. The nine-team race will take place on Nov. 2 at 11 a.m.

This season marks the second time that the Bearcats are the host school for the America East Championship Meet. Binghamton also held the event in 2005.

The 2013 schedule begins with the season-opening America East Pre-Conference Meet on Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. As the host school for the championships, Binghamton will also be hosting the pre-conference meet.

Other in-season meets this year include the Buffalo Stampede on Sept. 21 and the Lehigh/Paul Short Run on Oct. 5. The Bearcat men’s team will also take part in the Penn State National Open on Oct. 18 while the women’s squad returns to the Central Connecticut Mini-Meet (held on Oct. 25) for the second straight season.

This year’s NCAA Northeast Regional Meet will be held at Van Cortlandt Park (located in the Bronx) Nov. 15. Eight days later, the ECAC/IC4A Championships will take place on the same course.

Indiana State remains the host school for the NCAA Division I Championships, which will also be held Nov. 23.

On the men’s side, Binghamton returns all seven of its top runners from last year’s squad. Five of the top seven women’s runners from 2012 also return.

NOTE: Binghamton’s home course starts and finishes behind the East Gym on campus and covers much of the Binghamton Nature Preserve.

Former closer Sosa remains perfect in Class A

VESTAL, N.Y.—Former standout closer Lee Sosa has overcome an early-summer injury to post some strong numbers of late for the Class A Vermont Lake Monsters.

Sosa, who was selected by Oakland in the 26th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, stayed at the team’s spring training complex in the spring and was assigned to Vermont. His debut was delayed due to a blister but Sosa has since appeared in three games for the A’s Short-Season New York-Penn League affiliate.

On Saturday, he tossed three scoreless innings of relief and gained the victory in Vermont’s 7-4 win over Connecticut. Sosa pitched the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and allowed just one hit (single). He has surrendered just one hit in 6.0 shutout innings with Vermont with opponents hitting just .105 against him.

Last summer, Sosa began his professional career with the Arizona A’s in the Rookie League. He went 1-2 with a 4.74 ERA in 18 appearances (24.2 innings).
At Binghamton, Sosa was a three-year letterwinner and in his junior season (2012), earned first team America East all-conference honors as the premier closer in the league. His mid-90s fastball attracted attention from MLB scouts all season long and he was the sixth BU pitcher to be drafted and fourth in the last five years. He made 18 relief appearances with a conference-best 10 saves and posted a 2.60 ERA . He had a 1.06 ERA in the regular season and struck out 18 in 18 innings of work.
His season saves total (10) was the second-highest in program history.

Mother Nature Halts Comeback in 7-6 Defeat

MANCHESTER, NH – The Binghamton Mets scored three runs in the ninth inning on back-to-back home runs before heavy rain terminated play with one out, sealing a 7-6 loss to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Monday afternoon at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. The rubber match defeat snapped Binghamton’s 15-series unbeaten streak.

Trailing 7-3 in the ninth and with persistent rain falling, the B-Mets refused to roll over in their final game before the All-Star Break. Rhyne Hughes started the inning by ripping a double to left-center against reliever Alan Farina. Two batters later, Darrell Ceciliani lined a two-run homer over the right-field wall to cut New Hampshire’s lead in half. Richard Lucas followed by crushing a solo homer off the hotel beyond the left-field wall.

After Farina missed with his first pitch to Danny Muno, crew chief Joe Born summoned the tarp on the field for the second time in the game. The teams waited for 38 minutes before the contest was officially called.

More than four hours prior, Binghamton had threatened in the first inning, but failed to break through against Fisher Cats starter Sean Nolin. Josh Rodriguez lined a double to left and Cesar Puello bounced a single past shortstop Kevin Nolan to put runners at the corners. Nolin bounced back by picking off Puello and fanning Allan Dykstra to end the inning. Nolin’s strikeout started an impressive stretch for the southpaw. He plowed through four more scoreless innings, retiring 13 straight B-Mets.

Darin Gorski was equally as impressive for the B-Mets through his first four innings. The B-Mets starter retired the first ten Fisher Cats he faced, collecting five strikeouts along the way.

New Hampshire finally cracked the scoreboard in the fourth. Andy Burns became the first Fisher Cat to reach base when he walked with one out. Brad Glenn cashed in by ripping an RBI double into the left-field alley, chasing Burns home with the game’s first run.

Gorski recorded two outs in the fifth inning and worked ahead of Jack Murphy with a 1-2 count before heavy rain halted play. Chase Huchingson took the reins after a 68-minute rain delay and retired Murphy to end the frame.

The lengthy stoppage forced Nolin to end his start prematurely after five innings. Tyson Brummett took over in the sixth and immediately surrendered a double to Darrell Ceciliani. The B-Mets centerfielder stole third and scored on Danny Muno’s sac fly to right.

Luck was on the B-Mets side again in the seventh. Following a single and a walk, Hughes lifted a fly ball to deep left-center field. Ryan Schimpf, playing in just his second game of the season in left, raced back to the warning track, but dropped the ball, allowing Allan Dykstra to score the go-ahead run from second.

Binghamton’s one-run lead proved to be short-lived. Schimpf walked against Huchingson to start the seventh and came home when Kevin Ahrens threaded an RBI double down the third base line.

The B-Mets used one final lucky break to regain the lead in the top of the eighth. After Cesar Puello walked with two outs against reliever Scott Gracey, Dykstra hit a high pop up behind short. The fly dropped between shortstop Kevin Nolan and centerfielder Adam Loewen and allowed Puello to score.

Given a one-run lead, reliever John Church struggled with his command in the eighth. The righty walked three of the first four he faced to load the bases. Pedro Feliciano got the call from the bullpen, but could not halt the offense. Schimpf banged a bases-clearing double off the wall to give the Fisher Cats a 5-3 lead. Kevin Nolan followed with a single and Ahrens brought two more home with another double down the third base line.

Church (2-4) was tagged for three runs while recording two outs in the loss. Feliciano suffered his first blown save. Gracey (2-0) allowed one run in an inning of relief to earn his second win of the series.

The B-Mets (53-33) head into the two-day All-Star Break with the best record in the Eastern League. B-Met All-Stars Cesar Puello, Josh Rodriguez, Allan Dykstra, Logan Verrett and Jeff Walters will represent the Eastern Division at the All-Star Game on Wednesday night in New Britain, Connecticut.

The B-Mets will regroup and kick off the second half of their season on Thursday against the Portland Sea Dogs. The clubs will resume their game that was originally suspended in the third inning on June 25. First pitch for the resumption is scheduled for 5:35 PM. A seven-inning contest will follow the completion of the suspended game. The Horizon Federal Credit Union Pregame Show on Newsradio 1290 WNBF begins at 5:20 PM.

POSTGAME NOTES: It was Binghamton’s first series loss since they dropped two of three to the Trenton Thunder (May 6-8)…the B-Mets hit 13 home runs during the five-game series, launching back-to-back homers three times…the B-Mets allowed four runs or more in an inning five times during the series

Individual tickets for all Binghamton Mets 2013 home games are on sale now. Visit the NYSEG Stadium box office during regular operating hours, purchase them online at www.bmets.com or call the office at (607) 723-METS.

Be sure to follow the B-Mets on Facebook, Twitter and at the team’s official website (www.bmets.com) for more team information. Fans can also stay up to date with all the action on the field by visiting “B-Mets Buzz with Tim Heiman” at bmets.mlblogs.com.

Chillis Earns Spot On CFPA Kickoff Returner Award Watch List

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- College Football Performance Awards, the largest awards organization in D-I college football, recently announced its watch list for the 2013 CFPA Kickoff Returner Award and 2013 CFPA All-Purpose Performer of the Year Award, and the University at Albany’s Kevin Chillis has earned a spot on the Kickoff Returner Award Watch List. The preliminary list highlights 34 returning kick return specialists and 32 returning all-purpose performers, vying for the top individual kickoff returner award and all-purpose award in the Football Championship Subdivision, respectively. "Congratulations to Kevin Chillis on earning a spot on the 2013 CFPA Watch List," said CFPA Executive Director Brad Smith. "Chillis is a multifarious scoring threat for the Great Danes." In 2012, Chillis was a two-time Northeast Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, and ranked second on the team with 901 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. The incoming senior made 11 kickoff returns, averaging 27.5 yards per return, including a 79-yard touchdown scamper against Central Connecticut State. Chillis marks the fourth UAlbany football player this summer to be named to the 2013 CFPA Watch List, joining defensive backs Justinian Mason and Tramaine Wilson, as well as quarterback Will Fiacchi. All CFPA recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. All players are eligible for awards at their respective positions; players are not preemptively eliminated from consideration. More than 130 CFPA recipients have signed professional contracts, and twenty-one have been first-round NFL Draft selections. The CFPA Kickoff Returner Award dates back to 2008 with Alabama's Javier Arenas earning the inaugural award. Other CFPA recipients performing as NFL return specialists include: Tavon Austin (West Virginia), Giovani Bernard (North Carolina), C.J. Spiller (Clemson), Jayron Hosley (Virginia Tech), Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss), Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State), Golden Tate (Notre Dame), LaMichael James (Oregon), Laron Scott (Georgia Southern), Damian Williams (USC), Taiwan Jones (Eastern Washington), Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma), Eric Page (Toledo), Cliff Harris (Oregon), Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State), Asa Jackson (Cal Poly), Tyrann Mathieu (LSU), Joe Adams (Arkansas), Fozzy Whittaker (Texas), Jerodis Williams (Furman), Miguel Maysonet (Stony Brook), and Reggie Dunn (Utah). Last season, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel earned the 2012 CFPA National Performer of the Year Trophy, while Harvard quarterback Colton Chapple earned the 2012 CFPA FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy. Multiple award presentations were broadcast live nationally on ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, as well as internationally on BYUtv. The full list of 2013 recipients, including the 2013 CFPA FCS Awards, will be announced on January 8, 2014. For more information, visit the Official CFPA Website (http://www.collegefootballperformance.com). Follow CFPA on Twitter @CFPerformance.