Softball Travels To Take On Army Tuesday
LIVE STATS I VIDEO
ALBANY, N.Y. -- The University at Albany softball team steps out of conference on Tuesday, traveling to West Point for a doubleheader against Army. Game one is set for 3:30 p.m.
SCOUTING UALBANY (23-11, 6-3 America East)
Head Coach: Chris Cannata (UAlbany '85), 21st season
THE COACH: Chris Cannata, a four-time America East Conference Coach of the Year and the winningest head coach in the UAlbany softball program, is in her 21st season at the helm. During her tenure at UAlbany, the Great Danes have compiled a 625-319-1 overall record, a 189-72-1 mark in America East play, a .662 winning percentage and have averaged over 30 wins per season. Cannata has also led the Great Danes to five NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as, five America East regular-season championships and five tournament titles since the program joined Division I in 2000. The club, which has won at least 30 games in the last 12 of 14 seasons, has never finished lower than fourth in the America East standings.
OVERVIEW: UAlbany comes off an America East series win over Binghamton, sweeping Saturday's doubleheader. The Great Danes totaled 33 hits and nine home runs at the plate in the three games. On the season, UAlbany is hitting .298 led by Maggie Cocks (.429, 31 RBI), Vicky McFarland (.405, 24 SB) and Liz Snow (.389, 24 RBI). Defensively, the pitching staff owns a collective 3.75 ERA led by freshmen Erynn Sobieski (7-3, 2.72 ERA, 46 K, 79.2 IP) and Devin Durando (11-3, 3.65 ERA, 86 K, 84.1 IP).
SCOUTING ARMY (19-22-1, 8-7 Patriot)
Head Coach: Michelle DePolo (Georgian Court '03), 4th season
OVERVIEW: Army enters Tuesday's contests coming off three straight losses to Bucknell. The Black Knights are batting .277 as a team led by Kasey McCravey (.401, 37 RBI), Kristen McPeek (.345, 26 RBI), and Caroline Smith (.319). In the circle, the pitching staff holds a 4.10 ERA piloted by Kristen West's 6-8 record and 2.79 ERA.
MCFARLAND IN THE RECORD BOOKS
A mainstay in UAlbany's lineup, senior outfielder Vicky McFarland has made her way into the archives, currently tied for second for runs scored with 148 (record is 151), third all-time for stolen bases with 95 (record is 129), fifth for hits with 185 (record is 233), and sixth for home runs with 20 (record is 33). McFarland needs three more runs and just one more stolen base to tie for first and second, respectively, all-time with Amber Maisonet (2005-08).
AMERICA EAST WEEKLY HONORS FOR THE DANES
APRIL 20 -- Maggie Cocks was named the America East Player of the Week, announced by the conference office Monday. Cocks led UAlbany to a 5-2 week and an America East series win over Binghamton. The junior from Walden, N.Y. batted .500 with four home runs, 13 hits, 13 RBIs, eight runs, two doubles and two stolen bases. With a 1.038 slugging percentage, Cocks recorded a hit in every game, stretching her hitting streak to 14 games. In the Great Danes' 10-4 win over Cornell, Cocks went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Hitting a home run in all three game against Binghamton, Cocks recorded four hits, six runs batted in, and scored two runs in the Danes' doubleheader sweep.
APRIL 13 -- Freshman pitcher Erynn Sobieski was named the America East Rookie of the Week, announced by the conference office Monday. A native of Logan Township, N.J., Sobieski led the UAlbany softball team to an America East Conference series win over UMBC, tossing a complete game shutout in the 1-0 series rubber match triumph. She held the Retrievers to just four hits and a walk, while striking out five. Sobieski also pitched well in the first game of the UMBC series, despite taking the tough-luck loss. She allowed just two runs and six hits, while striking out three in five innings of relief work.
APRIL 7 -- Freshman Devin Durando was named the America East Pitcher of the Week, announced by the conference office April 7th. Durando improved her record to 8-2 on the season, going 2-1 on the week with a 1.62 ERA. Out of the pen, the Oakland, N.J. native earned the win against UConn, allowing no runs and just one hit, while striking out three in three innings of work. Durando threw six solid frames in her first outing against Maine, holding the Black Bears to two runs (one earned) and three hits, while striking out five in the tough-luck loss. In the rubber match, Durando piloted the Danes to a series triumph, allowing three runs (two earned) and two hits, while striking out five in four frames.
MARCH 23 -- Junior infielder Kelly Costello and sophomore hurler Mackenzie Thompson were named the America East Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, on March 23rd. Costello, a native of Windsor, N.Y., batted .500 on the final day of the Rebel Games in Winter Haven, Fla., leading the Great Danes to wins over St. Peter's and Wisconsin Green Bay. Against the Peacocks, Costello went 1-for-2 with an RBI triple and a run scored in the 8-0 rout. Costello also went 1-for-2 and scored a run in UAlbany's 2-1 victory over Green Bay. Thompson, who hails from Eldersburg, Md., tossed a three-hit shutout and struck out three in UAlbany's mercy rule win over St. Peter's. Of her five innings in the circle, Thompson threw three perfect frames.
MARCH 10 -- Freshman pitcher Devin Durando was named the America East Rookie of the Week on March 10th. In her second collegiate start, Durando earned her second straight complete game win, allowing just one unearned run, four hits, while striking out 13 in seven frames in UAlbany's 7-1 victory over Furman. She also threw 3.2 innings of relief against Winthrop, striking out four.
FEB. 24 -- Freshman hurler Devin Durando was named the America East Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 24th. In her first collegiate start, Durando led the UAlbany softball team to a 2-0 victory over Florida A&M Sunday at the Florida Atlantic Invitational. Durando (1-0) recorded 12 strikeouts and held the Rattlers to just two scattered hits to pick up her first career win. Composed under pressure, Durando worked her way out of a first-and-third situation and a bases loaded jam to preserve the complete-game shutout.
UALBANY SELECTED SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL
With 31 total points and two first-place votes, UAlbany placed second behind Stony Brook in the America East Preseason Poll, announced by the conference office. The Seawolves, who won the regular season title in 2014, earned five first-place votes for a total of 34 points. Binghamton (28) was picked third, followed by Maine (21), UMBC (17), UMass Lowell (10), and Hartford (7).
2014 IN REVIEW: The 2014 season featured a historic run to the NCAA Regional in Eugene, Ore., as the Great Danes boasted a 34-13 overall record and 14-3 conference mark. Facing elimination in the America East Tournament with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, Elizabeth Snow's three-run walk-off home run lifted UAlbany to a 3-2 victory over Stony Brook and forced a deciding game that the Danes went on to win, 8-1. With the triumph, UAlbany captured its fifth conference tournament title and advanced to its fifth NCAA tournament. Edged 1-0 by Wisconsin in the first game, UAlbany overcame Utah Valley, 4-3, for the program's third NCAA win in history. Snow was named America East Rookie of the Year, while Brittany MacFawn, Maggie Cocks, and Vicky McFarland picked up first-team honors, highlighting a cast of eight on the first and second squads.
ON DECK: UAlbany travels to UMass Lowell for a three-game conference series Saturday and Sunday.
UALBANY SOFTBALL'S TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2014
NCAA Regional Final: 2007
America East Conference Tournament Champions: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2014
America East Conference Regular-Season Titles: 2004, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2013
