Baseball Picked to Finish Fourth in 2010 America East Conference Preseason Poll

Cambridge, Mass. - The University at Albany baseball team has been picked to finish fourth in the America East Conference Preseason Poll, as announced by the league on Wednesday afternoon. Maine was chosen first in the poll, as voted by the conference's head coaches, earning three first-place votes.

Stony Brook, the 2008 league champion, earned two first-place votes and 21 total points for second place. Binghamton, the winner of last year's America East championship after claiming three straight regular-season titles, earned the final first-place vote and 19 total points. Hartford (nine points) and UMBC (five points) round out the six-team poll.

UAlbany opens its 2010 schedule on the road at UNC Greensboro on Friday, Feb. 26. The Great Danes, who won the 2007 America East title, earned 13 votes in the preseason poll. Senior Brendan Rowland, the starting right fielder for the past two seasons, scored 55 runs and stole 25 bases last season to pace last year's squad. Junior right hander Dave Kubiak and sophomore righty Zach Kraham both earned all-conference second-team honors last season and return to anchor the rotation. Kubiak started a staff-high 13 games and recorded 55 strikeouts in 71.2 innings pitched, including two complete games. Kraham made 11 appearances, including 10 starts, and returns the best ERA (4.86), while compiling a 5-2 record and 40 strikeouts.

The league will compete in two separate divisions in 2010, with the top four teams, regardless of division, advancing to the America East Championship. The highest seed will host the three-day, double-elimination tournament, with the winner receiving the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Championship. UAlbany, Hartford and Maine will compete as the red division, with Binghamton, UMBC and Stony Brook making up the white division.

America East Conference Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Maine (3), 23; 2. Stony Brook (2), 21; 3. Binghamton (1), 19; 4. UAlbany 13, 5. Hartford 9, 6. UMBC 5.
( ) - first-place votes

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information