BOSTON, Mass. – On Thursday, the University at Albany baseball team was selected to finish fifth in the America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The voting was conducted by the conference’s seven head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

The men in purpled garnered 15 points in the annual poll, finishing ahead of Binghamton (14 points) and UMBC (8 points). Defending champion Hartford earned 35 points and five of the seven first place votes. Stony Brook (32 points) picked up the remaining two first places votes while UMass Lowell (25 points) and Maine (18 points) were selected to finish third and fourth, respectively.

The Great Danes finished 2018 with a 20-28 record and advanced to the second day of the America East Tournament. 2018 America East First Team selection Dominic Savino returns to the mound in 2019 for his senior campaign. Savino led the conference with eight wins last season and boasted a 3.63 ERA and stuck out a career-high 69 batters.

UAlbany also returns offensive powers Patrick Lagravinese and Travis Collins. Lagravinese, a senior, led the team with a .305 batting average, 51 hits, and an .429 on base percentage in 2018. Collins, a Cranston, R.I. native, posted a .276 batting average and 12 RBI’s.

The Great Danes open the 2019 season with a three-game series at Coppin State. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. on February 23 in Glen Burnie, Md.