Danes come to bat sporting youthful look

The Albany Stale Oreat Danes baseball team enters the I983 season with a youthful look in the field and on the bench. The Danes lineup will feature live new starters and a rookie manager. "My goal is always to have a better record than the year before," Albany Slate baseball head coach Dave Haighl said. "Improvement over the year before Is-always Important." Haight in his first year as pilot of the Danes, will be Irying to improve on last spring's 9-I0 season. An assistant coach for the football leam, llaighl will be leading a young and somewhat inexperienced Albany leam. "I figure we will have a comparable season (lo lasl year)," he said. Haight is the offensive coordinator for the football leam and was an assistant to last year's head baseball coach Mark Collins. When Collins lefl Albany this summer, Haight was given Ihe job of baseball conch. He will be Ihe fourth coach for the leam in Ihe pasl two years. Prior lo Collins, who managed Ihe leam for the spring season lasl year, Vince Carncvale coached ihe leam during Ihe I98I fall season. Rick Skecl was Ihe skipper of Ihe Danes for Ihe previous iwo years. The Dunes'will look for strength and support from the pitching staff. "We have a lot of depth in this area, especially with three returning starters from lasl year," Haight commented. Seniors Mike Garlmcnt, Ron Massaroni and Ralph Volk combined for a 6-9 record last year and will be instrumental to this year's success. Massaroni led Ihe team in complete games and Innings pitched while compiling an impressive 2.55 era. Volk was second on the leam in complete games and led Ihe team In victories with three. His 4. II era was second best on Ihe squad. Carlman was third in both era and innings pitched while recording a 1.2 record. Albany will probably go with a five-man staring rotation because of Ihe many doublchcaders they will play this season. The other two spots will be shared among Tom MeCarlhy, Sieve Dolen and Chris Fletcher. McCarthy saw limited action lasl year and will be used as a long reliever and spot starler. Dolen, a junior transfer from Nassau Community College, "looks excellent," according to llaighl. Fletcher, a freshman, is the other possible starter and is one of ihe hardest throwers on the staff. He has been clocked at 89 miles-per-hour. The Danes will get relief help from Joel Aulogia and Glenn Bradburry. All-SUNYAC conference leam member Albany's lineup will feature several new starters and a rookie manager