Established in 1930 by George Elwell with ten teams, the Albany Twilight League is one of the most diverse and storied summer baseball leagues in the country. In 1934, Bleecker Stadium construction was completed and since that year, the league has been the first and longest occupant. Three decades later, the city installed lights to allow games to go further into the evening.

Over the last seven decades, numerous legendary teams have participated in the Twilight League. The littany began with Charlie Callahan's Schuylers, Graves and Rogers, Centrals and McEnanys; then the Roxy's of the 1950's; Mike's Subs ad Finkle's in the 1960's; followed by Tim Lane's Oppenheims in the 1970's; Tony Rossi's Sons of Italy in the 1970's and 80's; and Apex Printing and Anaconda Sports of the 1990's. From the most outstanding high school players in the Capital District to college players in their prime to former professional players in their late 20's and 30's, the Twilight League has been a home for thousands of different kinds of talented baseball players each summer. And the talent of the ball players has allowed the league to reap great benefits with its reputation. Each year the Twilight League competes in the Upper New York State Tournament and has won several State Championships including seven in the last 12 years. Furthermore, several popular professionals began and ended their careers in the Twilight League including former Toronto Blue Jay John Cerutti, former Detroit Tiger Dan Pelletier, and former New York Yankee Jim Bouton. Glen Barker, currently of the Red Sox organization, is one of the most recent players to compete in the league and reach the Major League level as his Twilight days began in the early 1990's.

This year the league enters its 72^nd year of existence and its fifth year in a row with seven franchises competing in the Haack and Tholl divisions. In 2002, the Albany Athletics will compete in their inaugural year while the second youngest franchise, Albany Senators, compete in their fifth year. Long-standing franchises like the Troy Haymakers whose presence in the league has spanned over four decades, and Rensselaer Honda, formerly the outstanding State Color team of the late 80's and 90's, will be joined by the formidable franchises of Davies A.C., Mama's Express, and three-time defending Twilight Champion All-Star's Academy once again.

Bill Miles, Jr. enters his seventh year as President of the Albany Twilight League. Known as the "Voice of Bleecker Stadium," he has been involved with the league for the last 22 years including the last 15 years as the official public address announcer and statistician. A graduate of Albany High School in 1983, Miles has seen the league strive and struggle during his stay, but over the last several seasons he has witnessed another growth spur of young and seasoned players enter into the league to strengthen its spot as one of the premier leagues in the northeast.

Miles, who has also been a public address announcer for Albany High School baseball and football, Siena College and the College of Saint Rose, has also been part of the Bleecker Stadium staff since 1979 where he assists in field maintenance and maintains the clubhouses at the stadium. An avid bowler, Miles has been a carpenter for James Kelly Construction since 1987.

Head Coach Joe Altieri enters his seventh coaching season and fifth in the Twilight League, and will lead the Athletics in their inaugural campaign. Last year he led the Albany Senators to a 22-2 league mark and a 40-7 overall record. In 1998, he garnered Upper New York State Manager of the Year honors when his team won the first of three State Championships. Jon Jurus, a Shaker High graduate and former assistant to Altieri at Saint Rose, will be the Athletics assistant coach.

The Athletics will begin their inaugural season with 12 players who played under Coach Altieri on the 2001 State Champion Albany Senators.

Those 12 players will try to win their second straight State Championship and lead the league in wins once again.

The Athletics will return a strong and seasoned pitching staff withfomer Saint Rose right-handers Chuck Bauer and Gus Terry, and UAlbany's Jason Trufant and Jeff Mazolla while second year hurlers Dan Raczynski of New Jersey Tech, Chad Holderman of Central Connecticut, and Sean Connor of Saint Rose will be valuable assets. Former Saint Rose southpaw Keith Lansley returns to pitch for Coach Altieri for his sixth season after missing last year. Also, rookies Dave Hubbs and Justin Pappas, both from RPI, will bolster the staff significantly as newcomers.

Offensively, Albany adds outfielder John Venditte of RPI who won the Twilight batting title in 1998 and 2000, as well as Steve Simpson a senior first baseman who just finished an outstanding career at Frostburg State. Frostburg's Mark Teson, a third year Twilight player, and RPI's Tim Egan, in his second season, return as key players in the top of the lineup along with catcher Ryan Ratigan, and outfielders Eddie Scott and Dave Benyo.

The two Albany teams have already formed a natural rivalry and will play the "Battle of Albany" for the first time at Bleecker Stadium this year...Both also have comparable rosters with young, talented college players...Senators currently own the Upper New York State title but 14 current Athletics have combined for 24 State championships.

Player Pos School

BAUER, Chris INF St. Rose
BAUER, Chuck P St. Rose
BENYO, Dave OF St. Rose
COCHRAN, Flynn INF R.P.I.
CONNOR, Sean P St. Rose
EGAN, Tim INF R.P.I
HOLDERMAN, Chad P Central Connect.
HUBBS, Dave INF R.P.I.
HUBBS, Mike P Cortland State
KELLY, John INF Schenectady CC
LAMB, Joe INF Albany State
LANSLEY, Keith P St. Rose
MAZOLLA, Jeff P Albany State
MEDICI, Mike C Niagara Univ.
RACZYNSKI, Dan P New Jersey Tech
RATIGAN, Ryan C Hudson Valley
RICKERT, Brian P R.P.I.
SCOTT, Eddie OF Albany State
SIMPSON, Steve INF Frostburg State
TERRY, Gus P St. Rose
TESON, Mark OF Frostburg State
TRUFANT, Jason P Albany State
VENDITTE, John OF R.P.I.

Head Coach Casey O'Connor enters his first year as the Senators manager and his first season coaching in the Twilight League. Previously, he led the North Colonie Padres Connie Mack team to a 25-6 record and a berth in the Upper New York State Tournament 2001. O'Connor, a Saint Rose graduate, also is the head coach of the Saint Rose Junior Varsity baseball team where Adam Bogdan, a Glens Falls High graduate, assists him. Bogdan will take on the same role with the Senators this summer.

The Senators compete in their fifth year of Twilight play with a new look returning just two players and bringing in a new coaching staff. Those two players, James Derby and Jose Segura, return for their third year in the Twilight League. Both were part of Senators teams that won State Championship teams in 2000 and 2001. Last season, the Senators went 22-2 in the league and won the the Upper New York State Tournament with a 4-0 record.

The Senators will have a very young, but talented team to compete for the Twilight title this year.

Led by the pitching staff of left-hander Mark Ritz and Leon Kruset, and right-hander James Derby, the Senators will also count on right-handers Brian Poland, Shawn Ryan and southpaw Jeff Abdelnour to hold down opponents. Ritz, Kruset, Derby and Poland are all currently Saint Rose players while Ryan pitches for the UAlbany and Abdelnour for Catawba College.

Offensively, the Senators have formidable power hitters in UAlbany's Anthony Vallone and RPI's Dan Quinn, and should get consistency from four Saint Rose sluggers in Matt Bertinetti, Anthony DiTroia, Dave Stringham, and Jose Segura to add to the offensive production.

The two Albany teams have already formed a natural rivalry and will play the "Battle of Albany" for the first time at Bleecker Stadium this year...Both also have comparable rosters with young, talented college players...Senators currently own the Upper New York State title but 14 current Athletics have combined for 24 State championships.

Player Pos School

ABDELNOUR, Jeff P Catawba

BABIE, Kyle INF St. Rose

BERTINETTI, Matt OF St. Rose

COLAFEMINA, Josh INF St. Rose

CONWAY, Liam INF St. Rose

DERBY, James P St. Rose

DiTROIA, Anthony OF St. Rose

DUFOUR, Jean OF St. Rose

FOSTER, Matt C St. Rose

FLYNN, Tim OF Stonehill

HARRIS, Fred C St. Rose

KRUSET, Leon P St. Rose

MARIANO, Joe C St. Rose

NIEMIE, Joe P Hudson Valley

POLAND, Brian P St. Rose

QUINN, Dan INF R.P.I.

RITZ, Mark P St. Rose

RYAN, Shawn P Albany State

SEGURA, Jose OF St. Rose

SMITH, Mark P Catawba

STRINGHAM, Dave INF St. Rose

VALLONE, Anthony OF Albany State

Head Coach Dave Perry enters his fifth year as manager of All-Stars Academy. He has led the franchise to three league championships in a row, and as a player, garnered a spot on the Twilight All-Star team on numerous occasions. He also led the league in runs-batted-in in 1999. Coach Perry, a graduate of Siena College, is a former professional player in the Northeast League with the Catskill/Sullivan County Lions.

All-Stars Academy enters its eighth year of Twilight play and has won league championships in each of the last three years. Last season, All-Stars posted a 19-12 overall finish and a 14-10 regular season mark. A dozen players return for at least their fourth year with All-Stars Academy and all hope to succeed in earning their fourth Twilight title in as many years.

All-Stars Academy may have the most storied group of players in its lineup this year out of any team in the Twilight League.

Paul Reinisch, former Albany-Colonie Diamond Dog and Twilight MVP the last two years, will lead the offensive attack along with former Diamond Dog teammate and Twilight All-Star, Joe Mariano, and Mike Serbalik, former draftee of the Los Angeles Dodgers and 2001 Twilight Pitcher of the Year.

Nick Scatteregia, who ranks second on the Twilight's all-time home run list, joins the attack after three years away from the league while former Twilight All-Stars Jon Wojtusik and Ron Lockett, former Philadelphia Phillies draftee, will be significant contributors.

The pitching staff will again be led by Perry who has a formidable core of arms in Ithaca graduate Chris Dedrick, Saint Rose graduate Brian Zink, and Dave Fields, a graduate of Siena College.

The two squads have had great battles over the past few years as Tholl Division rivals...Except for 2001, both have combined to take the previous four Tholl Division championships...Last season, All-Stars took three out of four games in their series.

Player Pos School

CRUDO, Matt OF Albany State

DEDRICK, Chris P Ithaca

FIELDS, Dave P Siena

GOLDBERG, Josh INF Albany Academy

LOCKETT, Ron INF Jacksonville State

MARIANO, Joe INF Siena

MURRAY, Mark OF Voorheesville

PANZA, Nick INF Colonie

PERRY, Dave P Siena

RAGONE, Nick INF Albany State

REINISCH, Paul INF Wake Forest

SERBALIK, Mike INF Siena

SCATTEREGIA, Nick OF Siena

SMITH, KT INF CBA

SMITH, Mark P Siena

URBAN, Steve C Albany State

WOJTUSIK, Jon OF Coastal Carolina

ZINK, Brian P St. Rose

Head Coach Ben DiBiase enters his fifth season with Davies. He led Davies to a third place finish in the 2000 Upper New York State Tournament. DiBiase also led Davies to a 2000 Tholl Division Championship with an 11-9 league record and 17-12 overall mark. He will be assisted by former Saint Rose teammate and graduate Mark Dorr.

Davies A.C. competes in the Twilight League for its 10th year. Last season, the squad posted a 12-15 league record, including the playoffs, and an 11-13 regular season finish which gave them a second place finish in the Twilight's Tholl Division. Davies A.C. returns 13 players from the 2001 club.

With 13 returnees and key additions, Coach DiBiase sees this year's Davies team vastly improved from a year ago.

Union and catcher Seth Peterson and infielder Wes Dedrick lead the club in their fourth season, while Saint Rose left-handed pitcher and first baseman Kevin Jette, a 2001 Twilight All-Star as a positionary player, returns for his third year. Also, second year pitchers Adam Houghtaling and Rich McDevitt, along with Brockport graduate and former Twilight Most Valuable Player Curtis Nobles, Siena graduate Fausto Franco and Saint Rose infielder Erik Hoover will be key players this summer for Davies. Nobles returns for his fifth season while Hoover will participate in his third year in the Twilight League.

Leading the newcomers is centerfielder Josh Kean of Siena College along with catcher Justin Wolfer of St. Josephs, and young pitchers Mark Bulger of Bethlehem High School and Jeremy Rivenburg of Ithaca College.

The two squads have had great battles over the past few years as Tholl Division rivals...Except for 2001, both have combined to take the previous four Tholl Division championships...Last season, All-Stars took three out of four games in their series.

Player Pos School

BARRON, Garrett INF Ithaca

BULGER, Mark P Bethelehem HS

DAVEY, Nick P St. Rose

DEDRICK, Wes INF Hudson Valley

DELEON, George OF Siena

DIPIAZZA, Mike INF Hudson Valley

FRANCO, Fausto INF Siena

FRISBEE, Bryan INF LeMoyne

HANS, Chris P St. Rose

HOOVER, Erik INF St. Rose

HOUGHTALING, Ad. P UConn

JETTE, Kevin P St. Rose

KEAN, Josh C Siena

LINDER, Joe P Salisbury State

McDEVITT, Rich P US Naval Acad.

McGINNISS, Ryan P Oneonta State

NOBLES, Curtis OF Brockport

PETERSON, Seth C Union

RIVENBURGH, Jer. P Ithaca

ROSENCRANSE, Tr. INF Binghamton

SLEZAK, Andy OF Oneonta State

ST. CLAIRE, Mark C St. Rose

SULLIVAN, Joe OF St. Rose

WOLFER, Justin C St. Joseph's

Head Coach Mike DeMagistris enters his 4th year as coach of Mama's Express and his 10th year of experience with the club. A North Carolina Wesleyan graduate, he has been a mainstay in the outfield with the club for the majority of the last 10 seasons and hopes this year to continue to develop a long-standing franchise.

Mama's Express competes in its 10th year in the Twilight League. After completing a dismal 2-22 season two years ago, Coach DeMagistris led the squad to an improved 6-12 record in 2000 and a much improved 10-14 record in 2001. This year's team will have back 17 players from that very competitive team, which lost six games by just one run. Back in 1997, Mama's Express brought the Twilight an Upper New York State Championship.

Mama's Express will rely on experience to continue to improve as a contender in the Twilight League.

Leading the returnees is manager/outfielder Mike DeMagistris who will play in his 10th season followed by a trio of three-year players in former Marist pitcher Andy Lobb, former Mary Washington infielder Peter Liu, and former Cortland pitcher Jason Doviak. Nine other players will play in their third season by Mama's led by infielder and former independent leaguer, Jim Robare, also a former Twilight All-Star.

Also contributing to the attack is a quartet of sophomores in catcher Bob Hurpst, infielder John Lott, outfielder Justin DeMagistris and pitcher Josh Rassin.

The two squads had very close battles in their four-game series last year with Albany prevailing in all four games byt a total of four runs...Mama's fell in each game by only a run including two games in extra innings.

Player Pos School

BARNHARDT, Adam OF Cortland State

BEECH, Justin OF Brockport

BROWN, Calvin INF Union

DEMAGISTRIS, Mike OF NC Wesleyan

DEMAGISTRIS, Justin OF Bridgeton Acad.

DONOHUE, Mike C Brockport

DOVIAK, Jason P Cortland State

ESOPI, Nick OF Hudson Valley

HEROTH, Adam P Ithaca

HILL, Tim OF Wingate

HURPST, Bob C Union

KUCHARK, Tom INF Skidmore

LIU, Peter INF Mary Washington

LOBB, Andy P Marist

LOTT, John INF Utica

MASI, David P Union

McGUIRE, Ben P Gloversville HS

ONDRISKA, Anthony P Fulton-Mont. CC

PLANT, Chris INF Union

RASSIN, Josh P St. Rose

RIVENBURGH, Jer. P Union

ROBARE, Jim INF Catawba

ROBLENO, Fernando OF UNC Ashville

Head Coach Bruce Barkevich enters his league-leading 6th year at the helm of Rensselaer Honda. A University at Buffalo graduate, he led the team to the League Championship Series last year and has been the club's catcher for the past 17 years. He is assisted by right-handed Twilight veteran Mike Swiecicki.

Rensselaer Honda competes in its eighth year of play in the Twilight League. In 2001, the franchise posted a 15-9 record and won the Haack Division where they advanced, but lost, in the Twilight Championship Series.

Rensselaer Honda returns four players with at least 10 years of experience in the Twilight League.

Leading the veterans is manager/catcher Bruce Barkevich who completed his 17th year in the league in 2001. He is joined by 15-year veteran and Twilight All-Star outfielder Gary Mongiardo, and two 13-year veteran pitchers is Chris Mason and Adam Rogowski. Both are graduates of Saint Rose and former Twilight All-Stars. First baseman and RPI graduate Frank Davis, the 1999 Twilight League batting champion, comes back for his 14th season this year.

All-Star outfielder and RPI graduate Sean McGuirk(11th Year) returns to the club and former professional and Fordham graduate Ryan Crist will bolster the pitching staff as a right-handed hurler along with second year southpaw Joe Perez of Columbia-Greene Community College.

Adding to the punch are experienced outfielders Rob Biasucci and Len Hunter, while Frank Owens anchors the infield.

The two clubs have the most history of any two Twilight teams...Both have been in existence since the early 1980's...Both clubs have rosters primarily comprised of seasoned Twilight veterans including many with double-digit years of service in the league...Both have combined to reach the Twilight Championship Series five out of the last six years.

Player Pos School

BARKEVICH, Bruce C Univ. of Buffalo

BIASUCCI, Rob OF St. Rose

CRIST, Ryan P Fordham

CRIST, Craig P Fordham

DALEY, Keith P Col-Green CC

DAVIS, Frank INF RPI

DIANA, Jim P Old Dominion

GAZILLO, Ralph INF Siena

HAVERTY, Don OF Adams College

HUNTER, Len INF Hobart

MASON, Chris P Siena

McGUIRK, Sean OF/IF R.P.I.

MONGIARDO, Gary OF Albany State

MUELLER, Mike P Albany State

MULLANEY, Jeremy INF Oneonta State

OWENS, Frank INF Univ. of Buffalo

PEREZ, Joe P Col-Greene CC

PIDGEON, Sean P St. Michaels

RHODES, Mike INF R.P.I.

ROGOWSKI, Adam P St. Rose

SEEBODE, Mike P Cleveland State

SWIECICKI, Mike P Hudson Valley

Head Coach Steve Heiser enters his fifth year coaching the Haymakers. Heiser has led Troy to a Twilight Championship i n1998 and has reached the Championship Series in three of the last four years. Heiser, an RPI graduate and former player at the college, has been with the team for the last 19 years as a catcher and first baseman.

The Troy Haymakers compete in their 12th year in the Twilight League, although the team's name dates back to the 1800's when it was a professional franchise, and back to the mid-1900's when it competed in the Troy City League and the Mohawk-Hudson League. During the 1950's, the franchise entered the Twilight League and won the Twilight title in 1961 under the leadership of Curt Hayner. After returning to the Twilight League in 1991 after a hiatus since the 1960's, the Haymakers won the League Championship in 1998.

The Troy Haymakers return 17 players from its 6-18 team a year ago including three players with at least 12 years experience. Leading the veterans is third baseman Bill Bowles who has been with the team for the last 16 years followed by pitcher Kevin Cole (12 years) and manager/player Steve Heiser (19 years). Cole is a four-time Twilight Pitcher of the Year and has won over 50 games in the league while Bowles has been on numerous Twilight All-Star teams. Other top returning pitchers are right-handers Matt Breen and Jim Johnson who each have five years of Twilight experience.

Offensively, All-Star catcher Dave Tallman returns along with infielder and former RPI player Mike La Rose, and outfielder Mark Sylvia. RPI's Kevin King, an outfielder, and Ryan McGough, a pitcher are the club's top newcomers.

The two clubs have the most history of any two Twilight teams...Both have been in existence since the early 1980's...Both clubs have rosters primarily comprised of seasoned Twilight veterans including many with double-digit years of service in the league...Both have combined to reach the Twilight Championship Series five out of the last six years.

Player Pos School

BASILA, Brian DH Hartwick

BOWLES, Bill INF Schenectady CC

BREEN, Matt P Massachusetts

CAGLIONE, Vince INF

COLE, Dan P R.P.I.

COLE, Kevin P Hudson Valley

CONROY, Steven OF Utica

FADDEN, Tim OF Hartwick

GASPARRO, Kurt OF

GOGUEN, Jason P Castleton State

HEISER, Steve INF R.P.I.
JANETSKY, Jamie OF Cortland State

JOHNSON, Jim P

KING, Kevin OF R.P.I.

LaROSE, Mike INF R.P.I.

McGOUGH, Ryan P R.P.I.

MILLER, Julian INF Hartwick

NOONAN, Brendan P Plattsburgh State

OSTRUM, Brian INF R.P.I.

OWENS, Jason OF Hudson Valley

PRESTON, Dave P Univ. of Buffalo

SYLVIA, Mark OF Quinnipiac

TALLMAN, Dave C Cobleskill CC