ALBANY/FALMOUTH – The defending American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC) National Champion and Albany Twilight League (ATL) champion Albany Athletics will make an historical trip to Falmouth, MA on Sunday, June 9th to play the Falmouth Commodores at 3 pm at Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field.
The teams have never faced off before nor has the Twilight League ever competed again Cape teams since its birth in 1931.
“This is an historic opportunity that may never be available for our program or the Twilight League ever again,” said Joe Altieri, who is entering his 18th season as manager/GM of the Athletics. “We are thankful Falmouth is hosting us and we are looking forward to representing League, the area, and the Athletics program in this game.”
“We are very excited to host the Athletics. This is possibly the only time that we’ll get a chance to face another team that we do not see at all during the regular season as well as give our players a chance to play against a real foe before the Cape Cod League begins play on June 12th,” said Eric Zmuda, Falmouth Commodores General Manager. “Many of our players will be arriving just a couple of days before we compete against Albany and I want all of them to have some time playing in a live game prior to league play. Coach Altieri’s team is the perfect opponent to face given their recent success at the national level of AABC baseball.”
Albany won its first National title last August on a walk off home run in the bottom of the 9th of the World Series against Tampa. For the last seven years, the A’s have recorded the most wins in the Twilight League (established in 1931) and have captured six League Championships.
While the Athletics have mostly local talent from schools like UAlbany, Siena, Cortland, Sacred Heart, and Fordham, Falmouth recruits its players from high profile NCAA Division I programs and houses them in Cape Cod for the summer. This year’s roster includes players from Texas Christian, Rice, Howard, Holy Cross, Oregon, Arkansas, Wichita State, Auburn, Clemson, Florida and Arizona.
The Cape Cod League, although supported in part by a grant from Major League Baseball, relies heavily on sponsors and fan donations, while the Twilight League is self-funded by player fees, franchise fees and sponsorship.
Like the Athletics of the last four years, Falmouth had its own “four-peat”of League Championships from 1968-71. Falmouth also won the inaugural Cape Cod League title in 1946.
Live Tweets of the game can be followed at @AlbanyAthletics.
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