Baseball announces captains for 2016 season

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University baseball head coach Steve Owens is proud to announce that seniors Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) and Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) and junior Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) have been named captains for the 2016 season.

"Dan, Robby and Matt have all proven themselves as quality players who have worked hard to excel on the field for us throughout their tenure in our program," Owens said. "In addition, they have displayed the maturity and leadership skills needed to provide consistent direction for our team. Our confidence in them is solidified in the fact that they were selected by both our coaching staff and our players."

Cellucci has solidified Bryant's middle infield over the past two seasons and enters his senior season as one of the top defensive shortstops in program history. He overcame an early season injury to hit .278 in 28 games last spring. Cellucci had two doubles, 10 RBI, 18 runs scored and posted a .380 OBP. Defensively, he posted a .938 fielding percentage, committing just seven errors in 112 chances. For his career, Cellucci holds a .943 fielding percentage and has 289 assists.

Rinn enters his final season in Smithfield after putting together one of the best offensive performances in program history last spring. A three-year starter at first base, Rinn broke out as a junior, hitting .332 with 21 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 43 RBI and 44 runs scored. His 30 extra-base hits are the second most in a single season in Bryant DI history. Rinn is a career .308 hitter and enters his final year with 172 hits, 41 doubles, nine home runs, 105 RBI and 104 runs scored. Defensively, he's on pace to set Bryant DI records in chances and putouts and has posted a .992 career fielding percentage.

Albanese has been one of Bryant's top players in each of his first two seasons. A Freshman All-American in 2014, Albanese produced a strong sophomore campaign despite battling numerous injuries throughout the year. He hit .319 with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 28 RBI and 35 runs scored in just 36 games. Albanese earned National Player of the Week honors after hitting four home runs in a three-game span during the month of April.

The Bulldogs open their 2016 season in Cary, N.C., on Feb. 19 against Penn St.