Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

VESTAL, N.Y. - Two-time defending America East champion Binghamton baseball begins the first leg of its title defense when the Bearcats face Stony Brook in a three-game set this weekend on Long Island. With rain in the forecast, the teams will push back a day and play a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at noon and then close out the series with a single game Monday, also at noon, at Joe Nathan Field.

Binghamton and Stony Brook have combined to win seven of the last eight America East regular season titles and five of the last six tournament crowns. The Bearcats have advanced to the NCAA Regionals in each of the last two seasons, achieving the feat in unlikely fashion last May with four straight elimination-game wins, including back-to-back victories over the top-seeded Seawolves.

The Bearcats (3-6), picked third in the America East Coaches' Preseason Poll, have won two straight after dropping five in a row. Last weekend, BU took two of three from VMI. Last month, BU earned the program's second-ever win over an SEC team when the Bearcats toppled Auburn, 11-5.

Senior center fielder Zach Blanden leads the team with a .412 average and 10 runs scored. Senior right fielder Jake Thomas is hitting .406 with a team-high nine RBI in nine games. Sophomore infielder Brendan Skidmore has eight RBI.

Junior Rob Hardy (1-1, 3.77 ERA) will start Game 1 and junior Mike Bunal (1-1) will pitch the nightcap on Sunday. Senior Greg Ostner will start in the series finale on Monday.

Stony Brook won the 2014 regular season title with an 18-5 conference record (35-18 overall) and the Seawolves were picked to win the conference championship in the Coaches' Preseason Poll. Stony Brook (4-8) is coming off a 6-5 win at Fordham on Wednesday. Five of the team's eight losses have come against ranked opponents (No. 4 Florida and RV Louisiana-Lafayette). The Seawolves are led by junior outfielder Jack Parenty (.326, 6 RBI) and senior catcher and clean-up hitter Cole Peragine (.289). On the mound, sophomore lefty Daniel Zamora (1-2, 4.79 ERA), junior lefty Tyler Honahan (2-1, 3.72) and junior righty Tim Knesnik (0-2, 2.65) are the team's top three hurlers.

The Seawolves lead the all-time series, 36-25, including a 16-8 head-to-head record over the last four years. But BU won the two postseason games in 2014 to take bragging rights into the offseason.