VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball opens the curtain on its 2016 season with a doubleheader Friday afternoon at Houston Baptist. The Bearcats and the Huskies will begin Game 1 at noon (ET) from Husky Field. Both games will be nine-inning affairs.

In his 24th year at the helm, head coach Tim Sinicki returns 19 letterwinners from last spring. Included in that mix are seven returning position starters and three weekend pitchers.

Senior No. 1 Mike Bunal (4-6, 3.96 ERA) will take the hill for the opener and classmate Rob Hardy (3-4, 5.02 ERA) will follow in the nightcap.

Houston Baptist returns just four starting position players from its Southland Conference championship team of 2015. The Huskies will start senior lefty Matthew McCollough (8-3, 2.87 ERA) in Game 1 and junior right-hander Addison Russ, a junior college transfer, in Game 2.  

The teams will play another doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon.