VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball looks to get on the winning track when the Bearcats (2-12) travel to Philadelphia for a three-game weekend series at Ivy League member Penn (2-7). With bad weather expected on Sunday, the series was reshuffled and the teams will now play a single game at 3 p.m. on Friday and then will meet for a doubleheaders on Saturday at Meiklejohn Stadium.

The Bearcats have struggled out of the gate and are eager to gain confidence with the start of America East play drawing near. Binghamton has five games remaining before heading to Orono for a four-game conference-opening series at Maine next weekend.

Senior third baseman David Schanz leads the team with a .351 average. Sophomore center fielder and leadoff hitter CJ Krowiak is batting .339. Sophomore shortstop Paul Rufo (.333) and junior first baseman Brendan Skidmore (.308) are the other players above the .300 mark. Rufo has two home runs and nine RBI - already surpassing his power totals from last season. Skidmore hit .385 last weekend at Delaware and also has nine RBI. Senior second baseman Reed Gamache leads the team with 13 RBI. Junior left fielder Darian Herncane has belted a team-best three home runs. 

On the hill, BU will throw junior Jake Cryts (0-2, 6.52) on Friday and then sophomore Jacob Wloczewski (0-0, 1.80 ERA) and senior Mike Bunal (0-2) in Saturday's twinbill.

Penn came within one game of advancing to the NCAA regionals last season. The Quakers went 16-4 in the Ivy and lost to Columbia in a one-game playoff. The team graduated 10 players, however, and this spring's roster includes 11 freshmen. The team opened the season with an 11-day stay in Florida and up north, lost at Villanova 6-1 on Wednesday. They defeated North Florida and Holy Cross for their two victories. 

The Quakers are hitting just .240 as a team and have struck out more than 10 times per game. Senior center fielder Gary Tesch is hitting a team-best .414 and freshman second baseman Matt Tola is at .387. Penn will send junior righty Jake Cousins (0-2, 7.36 ERA), third-year lefty Mike Reitcheck (0-2, 7.56) and junior left-hander Gabe Kleiman (0-0, 3.60) to the hill for the series. The team's pitching staff holds a solid 5.24 ERA.