VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball (11-18, 7-2 AE) look to remain unbeaten at home (4-0) and get back on the winning track when they begin a three-game set with Hartford this weekend. The Bearcats and Hawks will play a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday and then wrap up with a single game on Sunday at Varsity Field.

After winning eight of their previous nine, BU has lost three straight, including a 3-2 setback at Cornell on Wednesday. Binghamton remains in first place in the America East standings, one game clear of the field. In conference play, BU is sporting a 2.99 pitching ERA and a .264 batting average. The Bearcats rank ninth in the nation in fielding, having committed just 21 errors in 29 games.

Junior first baseman Brendan Skidmore is tied for first in the conference with six home runs and is second with 24 RBI. Senior second baseman Reed Gamache ranks fourth with 22 RBI. Sophomore center fielder CJ Krowiak is second in runs scored (26) and fourth in hits (36).

Junior Jake Cryts (3-3, 4.54 ERA) will start Saturday's opener and senior Mike Bunal (2-3, 5.71) will start the seven-inning nightcap. Cryts is 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA against league opponents. Sophomore Jacob Wloczewski (2-0, 1.80 ERA) will take the mound Sunday.

The Hawks (21-9, 5-4 AE) have put up a strong non-conference record and thus, are positioned at No. 46 (out of 300) in the latest NCAA RPI — one of the highest-ranked teams in the Northeast. They opened conference play by winning two of three against both Albany and UMass Lowell but then suffered two shutout losses in a 1-2 showing against reigning champion Stony Brook last weekend. In their last outing on Thursday, Hartford lost at home to Quinnipiac 7-5. Hartford ranks third in the AE in hitting (.277), second in pitching (3.69) and third in fielding (.976).

Junior first baseman David MacKinnon ranks second in the AE with a .364 average. Sophomore catcher is hitting .350 and sophomore shortstop Ben Bengtson has a team-high 22 RBI. Seniors Kyle Gauthier (3-1, 3.46), Brian Murphy (4-1, 2.87) and Sam McKay (2-2, 3.26) are likely starters on the hill.     

Binghamton leads the all-time series by a commanding 41-13 mark but Hartford has won four of the last nine to tighten the margin a bit. Last season, BU took two of three in West Hartford. Two years ago, the teams split eight games.