VESTAL, N.Y. - Having played just two games in the last 27 days, Binghamton baseball (8-4) looks to regain its edge when the Bearcats face Central Connecticut State (11-10) in a Sunday doubleheader. The teams will play an abbreviated two-game series (9 inn, then 7) at CCSU's campus field in New Britain.

The Bearcats opened conference play last weekend by splitting a doubleheader against UMass Lowell last Saturday. Binghamton won 1-0 and then lost 5-2 in a neutral-site twinbill played at Hartford's Fiondella Field. In the opener, sophomore Nick Gallagher and junior Joe Orlando combined on a three-hit shutout and junior second baseman Luke Tevlin hit a 2-out, solo home run in the eighth inning to give BU the 1-0 win. But in Game 2, Lowell snapped a scoreless tie with a run in the fifth inning and then added four in the sixth to pull away. Binghamton got two runs in the top of the seventh but needed more time to rally in the seven-inning contest. The Bearcats were limited to five combined hits in the two games. 

Sophomore third baseman Justin Yurchak leads the team and ranks second in the nation with a .500 average. Yurchak also ranks second in the country in on-base percentage (.593) and hits per game (2.0). Junior shortstop Paul Rufo is hitting .373 with eight RBI. Junior reliever Joe Orlando leads the entire nation in ERA (0.00). Orlando hasn't allowed an earned run in 14.1 innings spanning four appearances.

Gallagher (1-1, 1.31 ERA) will start the opener and junior Jacob Wloczewski (0-1, 7.15 ERA) will get the start in Game 2.  

CCSU is coming off a 5-0 win over Lowell on Thursday - a victory that pushed the Blue Devils over the .500 mark. Earlier in the season CCSU notched wins over fellow America East members Maine and Hartford. The team has a 3.99 pitching ERA and is 5-1 on its home field. They were picked to finish second (beyond Bryant) in the seven-team Northeast Conference. CCSU went 23-34 last season.

Senior 2B Dean Lackey leads the team with a .351 average and seven doubles. He has 13 RBI. Senior 3B Ryan Costello has team-highs of four home runs and 18 RBI. Central Connecticut State will start senior left-hander Brendan Smith (1-3, 4.03 ERA) in Game 1 and sophomore righty Mike Appel (1-2, 3.18 ERA) in the nightcap. 

Central Connecticut State leads the all-time series 4-3.  The last time the teams met in 2011, they split a pair of one-run games.