VESTAL, N.Y. - With 10 wins in its last 12 games, Binghamton baseball (10-5, 1-1 America East) returns home to christen its new turf field this weekend. The Bearcats, ranked No. 25 in the latest national RPI, welcome UMBC (8-11, 2-1 AE) for a three-game series. Due to pending weather, the schedule has been altered and the teams will now play a single game Saturday at 3 p.m. and finish with a doubleheader Sunday beginning at noon. The games will be the first played on BU's new FieldTurf surface, part of a $2.2 million renovation project that was completed in the fall after a record-setting anonymous gift.

The Bearcats are off to the best season start in their Division I era. On Wednesday, eight pitchers had a hand in a three-hit road shutout over Bucknell. Senior first baseman Brendan Skidmore belted his first career grand slam and 10 hits and 12 runs were more than enough for a pitching staff that has sported a 2.13 ERA since the second weekend of the season. 

Statistically, BU ranks 22nd in pitching ERA (3.16). Individually, junior reliever Joe Orlando leads the entire nation with a 0.00 ERA. Orlando hasn't allowed an earned run in 16.2 innings - the third-longest streak in program history. Sophomore third baseman Justin Yurchak is second in hits per game (1.80), fourth in on-base percentage (.533) and fifth in batting average (.435). Sophomore pitcher Nick Gallagher (2-1, 1.03), Saturday's starter, is 14th in ERA. 

The Retrievers have won six of their last seven and began conference play by taking two of three against Albany last weekend. On Wednesday, UMBC defeated Delaware 5-4. The team returns 24 letterwinners from a 28-23 team that finished fourth in the America East standings last spring. First team all-conference catcher Hunter Dolshun leads the team with a .367 average. Junior outfielder Collin Stack is hitting .297 with a team-best 16 RBI. Sophomore right-hander Jacob Christian (1-1, 7.56 ERA) is expected to start today's game.

Binghamton leads the all-time series 42-13, though UMBC has won seven of the last nine head-to-head meetings. Last year in Baltimore, BU won two of three.