VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball plays its fifth straight non-conference game when the Bearcats (22-9) host St. Bonaventure (22-15) at 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Sitting in first place in the America East, BU has won nine of its last 11 games and 13 of 17. 

This past weekend, the Bearcats took two of three from Central Connecticut State. The team has a .277 batting average and an America East-best 3.09 pitching ERA.

Binghamton is continuing its best season start in school history despite injuries to its starting middle infielders - two of the team's top three hitters for average.

Freshman infielder Justin Drpich has stepped in at second base and is hitting a team-high .339 with 16 RBI in 15 starts. Sophomore third baseman Justin Yurchak is batting .324 with 17 RBI. Senior first baseman Brendan Skidmore has a team-best 24 RBI.

Sophomore lefty Rob Brown (0-0, 8.38 ERA) gets the start today. 

The Bonnies have won four in a row and eight of their last nine. They are 12-6 and sit in third place in the Atlantic 10 standings. The team is hitting .276 and has a 3.92 pitching ERA. The Bonnies returned 17 players from a 26-win team of a year ago, including six starting position players and five pitchers from a staff that ranked fourth in the nation in team ERA (2.79).

St. Bonaventure went 1-2 against fellow America East member Maine earlier in the spring and the Bonnies are coming off a three-game sweep of LaSalle over the weekend.

Junior shortstop Cole Peterson leads the team with a .352 average. Peterson, an A-10 second team all-conference selection in 2016, has stolen 19-of-22 bases and has 18 extra-base hits. Junior outfielder David Vaccaro is hitting .295 with team-highs of five home runs and 28 RBI. Senior first basman T.J. Baker has five home runs and 23 RBI.  

Senior Danny Urban (1-1, 3.75 ERA) gets the start today.

Binghamton leads the all-time series against St. Bonaventure 8-3 and has won four straight. Last spring, BU posted a 4-2 win in Olean.