VESTAL, N.Y. - Two-time reigning America East regular season champion Binghamton baseball opens its 2018 season with a three-game weekend series at first-time opponent Northwestern State. The Bearcats and Demons play Friday night (7:30 EST), Saturday (4:30 p.m. EST) and Sunday (11:30 a.m. EST) at Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches, La. It's the season-opening series for both teams.

Binghamton began its travels Thursday morning, taking a bus to Newark, flight to Houston and bus to Natchitoches in advance of a Thursday night workout at the facility. Rain is looming in the forecast, however, which may alter the schedule for the weekend.

Twenty-sixth-year head coach Tim Sinicki returns 22 letterwinners from a 30-13 team that produced the 15th-highest win percentage in the nation last spring. The team features seven all-conference players but will have to replace two MLB draft picks (Justin Yurchak and Dylan Stock). 

Junior Nick Gallagher, the 2017 America East and ECAC Pitcher of the Year, takes the ball for Friday's opener. Gallagher went 8-3 with a 2.67 ERA in his exceptional sophomore season. Seniors Jacob Wloczewski (4-2, 3.19 ERA) and Nick Wegmann (4-5, 3.27 ERA) are scheduled to pitch Games 2 and 3, respectively.   

The Bearcats have been picked to win the America East by conference coaches (unanimously) and all national publications. 

Northwestern State returns 13 lettermen from a 20-34 squad that placed 11th in the Southland Conference. The team has four starting position players and two starting pitchers back. At the plate, senior first baseman David Fry hit .340 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI in 2017. The Demons will throw junior right-hander Nathan Jones (4-8, 4.86 ERA) in the opener and then use junior college left-handed transfer Ridge Heisler in Game 2 and freshman righty Robert Burke in the finale. 

Two years ago, Binghamton opened against another Southland Conference team, Houston Baptist, going 1-3. Northwestern State was picked to finish 11th (out of 13) this season.