VESTAL, N.Y. – Binghamton baseball opens the curtain on its 2019 season Friday afternoon down in Florida. Twenty-seventh-year head coach Tim Sinicki and his Bearcats face No. 17 Michigan at the New York Mets' spring training facility in Port St. Lucie. The teams will play the opener at 1 p.m. and then continue the three-game set with games on Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m.) at First Data Field.

Binghamton returns five position starters and one weekend pitcher from its 2018 team, which went 18-30-1. The Bearcats have won two of the last three America East regular season titles (2017, 2018) and have totaled 10 combined regular season and postseason crowns in the last 12 years.

Michigan returns eight position starters and 23 lettermen from a 33-win team of 2018. The Wolverines have been picked to win the 13-team Big Ten Conference and make a strong run in the NCAA tournament.

The Bearcats are 1-3 all-time against teams from the Big Ten. Binghamton lost to Nebraska at the 2013 NCAA Regionals and lost twice to Penn State in the 2012 and 2016 regular seasons. The team's win was over the Nittany Lions in 2017.

The last time BU played a nationally-ranked opponent was on March 3-5, 2017 when the Bearcats stunned No. 19 Virginia Tech with a four-game sweep down in Blacksburg.
 
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, Feb. 15 (1 p.m.)
RHP Nick Gallagher (4-7, 4.52 ERA in '18) vs. LHP Tommy Henry (7-3, 3.09 ERA in '18) Live Stats

Saturday, Feb. 16 (1 p.m.)
RHP Ben Anderson (3-2, 1.60 ERA in '18) vs. RHP Karl Kauffmann (6-3, 3.08 ERA in '18) Live Stats

Sunday, Feb. 17 (11 a.m.)
LHP Reid VanScoter (0-1, 4.50 ERA in '18) vs. RHP Jeff Criswell (3-2, 2.23 ERA in '18) or RHP Willie Weiss (freshman) Live Stats