VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball (13-12, 3-2 America East) welcomes league-leading Stony Brook (18-10, 7-2 AE) to the Bearcats Baseball Complex this weekend for a three-game series. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday and finish with a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday. It's a heavyweight matchup between two programs that have combined to win 10 of the last 12 America East regular season titles, with the Bearcats capturing six during that span.  

Binghamton has won five of its last six games, including three in a row. The Bearcats rank first in the America East in pitching ERA (4.61) and second in hitting (.268). The team has registered double-digit hits in six of its last seven games and the starting pitching ERA has dropped to 3.67.

Sophomore center fielder Shane Marshall is on a tear, hitting .404 over his current 12-game hit streak. He produced RBIs in eight consecutive games — the third-longest streak in program history. Junior left fielder Daniel Franchi has a current eight-game hit streak and is hitting .486 during that span. Junior second baseman Alex Baratta has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games (.447) and has eight RBI in his last five games.

Senior RHP Nick Gallagher (1-3, 4.03 ERA) has allowed one earned run over his last 12 innings. Junior RHP Ben Anderson (5-1, 2.25 ERA) has given up just two earned runs in his last 25 innings. Anderson leads the AE in strikeouts (57), wins and is second in ERA. Freshman left-hander Thomas Babalis (2-0, 4.15 ERA) will make his third start of the season on Sunday. 

The first-place Seawolves have won seven of their last nine. The team ranks first in the AE in hitting (.290, 23 HR) and second in pitching (5.51). They opened league play by taking all three from UMBC and Maine but then lost two of three at Hartford last weekend.

Stony Brook boasts the top two hitters in the conference in junior outfielder Michael Wilson (.409 with 34 RBI) and junior shortstop Nick Grande (.396). Grande is a returning first team all-conference, all-region and preseason All-American selection.

The team returns seven of nine starters from a 32-win team that was conference runnerup last spring. Junior RHP pitchers Greg Marino (2-3, 6.64 ERA) and Brian Hermann (4-1, 4.97 ERA) are expected to start Saturday. Herman was a second team all-conference selection last year. Senior Bret Clarke (4-0, 2.15 ERA), league-leader in ERA, is slated for Sunday. 

The Seawolves hold a 54-38-1 advantage in the all-time series, which began in 1968. Since the schools entered the America East, BU is 15-13-1 at home head-to-head. Stony Brook won four of the six games between the two programs last spring.

WEEKEND SERIES
Saturday, April 13
Game 1 (noon): RHP Nick Gallagher (1-3, 4.03) vs. RHP Greg Marino (2-3, 6.64 ERA) Live Stats 
Game 2 (approx. 3:15 p.m.): RHP Ben Anderson (5-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. Brian Hermann (4-1, 4.97 ERA) Live Stats

Sunday, April 14
Game 3 (1 p.m.): LHP Thomas Babalis (2-0, 4.15 ERA) vs. RHP Bret Clarke (4-0, 2.15 ERA) Live Stats Live Video