VESTAL, N.Y. - After splitting its shortened series last weekend, Binghamton baseball (2-4, 2-4 America East) returns to action on Friday when it starts a four-game set at Maine (7-4, 2-1 AE). The teams are scheduled to play doubleheaders Friday and Saturday at Mahaney Diamond. 

The Bearcats will continue to be challenged facing another opponent that has played nearly twice the number of games as BU this spring. Without non-conference games on the slate and starting several weeks behind its competitors, BU has been slow out of the gate, dropping three of four in its opening series before needing a rally to gain a split in the series last weekend at Rumbletown Stadium. 

In the team's home-opening series against UMass Lowell, Binghamton absorbed a 14-1 loss in the opener before earning a DH split with a 3-2 win on Saturday. The pair of scheduled games on Sunday were canceled due to rain in the forecast.

Second-year left fielder Tommy Reifler leads the team with a .417 average. Senior third baseman Justin Drpich is hitting .375 and junior center fielder Shane Marshall is batting .300 with four RBI in six games. Senior second baseman Alex Baratta has team-highs of two home runs and six RBI. The Bearcats are hitting .246 as a team - fifth in the conference.

On the hill, second-year righty Jack Collins has been stellar with a 0.90 ERA in two appearances. Collins ranks second in the America East in ERA. Sophomore Ryan Bryggman has a team-leading 13 strikeouts in 9.0 innings and junior Josh Kopcza has a 1.80 ERA after one start. 

The Black Bears had their first two conference series' canceled (vs. Hartford and Stony Brook) before taking two of three from UMBC last weekend. Maine ranks third in the conference in team batting (.272) and is first in pitching with a sparkling 3.72 team ERA. The Black Bears' pitching staff also ranks ninth in the nation in hits allowed per game (6.6) and 18th in WHIP (1.18). The team was picked eighth (of eight) in the Coaches' Preseason Poll after going 15-34 (11-12 AE) in their last full season (2019). 

Maine's roster includes 12 freshmen and 18 underclassmen in all, but is bolstered by all-conference first baseman Joe Bramanti and former All-Rookie catcher Ryan Turenne. The pitching staff has been led by junior right-hander Nicholas Sinacola, who is averaging a staggering 17.8 strikeouts per game (third in the nation). 

The all-time series between the two programs is a close one - Maine leads 38-36. In the last go-around in 2019, the Bearcats won two of three in Orono after the teams split a pair in Vestal. At Mahaney, BU is 12-20 overall.   

Weekend Matchups
Friday, April 2 - noon (DH)
Game 1 (7 inn.): LHP Thomas Babalis (B) (0-2, 8.10 ERA) vs. RHP Nicholas Sinacola (M) (3-0, 1.37 ERA) | Live Stats | Video | Audio
Game 2 (9 inn.): RHP Ryan Bryggman (B) (0-0, 5.00 ERA) vs. RHP Noah Lewis (M) (2-1, 1.45 ERA) | Live Stats | Video | Audio 

Saturday, April 3 - 11 a.m. (DH)
Game 1 (7 inn.): RHP Jack Collins (B) (1-0, 0.90 ERA) vs. RHP Alex McKenney (M) (2-1, 4.38 ERA) | Live Stats | Video | Audio
Game 2 (9 inn.): RHP Josh Kopcza (B) (0-1, 1.80 ERA) vs. LHP Tyler Nielsen (M) (0-0, 0.00 ERA | Live Stats | Video | Audio