VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball (14-14, 14-14 America East) heads into the homestretch with a crucial four-game series at NJIT (17-21, 16-16 AE) this weekend. The teams are battling for the final playoff spot in the America East Division "B" and are tied in the standings with just eight games remaining. The Highlanders will host the series Saturday and Sunday on the campus of nearby Kean University in Union, N.J. No spectators will be allowed during the weekend. 

The Bearcats are coming off a four-game split with UMBC last weekend but missed an opportunity to pull ahead in the standings. After sweeping the doubleheader Saturday at Rumbletown Stadium, BU was swept on Sunday, including a 1-0 shutout that marked the first time in five weeks that the Bearcats were blanked. Binghamton has actually split each of its last three series' - two against the last place Retrievers and one against first-place Stony Brook. 

Binghamton ranks second in the conference in both pitching (4.57 ERA) and fielding (.969) and is fourth in hitting (.264). It's been feast or famine for BU at the plate of late. In the team's last 12 games, they have scored eight or more runs six times (3-3) but have been limited to three or fewer runs four times (1-4). 

Sophomore left fielder Tommy Reifler leads the team with a .312 average and a .419 on-base percentage. Sophomore first baseman Kevin Gsell is tops in both home runs (4) and RBI (18). In Game 1, sophomore starter Thomas Babalis (4-3, 2.42 ERA) will put his 18-inning scoreless streak on the line. The streak is the second-longest in program history, behind only Hall of Fame alum Zach Groh, who posted 24 straight scoreless innings in 2006).

NJIT has turned its season around after dropping three of four to Binghamton back on April 17-18. Since then, the Highlanders are 9-3, having swept four straight from UMBC and won five of eight head-to-head against Stony Brook. The team ranks fifth in the conference in pitching (5.40 ERA) and last in both hitting (.246) and fielding (.956). Second baseman Julio Marcano leads the team in nearly every offensive category, from average (.348) to home runs (8) and RBI (35). Center fielder and leadoff hitter Albert Choi is batting .310 and has stolen 22-of-23 bases.    

The head-to-head series dates back to 2007 and Binghamton is 18-3 all-time against NJIT. In the series at Rumbletown Stadium last month, BU won 1-0 and 2-0, lost 2-1 and then took the finale 6-3. 

Projected Weekend Matchups
Saturday, May 15 - 2 p.m. (DH)
Game 1 (7 inn.): LHP Thomas Babalis (B) (4-3, 2.42 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Stafflinger (NJIT) (4-5, 4.39 ERA) | Live Stats | Video
Game 2 (9 inn.): RHP Ryan Bryggman (B) (1-2, 7.82 ERA) vs. RHP Ryan Fischer (NJIT) (2-3, 3.64 ERA) | Live Stats | Video 

Sunday, May 16 - 2 p.m. (DH)
Game 1 (7 inn.): RHP Jack Collins (B) (3-1, 2.51 ERA) vs. LHP Grant Vurpillat (NJIT) (0-5, 5.97 ERA) | Live Stats | Video
Game 2 (9 inn.): TBD (B) vs. RHP Jared Kacso (NJIT) (2-3, 7.61 ERA) | Live Stats | Video